It all comes down to three games. That’s the reality for the Windsor Spitfires as they stare down the 2022-23 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Playoffs. With one week left in the regular season, three games will determine whether or not they get the Western Conference regular season title.
When the schedule came out last June, you couldn’t help but notice that the London Knights were the final two games in a home-and-home. There were thoughts that maybe the season could even come down to those games. Fast forward nine months and that’s the exact position that the Spitfires are in. They sit two points up on the Knights and three points up on the Sarnia Sting for the top spot in the conference. Each team has three games remaining. If you wanted excitement and a little bit of drama, you’ve come to the right place. Here are three keys for the Spitfires’ final weekend.
3 Keys to Spitfires’ Final Weekend of 2022-23
Weekend schedule:
Wed., Mar. 22 – v. Guelph Storm
Fri., Mar. 24 – at London Knights
Sat., Mar. 25 – v. London Knights
3. Take Care of Home Ice
Let’s start by talking about the current playoff picture. Here’s how the conference standings shape up:
- Spitfires – 1st – 90 points, three games remaining
- Knights – 2nd – 88 points, three games remaining
- Sting – 3rd – 87 points, three games remaining
The highest total that the Sting can finish with is 93 points, while the Knights can hit 94 and the Spitfires can get to 96. It’s a tight race but there’s a major X-factor for the Spitfires – the WFCU Centre.
Two of their final three games are at home, starting Wednesday against the Guelph Storm and finishing Saturday against the Knights. That’s important as they’re tied for the second-best home record in the OHL at 24-4-2-2. Head coach Marc Savard has developed a winning culture and the team likes to make it tough to grab one point on their home ice, let alone two.
They’ve also had incredible fan support with an average of about 5,200 fans since Christmas (capacity 6,450) and two of their last three home games surpassing the 6,000 mark. Saturday’s game against the Knights is already listed as a sell-out, too.
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