The Windsor Spitfires aren’t going away. Less than 24-hours after a tough shootout loss, they made a statement on Sunday with a come-from-behind win at home over a division rival.
From the start of the 2024-25 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season, the Spitfires have had to prove themselves every night. Last season, they finished second last in the league but refused to let that be their norm. Since the start of the preseason, they’ve shown the rest of the league that this is a new team. They’ve shot to the top of the Western Conference and aren’t backing down. Following a tough shootout loss to the contending Kitchener Rangers at home on Saturday, the club returned home on Sunday to face the Saginaw Spirit. The Spitfires beat them 7-2 at home just two weeks ago and had a 10-point lead on them for first in the division that they wanted to build on. It was mission accomplished. Here are three takeaways from a busy afternoon at the rink.
Spitfires Continue to Find a Way
The Spitfires came into Sunday’s contest with a 2-1 record against the Spirit this season, including a home win two weeks ago. There were two goals here – extend their lead on the Spirit for the top spot in the division, plus figure out a way to solve their slow starts, which have been an issue. They managed one of those.
The Spirit were looking for revenge early. They pounced on the Spitfires, building a 3-0 lead thanks in part to a pair of points from veteran forward Michael Misa. However, Spitfires’ forward Jack Nesbitt slowed that momentum, answering before the first intermission and cutting the deficit to 3-1.
From there, the Spitfires adjusted and played their game. They broke down the Spirit defence, challenged goaltender Andrew Oke, and scored six of the next seven to take an impressive 7-4 come-from-behind win. After the game, Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said, top-to-bottom, their never-say-die attitude is impressive.
“Their compete level and never-say-die attitude keeps happening,” he said. “We don’t like the way we started but, this team, led by our captain (Liam Greentree) and right down to the 23rd guy, they never die. So proud of them … They’re calm on the bench and know they can come back. We’ve done it a few times. The character is so strong in that room and they believe in themselves.”
The Windsor #Spitfires trailed 3-0 early to the Saginaw #Spirit, only to find a way back and take a 7-4 win at the WFCU Centre on Sunday. #OHL pic.twitter.com/eAnH2Kh76t
— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) December 9, 2024
Part of the comeback was from team adjustments. Walters said the Spirit play a different defensive style, focused more on their goal than the blue line. Once the Spitfires adjusted to that, they were able to find ways to beat the defence and Oke. Getting two points in a comeback against a very good club builds the confidence and they’ll take the two points every time.
The Power of the Teddy Bear
Sunday marked one of the most entertaining events of the season – the Teddy Bear Toss. The annual event, held around hockey, sees fans throw stuffed animals onto the ice after the Spitfires’ first goal. The animals are collected and go to Sparky’s Toy Drive, a charity in the Windsor-and-Essex County region. Last season, veteran forward Oliver Peer got the big goal. This time, it was Nesbitt, who planted a rebound past Oke late in the first period to send the bears flying. After the game, he was all smiles.
“All of us wanted that goal,” Nesbitt said. “For me, it was pretty special to watch those teddy bears fly. Back when I was younger, I was the one throwing the bears so it’s cool to be on the other side.”
Jack Nesbitt (71) scores the Windsor #Spitfires' Teddy Bear Toss goal on Sunday against the Saginaw #Spirit! #OHL pic.twitter.com/JIpbvQ5tvz
— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) December 9, 2024
Anytime you can see a kid’s face light up when they get a new stuffed animal, it’s a great day. Did the Spitfires have any stuffed animals when they were kids? Nesbitt said he had a few but didn’t remember much about them. Greentree, though, was a different story.
“I think I had one,” he said, laughing. “It was a camo teddy bear, a long time ago. I think I named him Army or something like that?”
Related: The Teddy Bear Toss: From Kamloops to Hershey
Last season, the team donated 3,749 teddy bears to the fantastic cause. The team increased that this season, collecting 3,954 bears. That’s a lot of smiling faces during this holiday season!
Special Teams Strike Again
An important part of being a contender is having strong special teams. Earlier in November, the Spitfires went just six-for-41 in 10 games with the extra man. They struggled despite lots of firepower. A small change has worked wonders, though.
In late November, Walters put assistant coach Casey Torres in charge of the power play while assistant Kris Newbury ran the penalty kill. Since then, they’ve gone eight-for-27, good for 29.6 percent with the man advantage. Sunday was another shining example.
The Spitfires made creative, calculated plays, and found ways to beat Oke in three-of-four opportunities. One was a set play where defenceman Carson Woodall dumped the puck off the end boards from center ice. Speedy forward A.J. Spellacy beat the Spirit defenders, then found the net. Walter said that was on Torres.
“Great job by Casey,” he said. “He drew up a play on the Spellacy goal. He drew up a play off the end wall, icing play, to our fastest guy. It ended up working out. He did a really good job in breaking down a very good penalty kill.”
They also excelled while down a man. Later, Greentree found a loose puck in his own zone while shorthanded. After a scramble, he took off on a partial breakaway and beat Oke with a knuckle puck for his 18th of the season. After the game, he laughed and said it wasn’t one of his hardest shots but they all count.
Good teams find a way to get creative on special teams. It can mean the difference between two points and nothing. The Spitfires have a few days off before the Erie Otters visit on Thursday, followed by the first games against the London Knights in a home-and-home on Friday and Saturday.
Sign up for our NHL Prospects & Draft Substack newsletter
