Cranley Shuts the Door on Visiting Sting, Birds Win 4-1
October 19, 2022 – Ontario Hockey League (OHL) – Flint Firebirds News Release
Flint, Mich. – The Firebirds returned to their winning ways, defeating the Sarnia Sting 4-1 on home ice Wednesday. Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings) led the charge for Flint with two goals and an assist for a three-point night. Riley Piercey (1 G, 1 A) and Dmitry Kuzmin (2 A) also had strong showings. Defending the goals on either end of the ice was a pair of NHL-signed netminders in Flint’s Will Cranley (St. Louis Blues) and Sarnia’s Benjamin Gaudreau (San Jose Sharks). Cranley made 39 saves on 40 shots to earn the win and “First Star” honors in the contest. Gaudreau stopped 25 of 29 shots across the ice sheet.
Highlights
The Birds were first to find twine, needing only 51 seconds. Brennan Othmann (New York Rangers) passed up to his point man from the right corner. Tyler Deline walked the line toward the center of the offensive zone and teed up a slapper. Gaudreau made the initial save, and stopped Amadeus Lombardi (Detroit Red Wings) on the initial rebound attempt in front. The second rebound was kicked to Gaudreau’s right, where Lombardi cradled the puck and lifted it high to the blocker side for his third of the season at even strength.
The lead for Flint doubled just shy of the eight-minute mark, this time initiated by Riley Piercey. He passed from the left point along the boards to Dmitry Kuzmin (Winnipeg Jets) in the left corner. Kuzmin skated down the goal line and passed across the top of the blue paint, where Ethan Hay redirected the puck up high over the goaltender’s left shoulder for his third of the campaign at 7:58.
The Firebirds held onto the two-goal edge through 20 minutes, despite being outshot 15-12. Flint outdrew the Sting 12-6 in the first and killed off both penalties taken. The Birds went 0-for-1 with the man advantage in the opening frame.
The second period began much like the first. Lombardi sent the puck out to the left point from the near corner to a waiting Kuzmin. The defender launched a wrist shot into traffic, where Piercey deflected it past Gaudreau for his fifth of the season at 0:53.
Piercey’s marker stood as the lone score in the middle frame. Again the Sting had the upper hand in shots 15-10 in the second. Faceoffs still favored the Birds, this time 14-6. On the power play, both clubs finished scoreless on two chances.
Lombardi potted his second of the night on a two-on-one breakaway with James Petrovski at 10:56 of period three. This time Flint was on a four-on-three power play, and Petrovski almost broke free all alone. His defender was draped all over him from the blue line in, but he was able to slip the puck to his left into open space. Lombardi stepped up and snapped it low glove-side for his second of the night and fourth of the season.
Sarnia finally lit the lamp off a strong effort from Ty Voit (Toronto Maple Leafs). He carried into the zone and stick-handled around two defenders before backhanding a pass across the crease to Nolan Burke. Burke one-timed it home low to the blocker side for his sixth of the season at 12:39.
Final shots ended at 40-29 in favor of the Sting. Flint outdrew Sarnia 40-23. Both teams scored one power-play tally in the contest, Flint on six chances and the visitors in seven tries.
Next Up: The Firebirds will travel to Sarnia to complete the home-and-away series at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena Friday evening at 7:05 p.m. (ET). The Birds return to home ice this Saturday to host the Windsor Spitfires for the first time since surrendering the Western Conference Finals in game seven to conclude last year’s record-breaking campaign. Saturday’s game will be Hockey Fights Cancer Night, benefitting the McLaren Flint Foundation. The 50/50 proceeds will also go to the McLaren Flint Foundation. The Firebirds will wear lavender-colored jerseys recognizing all cancers with different colored ribbons in the numbers. A live jersey auction will follow the conclusion of the game.
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