Spitfires travel to Mississauga, score four power-play goals and down Steelheads 4-1
All of Windsor’s goals in 4-1 road win come with man advantage
MISSISSAUGA Many league observers feel the Windsor Spitfires and Mississauga Steelheads are two of the top teams in the Ontario Hockey League.
NHL camps have left both clubs a few bodies short of icing a full roster at this point in the season, but the Spitfires showed on Friday they might be the club with the best depth at this stage.
Riding four power-play goals, the Spitfires beat the Steelheads 4-1 before an announced crowd of 1,821 at the Hershey Centre on Friday.
“I don’t know,” Mississauga goalie and Lakeshore native Matthew Mancina said when asked if he feels the Steelheads are the best team in the Eastern Conference. “It’s hard to say now because not everyone’s back. Then we’ll see. There has to be chemistry and stuff like that.”
Both teams started the season ranked in the Canadian Hockey League top 10, but the Steelheads were bounced out of the rankings this week, and Friday was the club’s second loss in three games.
Windsor actually moved up to No. 4 in the rankings this week and Friday’s win was a good bounceback effort from Thursday’s first loss of the season.
After producing just a single goal on six power-play chances on Thursday, Spitfires head coach Rocky Thompson said his club had to do a much better job on special teams against the Steelheads.
“When we get opportunities, our power play has to be better,” Thompson said.
The club failed to produce on its first chance, but Thompson had little to complain about as the club scored on the team’s next four chances.
Rookie Cole Purboo got the Spitfires going with his fourth goal in four games as he got a loose puck in front of Mancina and tucked it in. Purboo’s four goals have all come from within two feet of the crease.
“Good things happen when you go to the net,” Thompson said.
Mississauga’s penalty parade continued in the first period and Cole Carter and Aaron Luchuk followed with power-play goals as Windsor scored three goals in a span of two minutes and 59 seconds to take a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Less than five minutes into the second period, the Spitfires had their fourth power-play goal to extend Windsor’s lead to 4-0.
A couple of Windsor penalties allowed Mississauga to gain some momentum. Shaw Boomhower pushed a rebound past Spitfires goalie Mario Culina to end his shutout bid.
Windsor defenceman Andrew Burns was then handed a checking from behind major penalty and game misconduct as he drove Mississauga defenceman Nicolas Hague into the Windsor net on an odd-man rush.
A Mississauga minor penalty during the major penalty helped Windsor kill that penalty off, but the Spitfires would have to deal with another major penalty kill in the third period
Overager Cristiano DiGiacinto was given a boarding major and game misconduct for a hit on Mississauga’s Owen Tippett, who was not hurt on the play.
Both major penalties will be reviewed by the OHL to see if further punishment is warranted.
While scoring four power-play goals, the Spitfires were able to kill all five power-play chances as the club won for the third time in four games despite having five players still away at NHL training camps.