Spitfires vs Saginaw Spirit at JLA – Defenceman Sean Day scores a hat-trick, including the overtime winner, as Windsor Spitfires defeat Saginaw Spirit 3-2 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
Day score his sixth and seventh goals of the season on Windsor’s league leading powerplay in the third period as the Spitfires (17-5-4-0 ) came from behind in the third period to erase a 2-0 deficit after 40 minutes of play.
Julius Nattinen assisted on both of Day’s third period markers to help send the game into extra time.
Matthew Kreis and Filip Hronek scored for the Spirit (9-13-2-2) while Evan Cormier was stellar in making 40 saves. In fact, had it not been for Cormier’s heroics, the game would never have gone into overtime.
Michael DiPietro made 19 saves to record his second straight win of the weekend for the Spitfires.
The game was the last major junior contest ever to be played at the historic riverfront arena in downtown Detroit and the first Ontario Hockey League game to be played at Joe Louis Arena since the Detroit Jr. Red Wings (now Flint Firebirds) called the arena home in the spring of 1995.
This is the last season for the Detroit Red Wings at the JLA as the NHL team will be moving into the new Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit next fall.
The Spitfires schedule has them back out on the road Thursday for a game against the Barrie Colts at the Barrie Molson Centre on Thursday.