The Windsor Spitfires hit a low point on Sun., Oct. 15, when they finished a weekend of three lopsided losses. However, a week of self-reflection and a little help from a pop star may have been the trick, as they got some cautious swagger back this past Saturday.
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With a younger roster and a newer coaching staff, expectations this season have been kept a bit lower than normal for the Spitfires. They won back-to-back Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Western Conference regular season titles coming into 2023-24, but the general feeling was home ice would be a solid target this season. Unfortunately, a brutal start left them with a single win through eight games, including an 0-3 weekend from Oct. 12-15, where they were outscored 24-7. Fortunately, with the help of some clever pre-planned marketing and multiple intense workouts, they may have found a way to get back on track. Here are four takes from a short but eventful weekend.
4 Takeaways From Win over Saginaw Spirit
Weekend Results:
Sat., Oct. 21 – 5-2 win v. Saginaw Spirit
Current record: 2-7-0-0 (10th OHL Western Conference)
4. Practice Does a Team Good
A week ago, the Spitfires returned home following 7-1 and 11-2 losses at the hands of the Erie Otters and Kitchener Rangers, respectively. It was a devastating weekend, as the team knows it has the talent but hasn’t been able to put everything together. Instead, they did the only thing they could – hit the WFCU Centre ice and kept going. Head coach Jerrod Smith said Saturday’s game against the Spirit wasn’t necessarily won on Saturday.
“A good friend told me one time that a lot of the games are won on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at practice,” he said after the game. “That was our mentality this week. We went to battle against each other, we saw that competitive level that we needed to get to in practice, and it was great to see it translate (Saturday).”
One area the club has really struggled with was the defensive zone. They hadn’t allowed fewer than four goals in any game this season and were in dead last in the league in goals against. It’s an uncomfortable statistic, but Smith said they worked on “the little details, just two or three things to keep in mind.” Mission accomplished. Veteran James Jodoin was a part of the success over the last two seasons and said with everyone sick of losing, they were focused.
“We definitely had a really good couple of practices this week,” Jodoin said. “Everyone was just sick and tired of losing. Everyone was dialed in; there was no messing around between drills. Everyone was doing everything that they were supposed to do.”
Related: An Early Look: Windsor Spitfires’ 2023-24 Overage Candidates
More often than not, fans see the games played out but not the work that goes into getting to the games. However, those practices can be vital to a team’s success.
3. Peer, Maillet, and Greentree Find Chemistry
When you’re struggling to find wins, mixing lines will happen. Former head coach Marc Savard used it as a tool, and it worked, and now Smith is trying a few things. On Saturday, he put veteran forwards Liam Greentree, Oliver Peer, and Jacob Maillet together, and it was magic.
Greentree, 17, came into the game leading the club with five goals and 10 points in eight games with Peer, 20, not far behind him with seven points in eight games. Maillet, 20, has had a slow start to the season with just three points in eight games but had 76 points in 67 games last season. On Saturday, the three played together for the first time and combined for four goals and six points on route to the win. They seemed to just know where each other was at all times and Greentree said it’s a trio where everyone brings something different to the line.
“We haven’t played together but we had a good game and we just have to build off that,” Greentree said. “Peer’s a speed guy, Maillet’s got eyes like nobody else, and I think I can finish the puck.”
One of the goals they scored was a tic-tac-toe pass from Peer to defenceman Rodwin Dionicio, who promptly send it to a wide-open Greentree on the glove side. Spirit goaltender Andrew Oke could only watch and scoop the puck out from the net.
The three are no strangers to the club’s success over the last two seasons, and they could be a big part of turning everything around. If they can continue the chemistry down the road, that will only help the club.
2. The Taylor Swift Effect
It’s difficult to go anywhere in North America right now without hearing something about pop singer Taylor Swift. From her world-famous Eras Tour to her dating life with athletes, you’re bound to get drawn into the “Swiftie” phenomenon to some degree. The Spitfires used that to their advantage on Saturday as they held “Taylor Swift Night,” including a contest for a pair of tickets… and gave the players a boost in the process.
The club holds promotional events during almost every home game, including the popular Teddy Bear Toss and the appreciated First Responders Night. Given how popular the “Taylor Swift Night” was, though, it might become an annual event. The arena played Swift music from the moment the doors opened, including intermission karaoke, and fans had a chance to enter a draw where several people were randomly selected. Out of those, one fan won tickets to see Swift in Toronto in November. It created a significant buzz throughout the rink, and Smith said that atmosphere worked well in multiple ways.
“All the Swifties,” Smith said with a smile. “The Swifties got the boys going so maybe we got to have more Swiftie nights. It’s great and I’m just happy that the crowd got to see a good brand of hockey. They deserve it. We know full well that they haven’t seen us at our best yet and tonight they got it.”
When you have a chance to bring energetic fans into the rink and put on a great performance, that can only benefit you in the long run. The Spitfires have entered their Swiftie era.
1. Spitfires Must Keep Building Momentum
With the Spirit hosting the 2024 Memorial Cup, the Spitfires knew that the frustrating weekend couldn’t be repeated if they wanted points. Instead, they took the adversity, learned a hard lesson, and capitalized on their opportunity. Smith called their three-loss weekend “rock bottom,” and while Saturday was important, it’s a single step in the journey.
“That was rock bottom for us and we knew it,” he said. “We had some great conversations as a group on how that was unacceptable and how we need to play to have success. Systems aside, we needed to see 20 guys go to battle for each other and that’s what you saw here tonight … It’s an important step for us but it’s just one step. We have to continue to take another step forward.”
When a team breaks a losing streak, it’s tempting to forget about the past and move on. Jodoin said that doesn’t help because the past can benefit you.
“When you’re at rock bottom, there’s only one way up, right?,” Jodoin said. “I think we should remember (the bad weekend) because we can’t get ahead of ourselves. It’s one win; we’re still 2-7. We have to build on that. We can’t forget about the past and the struggle we already went through this season.”
The Spitfires now get ready to host the Ottawa 67’s on Thursday and the Niagara IceDogs on Saturday, with a Friday night road game against the Sarnia Sting in between. All three will be very tough, but it’s a challenge the club might be ready for.
Going through adversity this early could be looked at as good or bad. If the Spitfires use it as an opportunity to learn and develop, it may have come at the best possible time.
