SPITFIRES COUNTING WAYS ROAD TRIP SO IMPORTANT
Windsor squad aware three-game tour could mathematically seal playoffs fate
The Windsor Spitfires are not oblivious to the math.
The Spitfires left Wednesday on a three-game road trip knowing that by the time the club returns home their OHL playoff fate could be sealed.
“We're going to keep on battling until we're mathematically out,” Spitfires second-year defenceman Anthony Cristoforo said.
“We're going to keep on going. Whatever happens, we're going to keep on trying to play our best. Playing our game and trying to win games at the end of the day.”
Windsor is tied with Niagara for the league's fewest road wins this season with seven and the club will play six of its final games away from home.
The Spitfires (18-34-4-3) face the North Bay Battalion (32-196-2) on Thursday, the Central Division-leading Sudbury Wolves (34-19-3-3) on Friday and wrap things up on Saturday against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (39-16-3-1).
Heading into league play on Wednesday, the Spitfires sit 13 points back of the Flint Firebirds for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. If the Spitfires cannot produce any points on this road trip, the club will be eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2014-15.
“We've got to take it day-by-day and game-by-game,” second-year forward A.J. Spellacy said. “Just keep trying to get better as a team.
“We're close as a group and we have to keep going into each game trying to win it. If we can take it day-by-day, maybe we can sneak into the playoffs.”
While the Spitfires have a good core of young players to build on, there's still plenty of decisions to be made with which veteran players fit into the future mix and possible overage players for next season.
“Obviously, the writing's on the wall in terms of where we sit from a rest-of-the-season point of view, but there's still nine games left for us to work on habits, setting a standard and finding out who wants to be here and take on contributing roles,” said interim head coach Casey Torres, whose team is riding a four-game losing streak.
The roster will be under scrutiny down the stretch with general manager Bill Bowler back on the bench with Torres with assistant coach Kris Newbury suspended for four weeks by Hockey Canada.
“You have to take the positives out of this,” said Bowler, who stopped in the Toronto area on Wednesday to do some scouting before joining the team in North Bay.
“You get to learn, you get more viewings and you learn more about the players.
“At this point, it's probably neglecting GM duties a little, but you have to contribute where you're needed and I think this will be beneficial. I think there will be some positives.”
Overage defenceman Djibril Toure suffered a lower-body injury in a fight on Sunday that will keep him out of the lineup for all three games this weekend. Forward Cole Davis, who is fifth in the league in rookie scoring, will also be sidelined this weekend after suffering a shoulder injury in Sunday's game.
On the plus side, defenceman Josef Eichler, who was expected to be suspended two games for a second fight during the same stoppage of play, was ruled to have been instigated upon in that situation and thus not subject to a suspension.
Bowler said the club was still deciding on player call-ups to help fill out the lineup.
Torres just wants to keep getting his young team to build on its games going forward.
“There's no question we're a young team,” Torres said.
“I'd have to see if not the youngest (in the league), very close to it. You just have to focus on the elements of their game that will help them get better. You've got to really work on the development element of their individual games and use these nine games as experience in those critical situations and find out who can play.”