Sometimes, staying at the top of the mountain is harder than getting there. A tough loss at home on Thursday night showed the Windsor Spitfires that, if they want to continue to be contenders, only their best effort will get the job done.
Coming into the season, nobody expected the Spitfires to even sniff contention. They finished second last in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) last season and baby steps were required this season. However, they’ve surprised everyone by climbing to the top of the Western Conference, where they’re currently battling the Kitchener Rangers for the first seed. Now, instead of a slow progression, they’re facing the best every team has to offer on a nightly basis. If they don’t match that, reality quickly sets in. That was the case on Thursday as they couldn’t find a way past the North Bay Battalion. Here are three takeaways from the loss.
Spitfires Must Realize Games Are 60 Minutes
No matter how good you are, if you’re not playing a full 60-minute game, it could cost you. The Spitfires found that out last week when the Soo Greyhounds grabbed an early lead and cruised to a win at the WFCU Centre. On Thursday, the story started almost identically.
The Battalion opened the scoring just 19 seconds into the contest and that was followed by two more before the 12-minute mark for a quick 3-0 lead. Fortunately, captain Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings) gave the Spitfires life shortly after to make it 3-1 after 20 minutes. With just three shots on goal, though, the home side needed something to change. While Spitfires’ veteran Noah Morneau made it 3-2 early in the second, the Battalion responded with two more for a 5-2 lead after 40.
The home side tried a third-period comeback, outshooting the visitors 13-5 in the final frame, but only managed a pair with under five minutes to go. The buzzer sounded and the Battalion come away with a 5-4 win. After the game, Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said they didn’t play the way they’re used to.
“Through this great run that we’ve had, there have been periods and whatnot, but our guys always bounced back,” he said. “We came out very sluggish, which was surprising because we had two great days of practice … We just didn’t come out to play … It’s the first time all season that the first period crept into the second. We got some life in the…
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