Flint Firebirds and Saginaw Spirit in final week of regular season

MID-MICHIGAN (WNEM) - It’s the final week of the regular season and history is on the line for the Flint Firebirds and the Saginaw Spirit.

While the Spirit have locked up the 4th seed and home ice in the first round, they have no idea who they may be playing.

It could be any one of the four remaining teams.

The odds-on favorite is the Flint Firebirds. The Firebirds have their destiny in their own hands and if they win their remaining two games, Flint and Saginaw will meet for the very first time in the playoffs, which is remarkable considering the fact that the Spirit never played the Flint franchise in the postseason even when they were located in Plymouth. It will be a historic series for the TV5 viewing area. There will be an electric atmosphere with both fan bases able to travel, and there is no question that both franchises want to see it happen.

“One of, if not the only team out of the western conference that the Spirit haven’t met in the playoffs yet, which is crazy to think about because they’re 35 minutes away. Flint’s really good right now, so personally, that would be a ton of fun,” said Dillon Clark, Saginaw Spirit broadcaster.

“You see rivalries around the league, and first-hand, I have no problem saying this, I don’t think there is one quite like Flint and Saginaw, and it’s only been around for seven years. You don’t see, not really nastiness, but competitiveness, among not only the players but the fans. The coaches I know care about it, so having that now in a playoff atmosphere, I really don’t know what to expect. I know Dillon Clark and myself talk a lot in Saginaw and it’s all we want,” said Jack Sznewajs, a Flint Firebirds broadcaster.

While Saginaw won this year’s I-75 Divide Cup, it’s Flint that heads into the final weekend as one of the hottest teams in the league, winning nine of their last 10, and 11 of their last 14.

For the Firebirds to guarantee this happens, they will need to win on the road at Kitchener on Friday, March 24, and then beat Owen Sound at home on Saturday.

And the spirit can help them with wins at home over Owen Sound on Saturday, March 25, and Guelph on Sunday, March 26.

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