Bulldogs sink teeth into Spitfires
The Windsor Spitfires are trying to look beyond wins and the losses.
For the second time in three games, the Spitfires badly outplayed an opponent only to be stymied by a hot goalie and wind upwithaloss.
On Sunday, it was Hamilton Bulldogs rookie goalie Zachary Roy who left the Spitfires shaking their collective heads. Making his first Ontario Hockey League start, the 17-yearold Roy’s 42-save performance helped the Bulldogs escape witha5-2winonSundayatthe WFCU Centre despite his team being outshot 44-24.
“We ran into a really hot goalie,” Spitfires’ third-year forward Cole Purboo said. “I thought we did a really good job getting pucks to the net. Normally you win those games.”
But that’s not the way it has gone for the Spitfires in recent games. The Spitfires eked out a 2-0 win over London Thursday, but fell 3-1 at home to Kitchener a week ago Saturday despite a 34-19 edge in shots.
“It’s a tough one,” said Spitfires head coach Trevor Letowski, whose team has produced just five goals over the last three games. “Early in the season, it’s only six games in, and it’s happened twice now at home. The record is the record and it’s 3-3, but it could easily be 5-1.” Like that loss to Kitchener a week ago, the Spitfires dominated the shot clock. Windsor had a 10-0 advantage when Purboo opened the scoring, but despite being outshot 15-6 in the opening period the Bulldogs pulled even at 1-1 after 20 minutes on a goal by Liam Van Loon. “Maybe just being hungrier around the net,” Purboo said of what more his team could have done. “Maybe more shots, if we can, but that’s just the game.” For just the second time this season, Windsor’s power play produced a goal with Purboo tipping in his second of the game and third in the last two games. “I like being in front of the net,” Purboo said. “The majority of my goals have been from there. Two games is not much of a streak. I’m just going to try and keep going. I just want to help the team in a positive way.” Windsor held the Bulldogs to seven shots in the second period and held a 31-13 edge after 40 minutes, but trailed 3-2 as MacKenzie Entwistle and Ben Garagan beat Spitfires goalie Mikey DiPietro to put Hamilton upforgoodat3-2.
“As far as our special teams, even our power play has been a kind of a sour point and I thought it looked great,” Letowski said. “We got a power-play goal, I thought we should have two or three, so that was a positive, too. Everything ’s all good, but we didn’t get the result, so it kind of stings, but we just keep building our game (and) we’re going to be fine.” An early power play in the third period failed to produce the equalizer for Windsor and Liam Stevens pushed the Hamilton lead to 4-2 before Matthew Strome added an empty-net goal. “It’s so early, we’ve played six out of 68, so to me, we take away more positives than just the results,” Letowski said. “Our guys are doing the right things and I think we’re way ahead of where we thought we’d be to be able to generate that many chances.
“Obviously, we need to bear down and score more. Just be hungrier and maybe get a little bit more traffic.”