FLAMES FALL 4-3 TO WESTERN CONFERENCE LEADING BARONS

Oklahoma City, OK – The Adirondack Flames fell 4-3 in overtime at the hands of the Oklahoma City Barons on Friday evening at Cox Convention Center. The Flames earned a point as they were defeated in overtime for the second straight game against Oklahoma City.

The Flames were led offensively by a goal and an assist from David Wolf in his first game back from Calgary, along with Tyler Wotherspoon’s two assists on the night. The Flames also received goals from defenseman Sena Acolatse and winger Michael Ferland. Joni Ortio started the game and made four saves on five shots before he left with an injury in the first period. Brad Thiessen entered the game in relief of Ortio and stopped 26 of 29 shots and took credit on his record for the overtime loss.

Oklahoma City drew first blood on an Andrew Miller power-play tally just 4:46 into the first period. Miller put home his 19th of the season as he buried home a rebound off of a Brad Hunt shot from the point, after Ortio had kicked out the original shot. Jason Williams increased his team lead in assists to 24 as he picked up the secondary helper on the goal.

Adirondack got a power-play goal of its own just under four minutes later, as they took advantage of Bogdan Yakimov’s goaltender interference penalty. The Barons’ forward ran into Ortio, which knocked him out of the game and forced Brad Thiessen into action. David Wolf started the scoring play as he muscled his way into the Oklahoma City zone and found Sena Acolatse, who slid to the center point and blasted a shot past Barons’ netminder Laurent Brossoit. Wolf notched the primary assist, his 10th of the season. With the point, Wolf extended his scoring streak to seven games, in which he has generated 10 points in that span, which dates back to January 6. Acolatse now has seven points in his past eight games.

The Flames would then take their first lead of the game and first advantage over Oklahoma City this season through a Michael Ferland slap shot goal, 17:38 into the first period. Ferland scored just his second goal since October 29 as he sent a rocket of a shot into the back of the net after he flew down the left wing into the attacking zone. Drew Shore and Tyler Wotherspoon collected the helpers on the play, which sent the Flames into the locker room with a one-goal lead after twenty minutes of play.

It took until the 15:00 minute mark of the middle stanza before the game saw another goal, which came courtesy of Oklahoma City’s Mitch Moroz. Moroz tied the game at two when he deflected a Dillon Simpson shot from the high slot past Thiessen. Jujhar Khaira had the other assist on Moroz’s second goal of the season.

Wolf regained the lead for Adirondack at the 8:43 mark of the third period. The German winger registered his second point of the game as he sprung down the left wing boards and beat Brossoit with a hard slap shot low on the blocker side. The tally extended Wolf’s goal-scoring streak to five games, a run which has seen him find the back of the net seven times. This goal scoring stretch is currently the longest current streak of it’s kind in the American Hockey League and is tied for the second longest on the season. Wolf’s 13th goal of the year was assisted by Ken Agostino and Wotherspoon, his second of the game.

The Flames took the lead into the final minute of the game before Oklahoma City tied things up with just 50 seconds remaining in regulation. Ford received a pass from Miller in the high slot and found the back of the net on a quick shot past Thiessen. Miller collected his second point of the night on Ford’s 14th goal of the season. Hunt also got his second point of the night with the secondary assist.

The game headed into overtime, which was a familiar place for Oklahoma City. Tonight’s overtime appearance became their 18th of the season. They would get their AHL All-Time record 12th overtime win of the campaign when Miller broke free on a breakaway, where his original shot was stopped by Thiessen before the puck slid in on the rebound past the Flames goaltender by the Russian forward Bogdan Yakimov. Miller finished the night with his third point of the evening on Yakimov’s seventh goal of the season and his first career AHL overtime game winner.

The Flames are back in action tomorrow night versus these same Oklahoma City Barons. Puck drop for that contest is once again scheduled for 8:00 p.m. from the Cox Convention Center. Adirondack next returns to the Glens Falls Civic Center a week from tomorrow, on Saturday, February 28 against the Toronto Marlies in a 7:00 p.m. puck drop.

Adirondack Flames Hockey • Fired Up

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