Windsor Spitfires Sputtering in 2023 OHL Playoffs Opening Round
The Windsor Spitfires are off to a less than impressive start to their 2013 Ontario Hockey League play-offs, dropping first the two games of their Western Conference Quarter final series against the Kitchener Rangers.
The Spitfires, who entered the post season as the number one seed in the Western Conference, were outplayed in virtually all aspects of the games i both games, losing the two contests by a combined of 9-3.
Reid Valade scored twice while Francesco Pinelli, Adrian Misaljevic and Trent Swick all added singles as the Rangers took the opening game of the series 5-3 on Thursday, March 31 at the WFCU Centre. Shane Wright, Brett Harrison and Anthony Cristofaro replied for the Spitfires, who never held a lead during any point of the game.
Marco Constantino, who backstopped the Hamilton Bulldogs to a seven games series win over the Spitfires as a member of the Hamilton Bulldogs in the OHL Championship series last spring, made 32 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Rangers while Joey Costanzo made 34 stops at the other end of the ice.
Two nights later, Mathew Sop scored twice and Constantini made 31 saves as the Rangers blanked the Spitfires 4-0 at the WFCU Centre. Costanzo made 15 saves before being pulled with just over two minutes remaining in the second period. He was replaced by Matt Onuska, who stopped all seven shots he faced in a relief effort. Ty Hollett and Pinelli had Kitchener’s other goals.
Special teams went a long way in determining the outcome of game two as not only could the Spitfires capitalize on any of their six powerplay opportunities, but the Rangers scored once on their three chances while playing with the extra man and also scored shorthanded twice. Sop scored a shorthanded goal early in the second period before notching his powerplay marker 17 minutes later in the middle frame. The Rangers’ other shorthanded goal was scored by Pinelli in the first period and opened the scoring in the contest.
The game two blanking marked the first time that the Spitfires have ever been shut out during the play-offs at the WFCU Centre.
The series resumes at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on Tuesday, April 4 with game four going two nights later at the hisoric Aud. Game three will also mark the series debut of Windsor’s high scoring defenceman Roddy Dionicio who sat out the first two games after being suspended for two games for shooting the puck out of play after a goal in Windsor’s last game of the regular season against the London Knights.
Should a game five in the series be needed, it will be at the WFCU Centre on Saturday, April 8 with a potential game six being played in Kitchener the following evening.