It wasn’t the result the Attack were hoping for in Game 1.
Jacob Battaglia had four of his six points in the the first period, as the Flint Firebirds capitalized on some early penalty trouble for the Owen Sound Attack and jumped out to a 4-0 lead en route to an 8-1 win in Game 1 of the Ontario Hockey League Western Conference quarterfinal series Thursday night at Dort Financial Center.
Battaglia finished with two goals and four assists. Nathan Aspinall and Chris Thibodeau each had a goal and three assists. Jimmy Lombardi, Darian Anderson, Dryden Allen and Xavier Tessier also scored for Flint, which took a 1-0 series lead in the best of seven.
Masen Wray had the lone goal for the Attack.
It was a competitive start in the first period with two fights in the first five minutes. Wesley Royston and George Komadoski dropped the gloves just over two minutes in. And then it was Julian Brown and Anderson – the latter fight resulting in an instigator call against Flint.
But after an unsuccessful power play for the Attack, the penalty pendulum swung hard the other way. Owen Sound took five straight penalties to end the first.
Wray was the lone man pulled from a post-while scrum in front of the Flint net and given a roughing minor at 6:56.
Battaglia scored on the power play, batting the puck as it was on its way in after it hopped off the stick of Attack defenceman Braedyn Rogers and bounced high over Matthew Koprowski.
The the big moment of the first period was a major penalty call against Attack defenceman Noah Roberts. He threw a hit in the offensive zone on Lombardi along the board. Lombardi went down and stayed down. After a review by the referees, Roberts was assessed a five minute major and a game misconduct for a check to the head.
Lombardi was back for the Flint power play. Just over 30 seconds into it, Noah Nelson took a high sticking penalty sending the Firebirds to a two-minute 5-on-3.
Aspinall scored at 13:13 of the first to make it 2-0. Just over two minutes later it was Lombardi, getting another power play marker before the five minute man advantage ended to extend Flint’s lead.
Thibodeau would make it 4-0 with 36 seconds left in the first, making a pretty move after an offensive zone faceoff win and then wiring a shot over the glove of Koprowski.
“We really liked our start. We did a lot of good things. We got in two fights. Both teams were willing … I thought that would have calmed us down,” says Attack Head Coach Scott Wray. “And then that Roberts penalty really put us behind the eight ball. Getting a five minute major like that, it’s tough against a team that’s got a red hot power play.”
“And then we got the high sticking calling,” Wray continues. “You can’t let your emotions take you out of hockey games early like this. And when you lose a hockey game in the first period, it’s a killer. But you can lose 2-1 or 8-1 … it’s Game 1. We learned a lot from our opponent going into the next game.”
Owen Sound had its chances on the power play in the second period, but couldn’t convert on three opportunities.
Battaglia scored his second of the game at 16:05 of the second to make it 5-0 Flint.
Anderson made it 6-0 just 28 seconds into the third. And then Allen scored Flint’s fourth power play goal of the game at 13:27, beating Koprowski with a wrist shot blocker-side to put the Firebirds up 7-0.
The Attack spoiled Mason Vaccari’s shutout bid with 3:24 remaining. Wray deflected a Cole Zurawski point shot for a power play goal to get Owen Sound’s first of the 2026 OHL Playoffs.
Tessier would add one more for Flint with 1:24 left in regulation, making it 8-1.
Vaccari made 24 saves in the win, while Koprowski stopped 32 taking the loss. Flint outshot Owen Sound 40-25 while going 4 for 6 on the power play; the Attack finished 1 for 6.
Game 2 in the series is set to go Saturday night at 7 p.m at Dort Financial Center. You can hear the game live on 89.3 CFOS FM, beginning with the pregame show at 6:30 p.m.
Wray says the Attack must focus on discipline to put themselves in a better spot in Game 2.
“It’s a must. It’s a must,” Wray says. “You expect to have a couple of penalty kills here and there, but you’re not expecting a full five minute major in a playoff game. You’re not expecting a 5-on-3 with two overagers gone. That’s tough.”
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