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There are some losses a team simply does not forget.
There are some losses a team simply does not forget.
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The Windsor Spitfires have only fallen eight times in regulation in 42 games this season, but a November loss on the road was still fresh in many minds on Thursday.
“We got kind of embarrassed that game and that’s not something we take lightly,” Spitfires’ captain Liam Greentree said in reference to a 9-3 loss in Sudbury on Nov. 15.
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Both teams have made roster upgrades since that game and the Spitfires responded with a 6-2 win at home on Thursday in the second and final meeting with the Eastern Conference Wolves before a crowd of 5,885 at the WFCU Centre.
“That fuels the fire,” Spitfires’ overage defenceman Tnias Mathurin said of the loss in Sudbury. “Just that previous game, that wasn’t us. That hasn’t happened to us besides that game this season. We just wanted to show our fans at home that was just a tired group and we’re here. The way those guys traded at the deadline, I think we really saw it as a heavyweight matchup and we wanted to show what we can do.”
The nine goals against are the most Windsor has allowed this season, but the club has struggled a little on the defensive side in recent games having allowed 34 goals against in the seven games prior to Thursday.
“Going back through our last few games, we’ve been a little bit loose,” Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said. “So, our whole focus was away from the puck. We’ve said all year defence leads to offence and when we defend as well as we did, we get the puck back quicker and then they can go have some fun in the offensive zone, which they did.”
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The Spitfires held the Wolves to just 19 shots on goal while firing 42 at the Sudbury net and never trailed in the game.
“I’m proud of what we accomplished,” Greentree said. “I think our defence was unbelievable.”
So was the performance of the team’s big line with Greentree, Ilya Protas and rookie Ethan Belchetz. The trio combined for three goals and eight points.
“We’re so lucky,” Walters said. “Those guys (Greentree and Protas) are so elite, but then again their defensive game is becoming so elite (and) Belchetz makes a lot of plays with those guys.”
Protas fed Mathurin to open the scoring just 68 seconds into the game and Protas then stripped a Sudbury defender of the puck and buried a shot to give Windsor a 2-0 lead.
Nathan Villeneuve scored to cut Windsor’s lead to 2-1 after 20 minutes, but Greentree took over from there.
Greentree rang a shot off the post, but the rebound went to Anthony Cristoforo, who buried the rebound. Greentree scored a power-play goal in the final minute of the second period to put Windsor up 4-1 and then added his second of the game early in the third period to give the Spitfires a four-goal lead.
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With the performance, Greentree again has sole possession of the OHL scoring lead with his three points giving him 75 on the season.
“For me, that was a goal in mind,” Greentree said of a potential scoring title. “It’s not something I’m solely focused on, but something I’ve kept in mind. I think I got passed on a little in the NHL Draft and just trying to prove a lot of people wrong.”
Quentin Musty scored Sudbury’s final goal before Protas set up Luke McNamara, who came over in a trade with Kingston last week, for his first goal as a Spitfire.
It gave Protas four points for the game and moved into a tie for second in league scoring Saginaw’s Michael Misa and just three points back of Greentree with 72 points.
“He’s closing in real fast,” Greentree said of his linemate.
After four-straight road games and in a stretch that will see the team play seven-of-eight games away from the WFCU Centre, the Spitfires were happy to slip in for the club’s league-leading 17th win at home in just 20 games.
“I like the road, (but) It’s always nice to play in front of these fans,” Greentree said. “I think they’re best fans in the OHL. They always show up. Even last year they showed up when we were struggling.
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“I think we have seven in a row at home (from Jan. 26 to Feb. 13) and I’m looking forward to that.”
For now, the Spitfires will head back on the road again to face the Barrie Colts on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. before moving on to Greentree’s hometown and a match with the Oshawa Generals on Sunday at 6:05 p.m.
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Game Summary
Thursday Result
Spitfires 6 Wolves 2
Sudbury 1 0 1 – 2
Windsor 2 2 2 – 6
First period: 1. Windsor, Mathurin 4 (Protas, Belchetz) 1:08, 2. Windsor, Protas 30 (unassisted) 12:18, 3. Sudbury, Villeneuve 18 (Roberts) 14:49. Penalties: Cristoforo W (tripping) 8:19, Coughlan S (hooking) 19:13.
Second period: 4. Windsor, Cristoforo 9 (Greentree, Abraham) 13:58, 5. Windsor, Greentree 31 (Protas, Morneau) 19:36 (pp). Penalties: McCoy S (tripping) :07, Villeneuve S (roughing), Abraham W (roughing) 1:11, McNamara W (slashing) 5:15, Henderson S (interference) 11:38, Spellacy W (blindsiding) 15:16, McCoy S (cross-checking major, game misconduct) 19:23.
Third period: 6. Windsor, Greentree 32 (Abraham, Walton) 5:09, 7. Sudbury, Musty 11 (Villeneuve) 14:11, 8. Windsor, McNamara 7 (Mathurin, Protas) 16:05. Penalty: Protas W (tripping) 2:48.
Game stats – SOG – Sudbury 6 7 6 – 19 Windsor 10 16 16 – 42 Goal (shots-saves) – Sudbury: Marshall (L,6-4-0-0) (42-36). Windsor: Costanzo (W,25-6-1-1) (19-17). Power play (goals-chances) – Sudbury 0-4. Windsor 1-5. Referees: Nicholas Bet and Joe Monette. Linesmen: Devon Gale and Geoff Rutherford. Att.: 5,885 at the WFCU Centre.
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