What a difference three days can make.
Ben Cormier scored twice and Servac Petrovsky notched the game-winner midway through the third period, as the Owen Sound Attack rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to defeat the Flint Firebirds 4-2 in Ontario Hockey League action Saturday night at the Dort Financial Center.
Sam Sedley also scored for the Attack (10-9-2), which won their third straight and extended their road point-streak to six games.
Coulson Pitre and Simon Slavicek scored for Flint (9-9-1-1).
The win capped a perfect road trip for the Attack against West Division opponents. They woke up Thursday morning on a four-game slide. Three nights later, they’d found three different ways to win and that skid is a distant memory.
Owen Sound’s offence broke out in a 12-3 victory over the Windsor Spitfires Thursday. Friday, the Attack relied on a strong penalty-kill and a great goaltending performance from Carter George to blank Sarnia 4-0. And then it was a resilient, comeback win in Flint Saturday.
“It’s three different types of victories,” says Attack interim coach Darren Rumble. “Give them credit. It’s nice for them to start scoring some goals, having some good luck. It was a great trip and we’ll have to carry it over to see if we can start playing better at home.”
Flint led the Attack 2-0 after the first period. Pitre opened the scoring 16:59 in. Marko Stojkov skated the puck down low and then put a pass to a wide open Pitre between the hash marks. He took his time, loaded up and ripped a shot past the blocker of George. 1-0 Firebirds.
The breakthrough came after some quality scoring chances were turned aside by George. Zacharie Giroux and Braeden Kressler had a 2-on-1 that resulted in Kressler on a break in tight on George. Owen Sound’s netminder denied the chance.
George also Markas Samenas on a breakaway, closing the five-hole with his stick and then turning aside a second shot on a rebound.
Slavicek made is 2-0 with 26 seconds remaining in the first. Sedley turned it over on a clearing attempt just inside the Attack blueline, and Nolan Dann and Slavicek were sprung on a 2-on-0 down low. Dann had the puck and drew George over to his left, before sending it back to Slavicek in front. He got enough of the puck to put it in the open net.
Sedley then got the Attack on the board early in the second period. The overage defenceman – who is second in the OHL in points among blueliners – fired a point-shot from the right side that had eyes and found its way through traffic and past Jacob Brown on the blocker side. That cut the Firebirds’ lead to 2-1.
The Attack would tie it before the second period was up. Taos Jordan had a point-shot partially blocked and it took a fortunate bounce right to Cormier near the faceoff dot on the right-side. He loaded, and placed a perfect shot just inside the post and past the blocker of Brown at 17:06.
Owen Sound would take its first lead just prior to the midway mark of the third. Tomislav Brennan forced a turnover just inside the defensive zone and spotted Petrovsky up ice, springing the Minnesota Wild prospect on breakaway. Petrovsky didn’t miss. 3-2 Attack with 10:06 to play.
Cormier had his second of the game four minutes later. Jordan did most of the leg work. The Attack defenceman had the puck near his own blueline and tried to play it up the boards. It didn’t work, but bounced right back to him and Jordan took off through the neutral zone through three Firebirds. He got over the blueline and found Cormier near the top of the circle on the right side, and another well-placed shot came off the stick of No. 8 past the blocker of Brown. 4-2 Attack.
That was it.
One oddity of the game: It lacked penalties. Nico Addy was called for a slash in the second period, and that was it. The Attack didn’t have a single power play opportunity.
George made 31 saves in the win, while Brown stopped 27 taking the loss. Flint outshot Owen Sound 33-31 while going 0 for 1 on the power play.
MORE ROAD GAMES COMING FOR THE ROAD WARRIORS
The Attack and their six-game point streak on the road still have a couple more to go before returning home to the Bayshore.
Owen Sound will visit the Barrie Colts next Thursday, Nov. 23, and then the Kitchener Rangers on Friday, Nov. 24. That will end a stretch of five straight road games. Owen Sound’s next home game is Saturday, Nov. 25 against the North Bay Battalion.
The Attack are now 7-3-2 on the road this season.
WEST DIVISION DOMINANCE
Saturday’s win over the Flint Firebirds improved Owen Sound’s record against West Division opponents to 5-1 this season.
