Short-Staffed Spitfires Losing Streak Reaches Three Games
Something has happened to the Windsor Spitfires on their march to an Ontario Hockey League Western Conference title- the team has been hit hard by the injury bug. A full lineup of regular players has not been iced by the team in weeks, although players have been called up from junior b, most of whom made their OHL debuts earlier in 2023 while more established and core players such as Shane Wright, Ryan Abraham, Danil Sobilev, Matt Onuska and Brett Harrison have been sidelined at one point or another.
Despite losing all three games they played last week, Windsor remains near the top of the OHL’s Western Conference standings. In fact, the Spitfires, who sit atop the OHL’s West Division standings, trail only the London Knights in the overall Western Conference standings. The Spits are currently just two points behind their arch-rivals from up the 401, although the Knights due have a game in hand over the Spitfires.
Oliver Bonk scored thee winner in extra time as the London Knights defeated the Spitfires 4-3 in a shootout at the WFCU Centre on Thursday, March 3. Jacob Julien, Brody Crane and Ruslan Gazizov all scored for the Knights in regulation time while Brett Brochu of Belle River made 25 saves to pick up the win in net for the visitors.
Wright, Colton Smith, who was acquired in a trade with the Knights in the off-season, and Alex Christopoulos all replied for the Spitfires. Joey Costanzo made 24 stops for Windsor.
The following night, Amadeus Lombardi scored twice and Marko Stojkov and Gavin Hayes added singles as the Flint Firebirds defeated the Spitfires 4-1 at the Dort Financial Centre.
Rodwin Dionicio had the only goal for Windsor. Nathan Day made 40 saves, many of them spectacular, for the home team while Matt Onuska made 27 saves for the visiting Spitfires. Onuska, the overage netminder who was also acquired from the Knights in a trade during the 2021-2022 OHL season, made his return to the Spits lineup in late February after missing more than a month as a result of both an illness and recurring lower-body injury
The Spitfires played their third game in three nights and lost a high-scoring 9-6 affair to the Sarnia Sting at the WFCU Centre on Saturday, March 4.
Nolan Burke, Christian Kyrou and Sasha Pastujov all scored twice to pace the Sting offensively while Cooper Way, Nolan Dillingham and Ty Voit added single goals. Dionicio scored his first career hat-trick to lead the Spitfires while Christopoulos, Aidan Castle and Matthew Maggio, with his league-leading 47th of the season, all scored once.
Onuska started in net for the Spitfires but was pulled after allowing five goals on 20 shots and Costanzo made six saves in a relief effort. Nicholas Surzycia 33 saves enroute to backstopping the Sting to the win.
The Spitfires return to action on Friday, March 10 when they travel to Guelph to take on the Storm at the Sleeman Centre before returning the following night to host the Kitchener Rangers at the WFCU Centre.