Nathan Day of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images
Three goals in less than a minute in the third period doomed the Attack, in what was a close game until it wasn’t.
Urban Podrekar scored with 3:39 remaining in the third, and Alex Kostov and Cole Zurawski followed that up as the Flint Firebirds managed three goals in 48 seconds en route to beating the Owen Sound Attack 4-0 in Ontario Hockey League action Saturday evening at the Dort Financial Center.
Nathan Day made 16 saves for his second shutout of the season. The first was against the Attack as well, a 3-0 win for Flint at the Dort back on Oct. 26.
Kaden Pitre had the other goal for the Firebirds (13-15-1-1), who won their second in a row.
The Attack (9-18-2-3) lost both games on their road trip, after falling 5-2 in Sarnia Friday.
Trenten Bennett was stellar in his OHL debut for the Attack, keeping his team in the game until Flint broke through with the trio of goals in quick succession late in the third period.
The Firebirds led 1-0 after one. Connor Clattenburg led a 3-on-2 rush up the right wing and when he was run into by Elliot Arnett at the Attack blueline, he got the puck to Pitre. The 3-on-2 turned into a 2-on-1, Pitre shot inside the top of the circle and beat Bennett blocker side to make it 1-0 at 17:05 of the first.
Declan Waddick was injured earlier in the period and did not return. He had the puck on the right board in the offensive zone and when he went to move around Matthew Wang, he was cut down by Wang’s knee. Waddick stayed down for a moment and then limped off the ice. The officials reviewed the play for a potential major penalty, but only assessed a two minute minor for kneeing. Waddick did not return.
That was it for goals until the third period. Nathan Day turned aside a couple of chances to that point, one of his better saves a Pierce Mbuyi one timer on the power play. Day slid to his left and kicked out the low shot with his pad.
But it was Bennett who was the busier of the two goaltenders, and looked like a season OHL veteran – not a player making his debut in the league. He had many fine moments, but his best save came midway through the third after a James Petrovski turnover at the Flint blueline sent Jimmy Lombardi on a short-handed breakaway.
Lombardi shot, Bennett flung his glove up and caught the puck, denying the shot and keeping it a one goal game.
Actually, maybe that was his second best moment. Early in the second period, Evan Konyen came from the back of the net and tried to tuck a wrap-around. He stared on as if it was in, the goal horn sounded inside the building … play continued. That’s because Bennett made the save, getting over to his right to kick the puck out with his skate.
The Firebirds broke through with their second goal with 3:39 remaining in the third, on the power play. Podrekar noticed Bennett was without his stick and just fired a shot from the right side of the offensive zone and it leaked through the Attack goaltender, 2-0 Flint.
Sixteen seconds later, Kostov rushed up the left wing and put a perfectly placed shot off the post and in.
Then it was Zurawski on a breakway, Flint’s third goal in 48 seconds. All of a sudden it was 4-0.
Day made 16 saves in the win, while Bennett stopped 40 taking the loss. Flint outshot Owen Sound 40-16 while going 1 for 6 on the power play; the Attack finished 0 for 6.
The Attack play their final game before the Christmas break Wednesday, Dec. 18, when they host the Barrie Colts at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
POWER PLAY WOES
Owen Sound couldn’t get anything done on the power play on its two-game trip to Sarnia and Flint. The Attack were 0 for 6 in each game, finishing 0 for 12 on the trip.
