Luchuk nightmare keeps haunting Otters
More than five months later, Windsor Spitfires centre Aaron Luchuk continues to torment the Erie Otters.
Luchuk had the game-winning goal in a 4-3 win over the Otters in May’s Memorial Cup final in Windsor.
On Saturday, the two teams met for the first time since that game and Luchuk again struck for the game-winning goal, this time in overtime, as the Spitfires again beat the Otters 4-3 before 4,082 at the Erie Insurance Arena.
“I see the irony,” said Luchuk. “Good memories. Last time we played them, we won a Mem Cup. So, it’s kind of funny to play against them again. A lot of memories came back up, but a good win for our team.”
The rosters have changed dramatically for both teams since that Memorial Cup final, but no doubt the few veterans still around were thinking about the game.
“Obviously, they’re skeletons of the teams from last year, but for sure it was on our mind for the guys that came back from last year,” said Luchuk, who had two goals and four points in Saturday’s game.
Despite the roster turnover, both clubs have been solid this season.
Erie came in with one of the league’s top records at home with seven wins and just two losses, but the win was Windsor’s seventh on the road this season in nine games, which ties for the league lead.
“They’ve been playing well lately,” Spitfires head coach Trevor Letowski said of the Otters. “We knew we were going to have to be good.”
Ivan Lodnia picked off a pass and opened the scoring for the Otters, but Luchuk notched his 17th goal in 17 games to pull the Spitfires even after the first period.
Two goals by Logan Brown allowed the Spitfires to open a 3-1 lead midway through the second period.
“Luch and Brownie were dominant,” Letowski said. “Every shift with that line (that also features Cole Purboo), they’re just real confident.”
But the Spitfires were unable to extend the lead and Carson Edwardson got Erie to within 3-2 after 40 minutes. Josh Wainman tipped home an Owen Headrick point shot past Spitfires goalie Mikey DiPietro with just under five minutes to play in regulation to force overtime.
“I did like our game,” Letowski said. “We had a lot of chances to score and we could have spread out the lead a bit, but couldn’t convert and gave them a chance to comeback.”
Windsor buzzed the Erie net in overtime and just over two minutes into the three-on-three session two Erie skaters pulled away from Luchuk, who fired in the winner.
“I was going to pass to (Sean Day) twice and they kept backing up more, so I just put my head down and shot as hard as I could,” said Luchuk, who now leads the OHL with 18 goals.
JOHNSTON UP
With two defencemen out of the lineup, the Spitfires recalled defenceman Hayden Johnston from the junior B LaSalle Vipers.
A native of Thunder Bay, which is also Letowski’s hometown, the 17-year-old Johnston attended camp with the Spitfires.
“I know the guy who coached him last year and he liked him,” Letowski said. “Just an honest, simple player, but he’s pretty good.”