Posted on by John Humphrey
Kitchener Rangers at Windsor Spitfires April 1 2023. Photo: Glenn Gervais In Play! magazine
Photo: Glenn Gervais In Play! magazine
12
Apr

Kitchener Rangers Sweep Windsor Spitfires in 2023 Quarter Finals

The Windsor Spitfires’ 2022-2023 Ontario Hockey League season came to a crash landing in history- making fashion as the team was eliminated in four straight games in their OHL Western Conference quarter-final series by the Kitchener Rangers on April 6.

The sweep of the Spitfires was the first time in OHL history that a first-place seed (Windsor) had been promptly excused from the post-season by an eight-place seed (Kitchener).

The Rangers received goals from six different players in a 6-3 win over the Spitfires in game three at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on April 4. Adrian Misaljevic, Francesco Arcuri, Carson Rehkopf, Simon Motew, Reid Valade and Mitchell Martin all scored once for Kitchener while Alex Christopoulos, Rodwin Dionicio and Matthew Maggio all replied for the Spitfires. Marco Constantini made 40 saves to pick up the win in net for the Rangers while Matt Onuska made 24 stops for the Spitfires.

The Rangers used a balance scoring attack again as five players all scored once in a 5-1 win to end the series and the Spitfires season in game four two nights later.

Rehkopf, Valade and Martin all scored once again while Danny Zhilkin and Filip Mešár also notched goals with only Jacob Maillet replying for the Spitfires. Constantini, who backstopped Kitchener in all four games, made 30 saves with Onuska making 31 at the other end of the ice.

The Spitfires lost the opening two games of the series by scores of 5-3 and 4-0 at the WFCU Centre.

In the big picture, there was no shortage of reasons for the Spitfires’ quick exit from the OHL playoffs this spring at the hands of the Rangers. Special teams played a large role in determining the quick outcome of the series. Windsor’s powerplay, which was ranked second overall during the regular season, cashed in just once on 16 opportunities and while Kitchener only converted three of 10 powerplays, the Rangers did score four shorthanded goals while outscoring the Spitfires 20-7 overall in the four games. Kitchener also either had a lead or was tied for all but five-and-a-half minutes in the entire series.

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John Humphrey

John Humphrey loves to write about any hockey team or player with particular interest in the OHL. He brings you a no holds barred view of the OHL and Windsor Spitfires. John Humphrey is a Windsor-born, raised and educated freelance writer whose career has spanned three decades. In addition to being a contributing writer for OHL Classics, a book published by the Ontario Hockey League, he has contributed to such publications as Hockey Weekly, The OHL News and The Hockey News. He also continues to serve as as a stringer for the Canadian Press, covering the OHL and the Windsor Spitfires.