The Flint Firebirds beat the Kitchener Rangers 5-2 on Wednesday night at Dort Financial Center, their first home win of the season. Cooper Williams scored twice, including the game-winner, and Nick Bogas finished with a goal and three assists as Flint improved to 4-2-0-0. Kitchener fell to 4-4-0-0.
How it happened
Kitchener struck first on the power play when Luca Santala scored at 16:29 of the first period, with Tanner Lam and Luca Romano assisting. Flint answered 54 seconds into the second, as Bogas buried his first OHL goal off feeds from Luka Graziano and Jimmy Lombardi. Martins Klaucans then put the Firebirds ahead on the power play at 13:25, finishing a rebound of a Bogas shot, with Charlie Murata also assisting.
Williams made it 3-1 at 4:27 of the third for his first OHL goal, set up by Darian Anderson and Lombardi. Haeden Ellis pulled Kitchener within one at 8:32, but Ryland Cunningham restored the two-goal cushion three minutes later with his first goal of the season, assisted by Bogas and Xavier Tessier. Williams sealed it with an empty-netter at 18:45, with Bogas picking up his third assist.
Standouts
The four-point night was the first multi-point game of Bogas’s OHL career. Lombardi added two assists and now has two goals and eight assists in the early going, while Anderson has a point in all six of Flint’s games this season.
Mason Courville made 22 saves on 24 shots for the win. Kitchener’s Mason Hriczov stopped 23 of 27. Flint outshot the Rangers 28-24 and went 1 for 5 on the power play, while Kitchener converted 1 of 3.
What’s next
The Firebirds stay home to host the Sarnia Sting on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. at Dort Financial Center. Kitchener visits the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Friday before heading to Saginaw to face the Spirit on Saturday.
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