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Penalties are becoming a major issue for the Windsor Spitfires.
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The Spitfires are now the second-most penalized team in the Ontario Hockey League and, even with the league’s top-rated penalty kill, it’s not a recipe for success.
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In a battle for the top spot in the Western Conference, the Spitfires handed the Kitchener Rangers seven power-play chances on Friday. Kitchener converted on three of those chances and cruised to a 7-2 win at the Memorial Gardens.
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“You can’t win taking seven power plays against that team,” Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said. “I think both (our) goalies would want a couple (goals) back, but it was more about us.”
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It was a rocky start when goalie Joey Costanzo got trapped around the net leaving Kitchener an empty net to open the scoring. Later in the period, with Windsor on a four-minute power play, the club saw Ethan Belchetz and Anthony Cristoforo take penalties at the same stoppage. Suddenly, it was a four-on-three advantage for Kitchener and the Rangers converted to go up 2-0 after 20 minutes.
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“The game’s about momentum and we took too many penalties and made it difficult,” Walters said.
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Costanzo was pulled just 94 seconds into the second period after allowing Kitchener’s third goal on eight shots, but the Spitfires found no momentum.
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“We have to find a way to be better,” Walters said. “(Friday), we took ourselves out.”
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Friday ended a stretch of five games in 10 days for the Spitfires with two of those games against the Rangers, who now sit a point up on Windsor for top spot in the Western Conference after winning both games, and two against the Flint Firebirds, who sit a point back of the Spitfires for top spot in the West Division after splitting those two games.
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“I’m not worried,” Walters said. “(Aside from Friday), they were extremely tight games. We just have to find a way to be better. It’s more mental than anything.”
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Walters said the key for the club is to realize that with 20 games left in the regular season, the Spitfires are in position to be the conference’s top team.
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“We’re definitely right there,” Walters said. “We haven’t been overmatched by any means.
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“Honestly, injuries are a part. Villy (Nathan Villeneuve) wasn’t 100 per cent (on Friday), (Jack) Nesbitt and Johnny (McLaughlin) weren’t on the ice.
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“I thought we were over-aggressive and there’s a fine line with how we have to play to be successful.
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“We’ll hit the reset button, have a good practice (on Saturday) and get back going here (on Sunday against Sarnia). We’re one point out of first overall (in the conference) after 48 games. There’s a lot of good things for sure.”
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Twitter.com/@winstarparker
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Game Summary
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Friday Result
