Again, the Windsor Spitfires boast the league’s most powerful offence.

May Be Interested In:No. 5 Tennessee rallies from 16-point deficit to defeat Vanderbilt, 81-76


Article content

Once again, the Windsor Spitfires boast the league’s most powerful offence.

Article content

Article content

With a 9-5 win over the Guelph Storm on Thursday before a crowd of 4,876 at the WFCU Centre, the Spitfires top the league offensively with 167 goals in 37 games.

“Obviously, we’re a big offensive team,” said Spitfires’ second-year centre Jack Nesbitt, who had a pair of goals on Thursday. “So, we like to put the puck in the net and I think our offence is doing that every game. We’re giving up a lot of goals on the (defensive) side, too, so if we fix that, we’ll be all set.”

Advertisement 2

Article content

In the past three games, Windsor has posted 25 goals with the one drawback being the club has allowed 15 goals over the same stretch.

“We’re going to shore up some things away from the puck, but it’s fun to watch out there,” Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said. “Obviously, in the playoffs, you’re not going to score nine, 10, 12 goals, right, so we just have to clean some stuff up.”

Part of Windsor’s struggles on defence have come from the fact that the offence has been so potent.

The club watched a four-goal lead become a one-goal game in Sault Ste. Marie before Windsor secured a 10-6 victory. After scoring the game’s first five goals against Flint, the Spitfires were forced to hang on for a 6-4 win with an empty-net goal.

Windsor Spitfires' forward A.J. Spellacy, left, collides with the Guelph Storm's Grant Spada during Thursday's game.
Windsor Spitfires’ forward A.J. Spellacy, left, collides with the Guelph Storm’s Grant Spada during Thursday’s game. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

On Thursday, the offence was again clicking early with the Spitfires jumping to a 4-0 lead  in the first 16 minutes.

“It is an easy fix,” Walters said. “There are some holes in our game, but (the players) always know, what is Spits hockey and Spits hockey is outworking other teams and being defensive first and managing pucks. But, when you’re scoring like that and getting these big leads, they’re going to cheat a little bit offensively and that’s OK.”

Article content

Advertisement 3

Article content

Windsor’s dynamic duo of captain Liam Greentree and Ilya Protas were once again dominant. Protas had three of Windsor’s first four goals, finished with four goals and added an assist.

Greentree added a goal and three assists and now leads the OHL in scoring with 65 points, which includes a league-leading 39 assists. Protas has moved into a tie for fourth in league scoring with rookie linemate Ethan Belchetz picking up a pair of assists.

“Our guys are so skilled,” Walters said. “All the lines are reading off each other, (but) the big line’s tough to defend.”

Carter Stevens, Hunter McKenzie and Will McFadden scored to offset a goal by Windsor’s Cole Davis to make it a two-score game early in the third period.

“I think the main focus is defence,” said Spitfires’ forward Ryan Abraham, who had a goal and four points. “We’ve let up nine goals in our past two games, so we need to work on that. Other than that, I think we’ll be fine.”

The Guelph Storm's Rylan Singh, left, battles Windsor Spitfires' forward Ryan Abraham during Thursday's game.
The Guelph Storm’s Rylan Singh, left, battles Windsor Spitfires’ forward Ryan Abraham during Thursday’s game. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

Abraham and Nesbitt scored to restore Windsor’s four-goal lead, but the Storm again pulled to within two goals with Essex’s Charlie Paquette and Thomas Budnick scoring goals.

Advertisement 4

Article content

“I think that’s every team in hockey,” Abraham said of letting up with a big lead. “It’s tough, but as the season gets closer to playoffs, I think we’re going to really focus on that.”

Fortunately for the Spitfires, with the offence rolling, the club has been able to turn away any challenge in recent games with Protas and Greentree scoring to put the game away and extend the club’s winning streak to six games in a row.

“I just think we started early and we didn’t give up,” Abraham said. “I think there were a couple bad bounces for us, but other than that I thought we were a full 60 (minutes).”

The Spitfires now hit the road for four straight games starting with a Saturday match in Erie against the Otters at 7 p.m.

[email protected]

twitter.com/winstarparker

Game Summary

Thursday Result

Spitfires 9 Storm 5

Guelph 1 1 3 – 5

Windsor 4 1 4 – 9

First period: 1. Windsor, Protas 22 (Cristoforo, Greentree) 2:56, 2. Windsor, Protas 23 (Abraham, Greentree) 5:44 (pp), 3. Windsor, Nesbitt 16 (unassisted) 10:55, 4. Windsor, Protas 24 (Morneau, Abraham) 15:30, 5. Guelph, Stevens 7 (Beauchesne, Jenken) 17:21 (pp). Penalties: Budnick G (interference) 5:26, Beauchesne G (delay of game) 5:29, Walton W (slashing) 11:47, Budnick G (tripping) 14:40, Spellacy W (high sticking) 15:36, Spada G (high sticking) 19:32. 

Advertisement 5

Article content

Second period: 6. Windsor, Davis 16 (Abraham, Greentree) 8:47, 7. Guelph, McKenzie 7 (Sutherland, Budnick) 16:06. Penalties: Eichler W (delay of game) 2:57, Woodall W (high sticking) 5:58, Walton W (cross checking) 6:31, Spada G (fighting), Winegard W (fighting) 9:47, Protas W (tripping) 13:15.

Third period: 8. Guelph, McFadden 4 (Beauchesne, Katzin) :37, 9. Windsor, Abraham 13 (Davis, Morneau) 3:30, 10. Windsor, Nesbitt 17 (Eichler, Spellacy) 5:32, 11. Guelph, Paquette 12 (Sutherland) 7:32, 12. Guelph, Budnick 2 (Paquette, Namestnikov) 8:03, 13. Windsor, Protas 25 (Greentree, Belchetz) 9:41, 14. Windsor, Greentree 26 (Belchetz, Protas) 15:23. Penalties: Beauchesne G (roughing), Gaymes W (roughing) 4:45, Paquette G (roughing), Walton W (roughing) 15:56.

Game stats – SOG – Guelph 13 10 9 – 32 Windsor 13 4 17 – 34 Goal (shots-saves) – Guelph: Ellsworth (L,0-6-0-1) (34-25). Windsor: Costanzo (W,23-5-1-1) (32-27). Power play (goals-chances) – Guelph 1-6. Windsor 2-4. Referees: Nicholas Bet and Joe Monette. Linesmen: Devon Gale and Phil Nadeau. Att.: 4,876 at the WFCU Centre.

Article content



share Share facebook pinterest whatsapp x print

Similar Content

Tibet Earthquake: How Lhasa Blocks Tectonic Churn Triggered 7.1 Magnitude Tremors
Tibet Earthquake: How Lhasa Blocks Tectonic Churn Triggered 7.1 Magnitude Tremors
Damian Green’s exit gives Theresa May a problem—and an opportunity
Damian Green’s exit gives Theresa May a problem—and an opportunity
Chilean Nationals Arrested In Connection With Joe Burrow Home Burglary
Chilean Nationals Arrested In Connection With Joe Burrow Home Burglary
Dimuth Karunaratne
Dimuth Karunaratne: Sri Lanka opener to retire after 100th Test in Galle
Healey: Veterans who suffered under ‘gay ban’ to receive redress in new year
Healey: Veterans who suffered under ‘gay ban’ to receive redress in new year
Jeju Air: What we know about the South Korea plane crash
Jeju Air: What we know about the South Korea plane crash
Frontpage Focus: The Day's Most Important Events | © 2025 | Daily News