SPITFIRES FALL TO THE STING AGAIN DESPITE DOMINATING ON SHOTS
Team now 10 points out of final playoff spot with just 21 games remaining in season
The Windsor Spitfires had hoped to make February moving month.
Two games in, they are moving in the wrong direction after Sunday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Sarnia Sting before 4,007 at the Progressive Auto Insurance Arena.
“We played a really good game,” Spitfires interim head coach Casey Torres said. “I thought our kids played hard from start to finish.”
But it wasn't enough to keep the Spitfires from falling for the seventh time in the last eight games with the single point giving the club three points over that stretch.
Meanwhile, the Sting beat the Spitfires for the fifth time in six meetings this season. With the two points, Sarnia moved past Flint and into the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference by a point. The Spitfires now trail Sarnia for that final playoff spot by 10 points with 21 games left in the season.
“It certainly looks bleak now, but there's still 21 games and we'll try to get better, win some games and see where we are as we get close to end of season,” said Torres, whose team has again slipped back into last overall in the 20-team OHL. “We won't roll over, that's for sure.”
The Spitfires dominated the opening period with a 14-4 edge in shots and a 1-0 lead on a goal by rookie Cole Davis.
Defenceman Anthony Cristoforo pushed Windsor's lead to 2-0 in the second period, but the Sting pulled even before the intermission. Kai Schwindt, just 90 seconds after Cristoforo's goal, and Ryan Brown scored to tie it 2-2 after two periods despite the Sting being outshot 26-9 after 40 minutes.
“We hit a post and the side of the net,” Torres said of his team's inability to extend its early lead. “We dominated the game shots (34-17 overall), we didn't give up much. Their goalie (Nick Surzycia) played well.”
But even after Cooper Way put the Sting up 3-2 with a power-play goal with just under five minutes left in regulation, the Spitfires fought back. Ryan Abraham knocked home his own rebound to force overtime and Windsor even killed off a short-handed situation in overtime to get to the shootout.
“Guys dug in to kill that off and get to a shootout,” Torres said.
But Colton Smith was the only Windsor player to score in the shootout with Marko Sikic and Schwindt scoring to give Sarnia the win.
“We do try to stay in the present as much as we can and take it one week and game at a time, but we know February's a month we're going to have to jump on it if we're going to do something to get into the playoffs,” Spitfires centre Noah Morneau said. “We have to just keep playing hard and fighting and see where it takes us.”
The Spitfires return home Thursday to face the Erie Otters at the WFCU Centre at 7:05 p.m.
Spitfires defenceman Josef Eichler is likely facing a suspension after being involved in a second fight in the same stoppage of play during the second period of Sunday's game.
Eichler became a target after Sarnia's Zach Filak had to be stretchered off the ice. Replays showed Eichler didn't commit a foul on the play and no penalty was called, but he had the attention of Sting players.
After Carter Kostuch, who was given an instigator, got into a fight with Windsor's Noah Morneau, Eichler and Sarnia's Daylen Moses also dropped the gloves, which will likely mean suspensions for both players.