SPITFIRES YET TO TASTE DEFEAT
Team now 3-0 after blanking Storm
Perhaps the expectations have changed a little for the Windsor Spitfires.
With 14 new faces in the lineup after a Memorial Cup title, most observers were expecting this to be a rebuilding season.
Instead, the Spitfires are 3-0 to start the season after a 4-0 win over the Guelph Storm on Sunday before 3,809 at the WFCU Centre.
“I would have believed (a 3-0 start was possible),” said Spitfires goalie Mikey DiPietro, who earned the shutout with 30 saves.
“I never doubt this group inside our dressing room here.”
This marks the first time the club has started 3-0 since the team won six straight games to open the 2008-09 season en route to the team’s first Memorial Cup title.
“For sure it surprises me, when half your team hasn’t played (an OHL) game,” Spitfires head coach Trevor Letowski said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen, but they’ve bought into what we’re trying to teach, as far as what we want to be as a team and our identity, and they’ve really taken pride in that.”
Mathew MacDougall, who leads all OHL rookies in points, scored his first of the season on a feed from Aaron Luchuk to give Windsor all the offence it would need in the first period.
“It’s giving us a lot of confidence going 3-0,” said MacDougall, who was acquired in the off-season from Barrie. “For the young guys, we’re getting lots of playing time.
“They’re playing everyone, so it’s building our confidence. It’s tough having a young team, sometimes you have a tough start, but we’re going in the right (direction) right now.”
Special teams continue to provide a boost for the club with Luchuk scoring on the power play to extend the Spitfires’ lead to 2-0 in the second period. Windsor has scored at least one power play goal in all three games this season and is clicking at a 40 per cent (four for 10) efficiency rating.
“Obviously our special teams has really helped us,” said Letowski, whose team’s penalty-kill unit has killed off all 17 short-handed situations it has faced. “I think we’ve dominated that aspect for three games in a row now. Usually that is the difference.
“The specials teams definitely stick out because they’ve just been so good. Our power play is just lethal right now and our kill is the same, but it’s not just that.”
While the rookies have stood out, the club has also got production from older players finally getting a chance to play a bigger role.
Luke Kutkevicius, acquired from Hamilton (where he wasn’t playing a big offensive role), scored his second of the year in the third period and Igor Larionov, who made the team from an invite, also got
his second goal in three games.
“We kind of have a pack mentality going,” Letowski said. “Everyone’s contributing, everyone’s excited to play and it’s fun to be around our team now.”
While his team had the game in hand, DiPietro had to earn his shutout as the Storm pressed with a 14-7 edge in shots in the final period and 30-28 overall.
“Obviously, going 3-0 is a good confidence booster, especially with a young group like we have, and something to build off of,” DiPietro said. “Everyone pegged this as the rebuild year, but as I said from Day 1 that I don’t call it that.
“I’m looking forward to this whole season, especially with this group of guys. Our play will do the talking and we’ll just go with the flow each and every game.”
Everyone’s contributing, everyone’s excited to play and it’s fun to be around our team now.