Windsor Blows Two-Goal Lead In Loss

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A fast start, turned into a disappointing ending. The Windsor Spitfires came out with two first period goals, before giving up three straight. To make matters worse, the Firebirds scored just 35 seconds into overtime to send the Spitfires off upset and unimpressed. The Spits suffered a 4-3 overtime loss to Flint Thursday night in Windsor.

A solid night of hockey was set for the game between the two Western Conference rivals. Back and forth, the teams exchanged opportunities. To the delight of the fans, the home team was able to get on the board first. Hayden McCool’s goal put the Spitfires up by one near the midway point of the first. He received a perfect pass from Christian Fischer in the slot, and finished off the play with a low wrist-shot into the net. Minutes later, Mikhail Sergachev circled with the puck at the blue line before firing a fast wrist-shot that was too quick for everyone, including the goaltender. Flint wouldn’t give up just yet. For a while, the visitors couldn’t mount much against the Spitfires. It took them nearly 20 minutes to score a goal, but they managed to cut the lead in half. Ryan Moore was on the doorstep with seven seconds remaining to scoop up the rebound and slide the puck in. with one period down, the Spits had a 2-1 lead.

The Firebirds picked up where they left off at the end of the first period, and quickly evened the game. Only 25 seconds in, a Flint player crashed the net and distracted Michael DiPietro enough as Will Bitten fired his slap shot. To continue their offensive takeover, the Firebirds scored their third straight goal to grab the lead. Skating with the puck around the net, Zach Grzelewski fought off a Spits’ defender. He held on before finding Cullen Mercer sneaking in. The one-timer beat the young Windsor goaltender and so the visitors had their first lead of the game. Late in the period, the momentum settled back down as Flint took a penalty, and Windsor took advantage. Sergachev played the point and walked the line to the middle. From there, he blasted a shot that made its way straight in. With just over a minute remaining, the Spitfires tied the game at three.

An uneventful third period would pave the way for overtime. Each team had minimal shots, though they both had a few good chances. The goaltenders and players kept their teams in the game. At the end of the third, with an even game, the rivals prepped for the extra frame.

The Spitfires were off to a fast start in overtime and came very close to getting a scoring a chance. However, on a questionable non-call, Jalen Chatfield was stripped of the puck. It was then sent up the ice for Mathieu Henderson’s breakaway. He broke in with speed and slipped the puck under DiPietro’s right pad and in. the crowd, players and coaches disagreed, but the goal was there and the Flint Firebirds skated away with a 4-3 win over the Windsor Spitfires.

Windsor welcomes the Mississauga Steelheads to the WFCU Centre next Thursday, December 10^th at 7:05pm.