Late goal powers Icedogs over spits
Windsor coach upset icing waived off, leading to game-winning Icedogs goal
The Windsor Spitfires might have been justified in feeling they were robbed of a point or two on Friday. What the club didn’t get shortchanged on was another solid outing by rookie goalie Kari Piiroinen.
A questionable call to wave off an icing allowed the Niagara IceDogs to escape with a 4-3 win over the Spitfires before a crowd of 5,300 at the Meridian Centre on Friday.
“There were a lot of calls that were questionable tonight,” Spitfires head coach Trevor Letowski said. “I thought, obviously, the one that is the stinger is the missed icing call. It’s just so evident.”
With Grayson Ladd going back to play the puck ahead of the skater, linesman Will Dykeman waved off the icing call. Philip Tomasino was alone in front to take the pass and score the winning goal with 96 seconds left in regulation.
“It hurts when our team plays so hard against a pretty good team on the road and the linesman costs us the game,” Letowski said.
It spoiled an outstanding effort by the 17-year-old Piiroinen. He was brought in to be the heir apparent to Mikey DiPietro, who was the Ontario Hockey League’s goalie of the year last season. The Spitfires figured there would be an adjustment period for the native of Finland, but he’s quickly shown he can handle stopping pucks in North America as well as he could in Europe. “He was outstanding,” Letowski said. “He played great. He looks like he’s been a goalie for a long time.
“His approach to the game and preparation has been impressive to watch and he’s getting better.” With an offence that continues to struggle to find goals, each performance by Piiroinen will no doubt increase the trade rumours around DiPietro. “Every game is more comfortable and I’m getting more from my game,” Piiroinen said.
A year ago, DiPietro had to deal with trade rumours throughout the season and the Amherstburg native has made it clear he wants to finish his junior career in Windsor.
However, with the Vancouver Canucks prospect likely to go pro next season, general manager Warren Rychel might have to consider how a deal for DiPietro could help provide some help for a roster that still struggles to score goals.
Against a Niagara team playing its third game in three days, the Spitfires got off to a quick start when Chris Playfair buried his own rebound for a 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. But any momentum Windsor had was quickly lost when the Spitfires were called for four straight minor penalties. Thanks in large part to Piiroinen’s play, the IceDogs weren’t able to capitalize off those chances, but Niagara tied it late in the first period on Billy Constantinou’s goal after Ladd was left out of the play after being hurt in a collision with Kirill Maksimov. Akil Thomas chipped a shot home to put the IceDogs up 2-1 in the second period, but Mathew MacDougall scored on a Windsor power play to get the Spitfires even at 2-2 after 40 minutes.
Niagara, which held a 44-31 edge in shots, finally converted on its sixth power play of the game with Thomas getting credit for the goal to put the IceDogs up 3-2, but the Spit fires were not happy Niagara’s Kyen Sopa was allowed to roll around the Windsor crease with Piiroinen trying to find the puck.
“They (the officials) said nothing,” Letowski said. “They said he tried to get out of the way.” Jordan Frasca got the Spitfires even at 3-3,but the Spit fires were no happier with the gamewinning goal by Tomasino. Windsor pressed for the tying goal and looked like they had the equalizer when Connor Corcoran beat Stephen Dhillon, but the buzzer had just gone off. “They were resilient,” Letowski said of his squad. “It just hurt like this. I was proud of the effort.”