The Windsor Spitfires aren’t going away. Lower than 24-hours after a troublesome shootout loss, they made an announcement on Sunday with a come-from-behind win at house over a division rival.
From the begin of the 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season, the Spitfires have needed to show themselves each night time. Final season, they completed second final within the league however refused to let that be their norm. Because the begin of the preseason, they’ve proven the remainder of the league that it is a new staff. They’ve shot to the highest of the Western Convention and aren’t backing down. Following a troublesome shootout loss to the contending Kitchener Rangers at house on Saturday, the membership returned house on Sunday to face the Saginaw Spirit. The Spitfires beat them 7-2 at house simply two weeks in the past and had a 10-point lead on them for first within the division that they needed to construct on. It was mission completed. Listed below are three takeaways from a busy afternoon on the rink.
Spitfires Proceed to Discover a Approach
The Spitfires got here into Sunday’s contest with a 2-1 file towards the Spirit this season, together with a house win two weeks in the past. There have been two targets right here – lengthen their lead on the Spirit for the highest spot within the division, plus determine a strategy to clear up their sluggish begins, which have been a difficulty. They managed a type of.
The Spirit have been on the lookout for revenge early. They pounced on the Spitfires, constructing a 3-0 lead thanks partly to a pair of factors from veteran ahead Michael Misa. Nonetheless, Spitfires’ ahead Jack Nesbitt slowed that momentum, answering earlier than the primary intermission and reducing the deficit to 3-1.
From there, the Spitfires adjusted and performed their sport. They broke down the Spirit defence, challenged goaltender Andrew Oke, and scored six of the following seven to take a formidable 7-4 come-from-behind win. After the sport, Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters mentioned, top-to-bottom, their never-say-die angle is spectacular.
“Their compete stage and never-say-die angle retains taking place,” he mentioned. “We don’t like the way in which we began however, this staff, led by our captain (Liam Greentree) and proper right down to the twenty third man, they by no means die. So pleased with them … They’re calm on the bench and know they will come again. We’ve achieved it a number of occasions. The character is so robust in that room they usually imagine in themselves.”
The Windsor #Spitfires trailed 3-0 early to the Saginaw #Spirit, solely to discover a approach again and take a 7-4 win on the WFCU Centre on Sunday. #OHL pic.twitter.com/eAnH2Kh76t
— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) December 9, 2024
A part of the comeback was from staff changes. Walters mentioned the Spirit play a special defensive fashion, centered extra on their objective than the blue line. As soon as the Spitfires adjusted to that, they have been capable of finding methods to beat the defence and Oke. Getting two factors in a comeback towards an excellent membership builds the boldness they usually’ll take the 2 factors each time.
The Energy of the Teddy Bear
Sunday marked one of the crucial entertaining occasions of the season – the Teddy Bear Toss. The annual occasion, held round hockey, sees followers throw stuffed animals onto the ice after the Spitfires’ first objective. The animals are collected and go to Sparky’s Toy Drive, a charity within the Windsor-and-Essex County area. Final season, veteran ahead Oliver Peer acquired the large objective. This time, it was Nesbitt, who planted a rebound previous Oke late within the first interval to ship the bears flying. After the sport, he was all smiles.
“All of us needed that objective,” Nesbitt mentioned. “For me, it was fairly particular to look at these teddy bears fly. Again after I was youthful, I used to be the one throwing the bears so it’s cool to be on the opposite facet.”
Jack Nesbitt (71) scores the Windsor #Spitfires‘ Teddy Bear Toss objective on Sunday towards the Saginaw #Spirit! #OHL pic.twitter.com/JIpbvQ5tvz
— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) December 9, 2024
Anytime you possibly can see a child’s face gentle up after they get a brand new stuffed animal, it’s an incredible day. Did the Spitfires have any stuffed animals after they have been children? Nesbitt mentioned he had a number of however didn’t keep in mind a lot about them. Greentree, although, was a special story.
“I believe I had one,” he mentioned, laughing. “It was a camo teddy bear, a very long time in the past. I believe I named him Military or one thing like that?”
Associated: The Teddy Bear Toss: From Kamloops to Hershey
Final season, the staff donated 3,749 teddy bears to the unbelievable trigger. The staff elevated that this season, gathering 3,954 bears. That’s a whole lot of smiling faces throughout this vacation season!
Particular Groups Strike Once more
An necessary a part of being a contender is having robust particular groups. Earlier in November, the Spitfires went simply six-for-41 in 10 video games with the additional man. They struggled regardless of numerous firepower. A small change has labored wonders, although.
In late November, Walters put assistant coach Casey Torres accountable for the facility play whereas assistant Kris Newbury ran the penalty kill. Since then, they’ve gone eight-for-27, good for 29.6 p.c with the person benefit. Sunday was one other shining instance.
The Spitfires made artistic, calculated performs, and located methods to beat Oke in three-of-four alternatives. One was a set play the place defenceman Carson Woodall dumped the puck off the tip boards from heart ice. Speedy ahead A.J. Spellacy beat the Spirit defenders, then discovered the online. Walter mentioned that was on Torres.
“Nice job by Casey,” he mentioned. “He drew up a play on the Spellacy objective. He drew up a play off the tip wall, icing play, to our quickest man. It ended up figuring out. He did a extremely good job in breaking down an excellent penalty kill.”
In addition they excelled whereas down a person. Later, Greentree discovered a unfastened puck in his personal zone whereas shorthanded. After a scramble, he took off on a partial breakaway and beat Oke with a knuckle puck for his 18th of the season. After the sport, he laughed and mentioned it wasn’t one in all his hardest photographs however all of them depend.
Good groups discover a strategy to get artistic on particular groups. It might probably imply the distinction between two factors and nothing. The Spitfires have a number of days off earlier than the Erie Otters go to on Thursday, adopted by the primary video games towards the London Knights in a home-and-home on Friday and Saturday.
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