Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
The fourth-place Soo Greyhounds (35-18-1-5) kicked off a pivotal three-game road trip on Wednesday, March 4th, travelling south down I-75 to battle the third-place Flint Firebirds (39-15-4-2) in Western Conference OHL action in Flint, Michigan.
Flint entered the matchup having won all four previous meetings between the clubs this season, including a February 6th victory in Sault Ste. Marie. Both teams were looking to rebound from recent losses — the Greyhounds fell 6-3 to Kingston on February 27th, while the Firebirds dropped a 4-2 decision at home to Peterborough on March 1st. With just eight points separating the two teams in the standings (Flint at 76 points entering the night), Wednesday’s contest carried significant playoff implications.
The opening frame featured strong defensive play and solid goaltending at both ends, with neither side able to break through. The game remained scoreless after twenty minutes.
The Greyhounds struck early in the middle frame.
At 2:03, Marco Mignosa opened the scoring with his 31st goal of the season, finishing an unassisted effort to give the Soo a 1-0 lead.
Flint answered quickly. At 3:15, Bryson Morgan netted his third of the season to even the game 1-1.
Late in the period, the Greyhounds capitalized on the power play. At 19:33, Justin Cloutier buried his sixth of the season with the man advantage to restore the Soo lead at 2-1. Assists on the goal went to Travis Hayes and Colin Fitzgerald, giving the Greyhounds momentum heading into the third.
Flint came out pushing in the final frame and converted on the power play at 6:15. With their 32nd shot of the game, Darian Anderson scored his 18th of the season to tie the contest 2-2. Assists were credited to Jimmy Lombardi and Luka Graziano.
The Firebirds grabbed their first lead of the night at 12:58 when Jacob Battaglia scored his 26th of the season, assisted by Nathan Aspinall, making it 3-2 Flint.
The Greyhounds refused to fold. At 14:48, Jeremy Martin continued his torrid offensive pace, scoring his 26th of the season — extending his point streak to 11 straight games — to tie the game 3-3. The equalizer was assisted by Jakub Winkelhofer.
The five-minute 3-on-3 overtime solved nothing, as both teams traded chances but neither could find the back of the net.
The game moved to a shootout where the Greyhounds edged the Firebirds.
Soo Greyhounds Shootout Attempts: Jeremy Martin (Miss), Brady Martin (Goal), Marco Mignosa (Miss) and Justin Cloutier (Goal).
Flint Firebirds Shootout Attempts: Nathan Aspinall (Goal), Kevin He (Miss), Jimmy Lombardi (Miss), and Jacob Battaglia (Miss).
Cloutier’s marker proved to be the difference, securing the extra point for the Soo.
Goaltending we saw Carter George earned his 21st win of the season — and his 11th in a Greyhound jersey — turning aside key chances throughout regulation and overtime before shutting the door in the shootout. At the other end, Mason Vaccari (32-8-3-2) was solid for Flint despite taking the shootout loss.
The Greyhounds continue their road swing on Friday, March 6th, when they visit the Kitchener Rangers for a 7:00 p.m puck drop. Flint will also be back in action March 6th, travelling to Sarnia to take on the Sting at 7:05 p.m.
With the victory, the Greyhounds close the gap in the Western Conference standings and build momentum at a crucial time in the playoff race.
