35-3.
That's not the ratio of points to games remaining for this season of Tottenham Hotspur football.
That's not a football score either.
And it most certainly isn't a mathematical statement.
That's how badly the Flint Firebirds outscored the Owen Sound Attack during their first round OHL playoff series.
George Washington said it well during the musical Hamilton: "we are outgunned, outmanned, outnumbered, outplanned."
I always knew Lin-Manuel Miranda was a Broadway legend. I didn't exactly think he'd predict how the Flint vs Owen Sound series would go.
In terms of how the series actually went, it was basically over by the time the first 20 minutes elapsed.
From the first puck drop in Game 1, the Firebirds had the Attack on the ropes. Three of the Firebirds' four first period goals in that game came on the power play; two of them were part of an extended power play that resulted from a major penalty to Noah Roberts and a high-sticking penalty against Noah Nelson. In total, the Firebirds went 4/6 on the power play in Game 1 while outshooting Owen Sound 40-25.
And somehow, Game 2 was worse for the Attack. Flint scored four goals in each of the first two periods and they went 4/5 on the power play. The Firebirds also scored twice while on the penalty kill. In all, an 11-1 final not only meant that Game 1 wasn't an anomaly, but that Owen Sound was genuinely going to need a miracle to get back in the series.
And yet somehow, Game 3 was even worse for Owen Sound. Despite outshooting the Firebirds 32-30 (yes, they actually won a stat category in the series), Owen Sound still lost by a 10-0 scoreline. The Firebirds also outscored the Attack 41-14 in face-off wins.
While Game 4 wasn't exactly as lopsided as the other three games, it still wasn't really close. While the Attack would trail by two goals or less for just over half the game, Owen Sound would still end up losing the game by a score of 6-1. Owen Sound did convert their lone power play opportunity of the game, but Flint also did well on the power play, converting five of their seven numerical advantages.
The Attack will enter the offseason with several questions looming over their head. Not only are players like Pierce Mbuyi - who recorded 75 points in 68 games this season - set to leave during the offseason, but there is still a 17-game postseason losing streak hanging over the heads of the Attack. That is certainly set to continue into next season, one where the Attack will need to find a roster capable of finally winning a playoff game and then some.
For the Firebirds, they'll look to build off of their first postseason series win since 2022 when they take on the Windsor Spitfires in the second round.