Nathan Day of the Flint Firebirds. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images
Nothing was getting past Nathan Day on this night.
The Flint Firebirds goaltender made 37 saves for his first career Ontario Hockey League shutout in a 3-0 win for his team over the Owen Sound Attack at the Dort Financial Center Saturday evening.
The Attack (3-7-1-1) lost their fifth straight game. Flint (5-6-0-1) made it back-to-back wins.
All three Firebirds’ goals came in the first period, then Day took it from there.
Kaden Pitre made it 1-0 just over six minutes into the game. Alex Kostov found the puck near the crease and spun a pass over to Pitre at the side of the goal. He shot a backhander past the glove of Carter George.
It was 2-0 less than a minute later. Chris Thibodeau led a 2-on-1 rush up ice on the left side, and then flung a perfect saucer pass over to Flugins – who one-timed a quick shot past an outstretched George.
Aspinall extended the lead to 3-0 with 1:38 remaining in the first. He skated up ice on the left wing and entered the offensive zone, then fired a shot that found a hole between the left pad and glove of George.
3-0 Flint after one. Then Day stole the show as the Attack tried to push back.
Pierce Mbuyi hit the post on a shot from the high slot in the second period. The Attack rookie was later denied by Day as well, after a shot missed the net and bounced right back front of the Firebirds’ goal. Mbuyi was waiting there and put the puck towards the goal, but Day from his side flailed his legs and somehow got enough of a pad to it to steer it away.
Landen Hookey also had a quality scoring chance stopped by Day in the second, trying to lift a backhand over his pad down low that stayed out.
Day made 37 saves in the win while recording his first OHL shutout. George stopped 26 taking the loss. Owen Sound outshot Flint 37-29 while going 0 for 3 on the power play; the Firebirds finished 0 for 1.
The Attack close out their three-game West Division road trip Sunday evening against the Saginaw Spirit (6-5-1). Game time is 5:30 p.m. You can catch all the action live from the Dow Event Center on Kia of Owen Sound-Terry’s Trailer Service Bear Radio on 560 CFOS. The Lumberjack Log Structures pregame show begins at 5 p.m. Sunday.