Flint Firebirds 2018-19 Season Thread

[OHLFan90]

Rowe took a puck to the face while on the bench when a firebirds player tried to ice the puck. Saw him later between periods in street clothes holding an ice pack on his face. Guessing there was a nice shiner under that icepak. Probably monitoring him for concussion.

Hopefully it's nothing serious.

Friday night in Kitchener a guelph player tried to ice a puck and went into the bench. Puck hit McHugh and now he is out 4-6 weeks.

 

[Savard18]

Yeah, that last post came across harsher than I wanted it to, but if anyone wants to list the positives from the Saginaw game, this season or the play of Clarke or Gordeev currently I'd love to see it. Gordeev today alone. The closing the glove call to put the team down after they started with a couple strong shifts. Immediately killing momentum and putting them on the back foot. Failing to keep the puck in at the blue line multiple times AND the holding call play in the 3rd to completely kill any small glimmer of a comeback. The play was dead and he had his guy. Just needless and selfish. He's the 19yo #1 D. He has to be smarter and better than that. Right now he looks no better than when they got him as a 17yo. Clarke is 19 now too. They paid a 2nd (27th overall) and 3rd (52nd overall) in this year's draft for him. 1g 1a -13 and moderate effort isn't enough. Gliding back to the bench still in the offensive zone while Barrie breaks up ice full speed with Chiodo, Pekar and Suzuki. C'mon. I've seen what the kid can do in the preseason. He's 30g capable if he wants. I'm 4 seasons and $5,000 into season tickets. I've supported through 100ish home games and 15-20 road games. I'm growing tired of talk of "the future". It's season 4. The future should be now and next season. I'm tired of being fooled. Management has done next to nothing to help the boys but I'm throwing $ and time to support the kids and most nights I get an effort that says "We don't give a crap" from far too many players. Maybe there's an underlying cause and justification for it we're not fully aware of. They showed they can hang with London for 58 minutes. Barrie, Kitchener and North Bay for 40. If they can do that, then they hang for 60 if the effort and determination is there. Instead, we're getting the worst play of any Firebirds team yet. The worst start to a season ANY OHL team has seen since the Firebirds arrived in Flint. I know outside observers think they're really this horrible. They're not. They won't be. Wellwood should help a bit. Kolyachonok will help a bit. Busby will help a bit. McCourt will help a bit. The sum of those parts should make a sizable difference. Vierling, Biaconi, Winterton, Harris, Keppen, Gretz, Bangs, Rowe all SHOULD grow and improve as the season goes on. Winterton outperforms expectations on a nightly basis but you cannot survive when you're leading goal scorer is a kid that played Midget last year. So yeah, I can get too negative at times but if there's positives to anything in this season so far, good luck digging for 'em. You won't find them in the actual results or night to night play of the vets. The Rowe injury is fully on the refs. A dude yelled "blow the whistle" from all the way across the other side of the arena because we all knew Cavallin's blade went. How the ref didn't see AND hear it from 15 feet away is mind-blowing. Sarnia up next and it would not be the first time the Sting were the medicine they needed.

 

[MJ5]

I could hear his blade from section 8 hit the post. The ref was looking right at him, Cavallin was waving his arms at the dude. Just brutal.

 

[icepups]

I think it was last season in the NHL playoffs a goalie lost his skate blade and was scored on. If I remember correctly, the ruling was that loss of helmet was the only piece of equipment that a goalie could lose that warranted a stoppage in play. Found it...

 

[N Da No]

I think it was last season in the NHL playoffs a goalie lost his skate blade and was scored on. If I remember correctly, the ruling was that loss of helmet was the only piece of equipment that a goalie could lose that warranted a stoppage in play. Found it...

 

[MJ5]

I can understand if there was a scoring threat, Flint had possession of the puck, there was no threat. Blow it dead.

 

[Savard18]

I remember that now. Well, they might want to look at changing that rule for the goalies. Luke tried to stand I think and went back down. My initial thought was "Thank God he didn't blow a knee or something and they lose him too". In a roundabout way, this instance resulted in Lucas Rowe being injured and it doesn't appear that the Firebirds, their fans, Tuuka Rask, or even the SN announcers exactly knew the rule. So maybe look at changing that. Goalie mask makes sense. So does their skate blade.

 

[bulldogsbaby]

A Bulldogs fan stopping by in peace.. I'm not really sure where to look but I was just curious if anyone in this thread has any Game Used jerseys of Caamano or Bitten either from their time with the Firebirds or the Whalers. They were 2 of my top 3 players in Hamilton last year and I'd love to see what's out there.

 

[FirebirdsFan21]

More confusing than the blade coming off was the aftermath. Since the puck was trying to be iced to get a stoppage we really didn't get to see what happened to Rowe. Just saw him get helped off the bench and to the tunnel.

 

[FirebirdsFan21]

A Bulldogs fan stopping by in peace.. I'm not really sure where to look but I was just curious if anyone in this thread has any Game Used jerseys of Caamano or Bitten either from their time with the Firebirds or the Whalers. They were 2 of my top 3 players in Hamilton last year and I'd love to see what's out there.

Try Katie Roe in the Firebirds Staff. There may be some jerseys left over. I don't think there is any Bitten jerseys left but there may be some Caamano gear. Jersey/Stick that type of thing.
Her email is on the firebirds website. Worth a chance to see if there is anything.

 

[Firebrd828]

Removable "quick change" skate blades are a relatively new thing. Only have been around about 4-5 years. A goalie losing one during play is a pretty rare occurrence, and rule books haven't caught up with that yet.