Firebirds end winning run

Nathan Aspinall and Kevin He each scored one goal and earned three assists to power the Flint Firebirds to a 6-3 comeback victory Sunday over the North Bay Battalion, ending the Troops’ season-high Ontario Hockey League winning streak at five games.

Darels Uljanskis, Urban Podrekar, Jimmy Lombardi and Alex Kostov, the last into an empty net, had a goal apiece for the Firebirds, while goaltender Mason Vaccari provided 24 saves.

Flint improved its won-lost-extended record to 30-11-4 for 64 points, vaulting past the idle Windsor Spitfires into first place in the West Division and Western Conference.

Ihnat Pazii, whom the Troops traded Nov. 21 in acquiring Kaden Pitre, made his return to Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens and was warmly cheered by a crowd of 2,742 after a video tribute.

Ethan Procyszyn, Lirim Amidovski and Nick Wellenreiter scored for the Battalion, which forged a 3-0 first-period lead before surrendering six unanswered goals. Goaltender Jack Lisson stopped 30 of 35 shots as the Troops wore their black Centurion-fronted uniforms.

North Bay is 23-17-2 for 48 points, second in the Central Division. The Battalion’s previous loss was a 6-2 setback Jan. 2 to the host Sudbury Wolves.

Flint’s rally started when Uljanskis struck at 4:46 of the second period, putting a rebound under a collapsing Jonathan Kapageridis. He and Aspinall assisted on defenceman Uljanskis’s fifth goal.

Podrekar cashed a cross-ice pass from Darian Anderson at 6:23, with the other assist on rearguard Podrekar’s seventh goal going to Jacob Battaglia. The goal survived a challenge for goaltender interference, resulting in a North Bay bench minor for delay of game.

Aspinall tied it at 10:13 after He darted down the left wing and slipped the puck back to Aspinall at the left side of the crease. Luka Graziano also assisted.

He netted what proved to be the winner at 18:38, scoring from the left circle on assists by Aspinall and Graziano. It was He’s 19th goal, his fifth in nine games since a trade from the Niagara IceDogs. Vaccari then snagged a drive by Procyszyn in alone 11 seconds later.

Lombardi scored his team-leading 25th goal at 4:07 of the third period, assisted by He and Aspinall, before Kostov put the puck into the empty net at 19:30 for his 21st goal. Aspinall leads the OHL in points production with 62 from 24 goals and 38 assists in 42 games.

Procyszyn sparked the Battalion’s first-period offence with his team-leading 17th goal at 7:19. Aaron Enright fed Procyszyn at the blue line, and he burst to the net around Podrekar to snap the puck past Vaccari.

With the teams skating four a side, Amidovski was credited with his 13th goal at 12:48 when his flare from the right boards at the blue line glanced off Graziano. Nolan Laird and Enright drew assists.

Wellenreiter connected at 16:22, swooping across the crease from the left side to convert the rebound of a Ryder Cali backhander. Cam Warren also assisted on Wellenreiter’s 14th goal.

The Battalion plays host to the Brantford Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Thursday for Soiree Carnaval.

BATTALION BULLETS: On Bell Let’s Talk Day, the first 1,000 fans through the gates received themed toques … The teams completed the season series after Flint won 9-3 at home Nov. 7. Kostov had four goals … In 232 career games, Procyszyn has 71 goals and 79 assists for 150 points, tied with John Hughes and Kamil Kreps for 24th place in franchise history … The Battalion went 0-for-1 on the power play. Flint was 0-for-3 … Opening lines saw Procyszyn centring left winger Wellenreiter and right winger Parker Vaughan, Pitre centring left winger Sebastien Gervais and right winger Amidovski and Cali pivoting left winger Shamar Moses and right winger Warren. Evgeny Dubrovtsev centred left winger Laird and right winger Ryder Carey … Defence pairs had Bronson Ride with Brandt Harper, Enright with Hayden Barch and Alexander Karmanov with Kapageridis … The Battalion was without Mike McIvor, Adrian Manzo, Kent Greer, Carter Kunopaski and Arseny Pronin … Cole Vreugdenhil backed up Lisson … Laird returned from an automatic two-game suspension resulting from a match penalty for spearing in a 5-1 win Jan. 9 over the host Brampton Steelheads … Ukrainian import Pazii has four goals and four assists for eight points in 23 games with Flint after scoring six goals and earning 10 assists for 16 points in 22 games this season with North Bay. His OHL totals are 146 games, 29 goals, 39 assists and 68 points … Kevin McArthur and Derek Risebrough were the referees.