SPITFIRES CAN’T QUELL SHORT-HANDED STORM
Windsor’s skid continues with 6-3 loss in Guelph, making it 5 losses in 6 games
The Windsor Spitfires once again failed to seize the opportunity.
For the second straight game, the Spitfires faced a team missing a star player because of world junior hockey camps.
The No. 10-ranked Guelph Storm are without Canadian world junior goalie Nico Daws, who has the Ontario Hockey League’s best goals-against average and save percentage, but the Spitfires fell behind early and never recovered in a 6-3 loss to the Storm before 3,796 at the Sleeman Centre on Friday.
“When a team’s missing their best player, or even a couple of them, of course, in junior hockey that’s what makes your team go,” Spitfires head coach Trevor Letowski said. “So, you feel you need to try and take advantage of it, no question. With Daws, they’re a different team when he’s in the net.”
Former eighth-round pick Owen Bennett might not be confused with Daws, but he had the good fortune of seeing his team play with the lead from early in the game.
Luka Profaca found Pavel Gogolev in stride and he went in alone to beat Xavier Medina and put the Storm up 1-0 just 49 seconds into the game. Clark Hiebert got credit with his first goal in the OHL on a bouncing puck that found its way behind Medina and the Storm had a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
“You’ve got to be careful with the messaging because you don’t want to underestimate a team,” said Letowski, who said his team had the same talk before Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to a Saginaw
team missing top prospect Cole Perfetti.
“We talked about it and they are smart and know they’re not there. Sometimes, they’ll play a better team game, more structured and worked hard.”
Windsor picked up its game in the second period and twice pulled to within a goal. Daniel D’amico slammed home a rebound as the Spitfires ended an 0-for-13 stretch on the power play to get to within 2-1.
Keegan Stevenson answered that just 49 seconds later to make it a 3-1 lead for Guelph, but Egor Afanasyev centred a puck that went in off a skate just a minute later and Windsor was able to get to within 3-2 after 40 minutes.
“It’s better for us with dangerous players missing and it gives us a better opportunity to win, but it doesn’t change our mentality and how we play,” Spitfires captain Luke Boka said. “We know what’s at stake here. We (lost Thursday) and that’s a game I thought we should have won and (Friday’s game was) a big opportunity against a team that’s climbing.”
Windsor pushed for the equalizer in the third period, but the Spitfires’ fourth line got caught out against Guelph’s top line and Gogolev again got behind the defence to give the Storm a twogoal lead for the third time in the game.
Andrei Bakanov extended the lead to three goals before Tyler Angle scored for the Spitfires, but Jacob Roach capped the scoring with an empty-net goal for Guelph.
The Spitfires, who once had the best record in the Western Conference, have now lost five of their last six games, and Erie, which is outside the playoff picture, is now within four points of Windsor in the standings.
“We’re confident in our group and we know every night’s going to be a battle and we know how important these points are,”
Boka said. “That’s the hard part. You’ve just got to keep winning and keep winning. That’s going to be the story at the end of the day is who gets the points at the end of the day and beats their opponents consistently.”
Boka had hopes this year’s club could make a run in the playoffs, but with a month until the trade deadline, time is running out for the team to prove to general manager Bill Bowler that spending to make additions to the roster is the wisest move.
“I think, as a group, we know what we want to do this year and I think we’re capable,” Boka said.