After two weeks of hard practice, some soul searching, and a big win over divisional rivals, the Windsor Spitfires seemed to be building some momentum. However, a tough three-game weekend that was capped off by a heartbreaking overtime loss may put them back at the drawing board.
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The Spitfires hit “rock bottom” two weekends ago, losing back-to-back road games by a combined 18-3 score. That led to a grueling week of practice, a much-needed win over the Saginaw Spirit, and then another week of practice heading into this past weekend. While there were some positives to build on, an overtime loss to the Niagara IceDogs at home on Saturday took some wind out of their sails. The question is how much? Here are three takes from a busy weekend.
3 Takeaways from 67’s, Sting, and IceDogs
Weekend Results:
Thurs., Oct. 26 – 6-4 loss v. Ottawa 67’s
Fri., Oct. 27 – 4-2 win @ Sarnia Sting
Sat., Oct. 28 – 7-6 OT loss v. Niagara IceDogs
Record to Date: 3-8-1-0
3. Christopoulos Sorely Missed
When forward Alex Christopoulos, then 19, hit the 49-goal mark last season, all eyes were on him to see what he could do in his final hurrah. Unfortunately, offseason surgery put a slight delay on the party. The 6-foot, 190-pounder is a fierce ball of energy and leader for the club. That made sitting out the first several games in recovery even tougher.
While there was talk he could return in late October, nothing was set in stone. However, the club confirmed on Thursday afternoon that he would make his season debut against the Ottawa 67’s. He was his usual rowdy self, chipping in some physical play along with a much-needed goal. After the game, he said there were no nerves, just excitement.
“I love it!” he said with a smile. “I love playing hockey and being with the guys. I was just really happy to play hockey again… I wasn’t nervous, just more excited to play because I’ve been waiting nine games for it.”
Christopoulos, now 20, had a goal on Oct. 26 and finished the weekend with five points in three games. While the club has several offensive weapons such as forwards Liam Greentree and Oliver Peer, along with defenceman Rodwin Dionicio, adding a pure scorer and leader without giving anything up is nothing short of a bonus. Head coach Jerrod Smith said it didn’t look like Christopoulos had been out of the lineup at all.
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“He looked great to me, like he hasn’t missed a beat,” Smith said. “He scored and a big strength of his is scoring timely goals. He has a knack for the net and I love his compete and his battle. He’s worked really hard to get himself ready to play and I think that was on display here (Thursday).”
2. 200-Foot Hockey is Essential
Over the last two seasons, then-head coach Marc Savard the had Spitfires out-slugging teams to get a win. They led the OHL in goals — 305 in 2021-22 and 320 in 2022-23 (68 games) — and, despite allowing 248 and 265 goals, respectively, were the first seed in the Western Conference both times. When they were strong defensively, they were dynamic, and when they weren’t, they still found a way to come out on top.
Related: OHL: Spitfires Search for New Head Coach as Flames Hire Savard
With heavy graduation and trades in the summer, though, this season is a new game. On paper, they have a respectable offence but a younger defence means they need to focus on that area if they want to get points. It’s been a tough battle to have all systems on the same page. While Friday night saw a solid 200-foot effort, both Thursday and Saturday resulted in a tie or a lead slipping away into a loss. Saturday was heartbreaking as they had a 6-4 lead late in the game before losing in overtime. After Saturday’s game, Smith said it was “unacceptable.”
“It’s unacceptable and upsetting,” he said. “Just the casualness that we came out with in the third period with a two-goal lead. You’re not going to close out any games doing that.”
What’s the solution? From Day 1, Smith has stressed the finer details, playing 200-foot hockey, and a solid defence leading to offensive chances. It’s a young roster and he said all you can do right now is teach.
“Keep teaching them and keep trying to develop,” Smith said on Saturday. “Get them to buy into the system and the structure. Keeping guys on the right side of us while taking care of the important areas of the ice.”
1. How Long Until Bowler Makes Changes?
We’ve seen what the Spitfires can do when everything is clicking this season. They have the offence to four or five goals per game and the defence to shut down the opposition. However, inconsistency between the two ends creates frustration and, eventually, there has to be an answer.
The club sits at 3-8-1-0, good for last in the Western Conference and last in the league. The weekend was a small sample size for the entire season; on multiple occasions, they were either tied or had the lead, only to see it evaporate. Despite having a strong week of practice prior to this weekend, old habits came back and they continue to search for answers. The question is how long does general manager Bill Bowler accept the inconsistency?
While the league has seen multiple head coaching changes within the first month, Smith has been around the organization for over a decade, has the respect of the players, and has a similar style to Savard. He’ll be given a longer leash by Bowler because it’s his first season as head coach and it’s a younger roster. What about trades?
We know Bowler is willing to make moves. He traded veteran defenceman Nick DeAngelis to the Sudbury Wolves for young defenceman Conor Walton and several picks just hours before the season opener and he made several moves over the summer to shore up the roster. There’s no hesitation there.
The Spitfires have four-straight three-game weekends coming up, including back-to-back games on the road against the Soo Greyhounds this coming weekend and their annual Eastern swing at the end of November. Nothing is going to come easy and if the club wants to figure out how to get out of this mess, the solution needs to come sooner rather than later.
Spitfires Acquire Toms from Greyhounds
Bowler did make one minor move on Monday morning. He acquired 19-year-old defenceman Connor Toms from the Soo Greyhounds in exchange for the Spitfires’ 12th-round pick in 2025.
The 5-foot-11, 174-pound Toms was born in Basel, Switzerland, but grew up in Sault Ste. Marie. He was the Greyhounds’ third-round pick in 2020 but, after 19 points in 56 games in 2021-22, he’s had just nine points in 56 games since. However, Bowler said he sees potential there.
“Toms is an OHL defenceman with an offensive upside,” he said. “A change of scenery should help his game and we feel confident we have added some real good depth in the defence position.”
The Spitfires have been regularly dressing four first-year defencemen, which has created a very raw defensive group. This isn’t a deal intended to change the tides but give the club some experience and depth. It’s also unlikely the last move Bowler makes.
