The Sarnia Sting picked up two crucial points Saturday night.
Kevin Spinozzi got a goal and an assist in his first game back from suspension as the Sting beat the Firebirds in Flint 6-3, snapping a four-game skid.
The Sting had won only three games in Spinozzi's absence. Sarnia currently sits in eighth place in the OHL Western Conference with 60 points.
The Sting opened the scoring quickly, on a goal from Jeff King, his 11th goal of the year, only to have the lead wiped out a few seconds later by a tying goal from Flint's Ty Dellandrea. The score remained tied a one apiece until 15:23 in the period when Jaden Lindo broke the deadlock for the Sting. Flint's Mathieu Henderson knotted the score again before the first intermission and both teams went in with two goals each.
It would not be long into the second period before the Sting would take the lead again. Adam Ruzicka put his 22nd puck of the year into the net for a 3-2 Sarnia lead. The scoring seesaw continued when Flint's Nicholas Caamano tied the game up again, on a two-man advantage. Spinozzi would have the final say in the period, though, scoring his first goal after his suspension, on the power play, 47 seconds before the end of the period to give the Sting a 4-3 lead.
Sarnia put the game away with two more goals in the third period. Drake Rymsha provided insurance just 32 seconds into the final frame, then Adam Ruzicka scored his 23rd of the year.
Aidan Hughes faced 53 shots in goal for Sarnia, stopping 50 of them. Garrett Forest had 27 saves for Flint before being pulled in the third period for Connor Hicks.
The Sting now travels to Windsor for a Sunday afternoon game against the Spitfires.