Written by Carl
Chimenti
photos by Metcalfe
Photography
The Flint Firebirds
scored three
unanswered goals in
the third period to
overcome a 3-1
deficit to beat the
Sarnia Sting 4-3, on
Friday night, at the
Sarnia Sports and
Entertainment
Centre. Detroit Red
Wings prospect,
Villi Saarijarvi
scored the game
winner with less
than nine minutes to
go in the game.
Travis Konecny had a
goal and an assist
while Troy
Lajeunesse and Matt
Mistele scored once
each for Sarnia.
Jeff King added a
pair of assists.
Keenan Reynolds and
Will Bitten had a
goal and an assist
in the win for
Flint, as they
defeated Sarnia for
the fourth time in
seven meetings this
season. Ryan Moore
had a single tally
and Mathieu
Henderson
contributed two
assists.
Charlie Graham
played well enough
and deserved a
better fate as he
made 22 of 26 saves
for Sarnia. Flint
goaltender Brent
Moran turned away 38
of 41 shots faced.
It did not take the
Sting long to get on
the board, as
Lajeunesse scored
his 14th of the
year, beating
Firebirds'
goaltender Moran, 53
seconds into the
game. Both King and
Konecny drew the
assists.
As the first period
continued, both
teams battled with
good scoring chances
at both ends. With
less than four
minutes to play,
Flint was able to
tie the game at 1-1.
Reynolds beat Graham
with help from Will
Bitten and Mathieu
Henderson at 16:47.
Konecny put Sarnia
back on top, near
the midway point of
the second period,
with a goal from in
front. King, with
his second assist
and Pavel Zacha, did
the grunt work to
set up the goal.
Mistele added to the
lead with a goal
from the door step
at 13:49. Sting
Captain Sam
Studnicka was
credited with the
only assist on
Mistele's 26th of
the season. The ice
was tilted in
Sarnia’s favor for
most of the middle
stanza and the shots
on goal told the
story, Sarnia 16 and
Flint 4.
Flint made a
comeback in the
first half of the
third period and
were able to tie the
game at 3-3 with
goals 66 seconds
apart. Moore sliced
the Sting lead to
one goal at 6:47
from Reynolds, and
Bitten scored the
equalizer at 7:53,
from Henderson.
Villi Saarijarvi
scored an unassisted
power play goal at
11:19 to give the
Firebirds their
first lead of the
game and it turned
out to be the
eventual game
winner.
Sting Notebook:
-
The three stars
were Bitten,
Konecny and
Moran.
-
Sarnia will
finish off
weekend play at
home hosting the
Sault Ste. Marie
Greyhounds,
Sunday afternoon
at 2:05 pm.
-
Flint had the
only power play
goal as they
went 1/3. Sarnia
failed to score
in their only
chance with the
man advantage.
