Firebirds Start Three-Game Road Trip, Visit Otters Tonight in Erie
October 14, 2022 – Ontario Hockey League (OHL) – Flint Firebirds News Release
Erie, Penn. – The Firebirds hit the road to play three games in the next three nights, with Erie first in their sights. These teams saw each other plenty last season, meeting 12 times and forming a natural rivalry in the process. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) tonight at the Erie Insurance Arena.
Last week, the Firebirds won two of three games. They won on the road in Sault Ste. Marie 5-3 on Wednesday night, then visited Guelph and defeated the Storm by the same final score. On Saturday, they returned home and fell 4-2 to the Sudbury Wolves. The Otters came up short in a shootout in Mississauga Friday, dropping a 3-2 decision beyond overtime. They then hosted the London Knights Saturday and skated to a 3-1 triumph at the Erie Insurance Arena for their first win of the year.
The last time the Otters and Firebirds met was Saturday, April 9 at the Dort Financial Center. Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets) and Zack Terry lit the lamp for Flint, and Luca D’Amato had a pair of assists en route to a 4-1 home-ice victory. The Firebirds played the Otters 12 times last season with the Birds winning 10 of the meetings. They finished with a 5-1-0-0 record on the road versus Erie. All-time, Flint holds a record of 16-9-2-2 when facing Erie, and their overall road record in the series stands at 8-4-0-2.
Through four regular-season contests, Flint and Erie have both scored on 16.7% of their chances, seeding both clubs 11th in the league. The Otters rank first with a 94.4% kill rate with a man in the penalty box. The Firebirds are tied for tenth with an 80.9% success rate when down a man.
Players to Watch
Flint Firebirds (2-2-0-0, West Division):
Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) sits atop the stats for the Firebirds as he did all season a year ago. He has four goals and eight total points through four games. Riley Piercey is sitting at exactly 50 career OHL goals and ranks second on the team after four games with six points (3 G, 3 A). Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings) is third on the squad with five total points (1 G, 4 A). Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets) tops the blue-liners with two points (2 A) through four tilts.
Flint carries a trio of netminders, led by overage veteran Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues). Cranley comes in with a 3.00 GAA and .914 SV% with one win so far. Second-year goalie Nathaniel Day has played one game this season, posting 29 saves on 32 shots in the victory. Rookie goaltender Boe Piroski was acquired via trade prior to pre-season play and carried a 3.07 GAA and a .923 SV% through one preseason game.
NHL: The Firebirds have six players with NHL ties consisting of Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues), Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings), Gavin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks), Braeden Kressler (Toronto Maple Leafs), Dmitri Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets), and Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers).
Despite Flint playing in just seven OHL seasons thus far, Alex Nedeljkovic (Detroit), Kole Sherwood (Columbus), and Ty Dellandrea (Dallas) are three former Firebirds to play in the NHL. Brennan Othmann (NY Rangers), Riley Piercey (Detroit), and Gavin Hayes (Chicago) all played in NHL preseason contests this year, joining Firebirds’ alumni Ethan Keppen (Vancouver), Vili Saarijarvi (Detroit), and Jalen Smereck (Arizona). In total, the team has produced 24 signed or drafted players into the NHL.
Erie Otters (1-2-0-2, Midwest Division):
Third-year forward Brett Bressette and defender Christian Kyrou (Dallas Stars) sit atop the charts for the Otters with five points in five games each. Bressette has two goals and three assists, and Kyrou has scored once and pitched in four helpers. Overager Elias Cohen has four points (1 G, 3 A) to rank third, and defenseman Spencer Sova is right behind with three points (1 G, 2 A).
The Otters are backstopped by a trio of netminders, led by Nolan Lalonde (Columbus Blue Jackets). He has one win with a 1.46 goals-against average (GAA) and a .945 save percentage (SV%) through two games. Marshall Nicholls is in his second season with the club and has four appearances thus far. He carries a 2.92 GAA with a SV% of .888. Rookie Jacob Gibbons has yet to appear in the regular season, although he earned two victories in five pre-season appearances this year.
NHL: The Otters carry three players with NHL ties, including forward Liam Gilmartin (San Jose Sharks), defenseman Christian Kyrou (Dallas Stars), and goaltender Nolan Lalonde (Columbus Blue Jackets).
Notable Otters’ alumni to play in the NHL are Connor McDavid, Alex DeBrincat, Connor Brown, Nikita Alexeev, Brad Boyes, Tim Connoly, Mike Rupp, Steve Montador, Carlo Colaiacovo, Chris Campoli, Jason Ward and Dylan Strome.
Broadcast Coverage:
Tonight’s contest against the Erie Otters is one of only a few games not broadcast throughout Flint & Mid-Michigan on US 103.1 FM. Jack Sznewajs will call the play-by-play action for the next two games on Saturday and Sunday on the Firebirds Hockey Network (FHN).
The game will be televised live across the province of Ontario on the OHL Action Pak on channel 462. OHL fans with cable television in Ontario can add the OHL Action Pak to their television plan to catch the Firebirds in action, home or away all season long.
Tonight’s game is also the CHL TV Game of the Week meaning it is free to everyone on CHL TV. All Flint Firebirds’ home and away games throughout the 2022-23 regular season can be watched anywhere in the world online at https://watch.chl.ca/ohl. CHL TV is the league’s new and improved video streaming platform that delivers high-quality live and on-demand coverage of all regular season and playoff games annually. The cost is $7.99 for 24-hour access, $29.99 for monthly access, $119.99 for all access to the 2022-23 Firebirds and OHL season, or $179.99 for all access to the entire 2022-23 CHL season.
Next Up: The Firebirds continue the three-games-in-three-nights road trip in Niagara Saturday evening, and then in Kitchener Sunday afternoon. They’ll return to Flint for their next home game on Wednesday, October 19, as they host the Sarnia Sting. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. (ET) in Flint and tickets are available now from Etix HERE. Members of Dort Financial Credit Union can get up to four tickets for free to Wednesday’s game.
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