It’s advantage Owen Sound Attack.
Nick Porco beat Luke Cavallin through the five-hole with 3:15 to go in regulation to give the Attack the lead, and Gavin Bryant and Igor Chibrikov added empty-netters as Owen Sound defeated the Flint Firebirds 6-3 at the Dort Financial Center Friday night to take Game 1 of the Ontario Hockey League western conference quarterfinal.
The Attack now lead the best-of-seven 1-0.
William Portokalis, Colby Barlow and Servac Petrovsky also scored for the Attack. Brennan Othmann, Amadeus Lombardi, Coulson Pitre supplied the offence for Flint.
Portokalis staked the Attack to a 1-0 at 2:21 of the first period. The Firebirds tied things up on the power play just over five minutes later, as Othmann beat Nick Chenard on the glove hand side.
Barlow put the Attack back in front at 4:34 of the second period with a blast past Cavallin on the blocker side. Then Lombardi brought the home side even again at 8:15 of the middle frame, picking up his own rebound after a wraparound attempt.
The Firebirds took their first and only lead of the game just 38 seconds into the third period as Pitre scored on a wraparound. Petrovsky tied the game 3-3 just 20 seconds later, turning and firing a slap-shot past Cavallin after Barlow played it to him with a pass off the end board.
The game-winner came off the stick of Porco at 16:45 of the third, with a low shot through the five-hole of Cavallin. Bryant and Chibrikov added empty-netters.
Chenard made 31 saves in the win, while Cavallin stopped 24 taking the loss. Flint outshot Owen Sound 34-30 while going 1 for 5 on the power play; the Attack finished 1 for 5 as well.
The Attack snatch home-ice advantage from the Firebirds with the win, and it will be a quick turnaround with Game 2 Saturday night at Dort Financial Center.
It’s another 7 p.m start. The Joe Tomato’s pre-game show will commence at 6:30 p.m on 560 CFOS Kia of Owen Sound-Terry’s Trailer Service Bearadio.