The Windsor Spitfires are on pace for a rare feat.

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The Windsor Spitfires are on pace for a rare feat.

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Last in the West Division a year ago and 19th in the 20-team league, the now first-place Spitfires have opened an 11-point lead atop the division after a 7-2 win over the Saginaw Spirit before 4,656 at the WFCU Centre on Wednesday.

“It was huge going in,” Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said. “We were nine-points up (on Saginaw) going in and you go 11 or seven, it’s a big difference and it’s a big win.”

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No Ontario Hockey League team this decade has gone from last in its division to winning it the next season. The last team to do it was the Barrie Colts, who finished last in the Central Division in 2016-17 with a 17-44-6-1 record for 41 points and turned it around to go 42-21-4-1 for 89 points in 2017-18.

“I think we can accomplish that,” said Spitfires’ overage forward Ryan Abraham, who had two goals on Wednesday. “I think we certainly have the skill level to do that.

“I look at the standings. I think a lot of guys do, too. I know it’s early, but this matters for playoffs. Every win you can get matters.”

Thursday’s win was also the Spitfires’ 18th in just 25 games this season. That was the club’s win total for the entire 68-game schedule a year ago.

“Everyone’s been better, we’ve bought in and we’re ready to do something this year,” Spitfires’ defenceman Carson Woodall said. “You can see some of the guys, just the confidence. We want to win and we’re coming for it.

“It’s different from last year. It’s just kind of hard to explain it. There’s some type of feeling in the room that’s changed and I love it. Every time you lose, you can feel it versus last year we were pretty much losing every game.”

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The Spitfires took advantage of a depleted Saginaw squad on Wednesday. The Spirit were without leading scorer Michael Misa, who was competing at a NHL prospect event, while No. 1 goalie Andrew Oke was out will an illness.

“We know that we want to separate ourselves from the rest of the group in the division,” Woodall said. “They’re missing some guys and we took advantage.”

The Spitfires were actually being outshot 11-5 in the game, but held a 3-0 lead on goals by Abraham, Ilya Protas and Owen Outwater, which chased Spirit rookie starting goalie Kaleb Papineau.

“I didn’t like how we played at all, but good teams find ways to win when they’re not good and I think all the credit goes to (Spitfire goalie) Joey Costanzo,” said Walters, whose team was outshot 33-27 overall. “He was really, really good here.”

The game often took on a chippy tone with 32 penalties called, which included three majors, 10 misconducts and a game misconduct

Spirit defenceman Zayne Parekh was handed a major penalty and game misconduct for cross checking Windsor’s Ethan Martin while Saginaw’s James Guo was fortunate not to be tossed after taking a two-handed swing at Windsor’s Jack Nesbitt before dropping the gloves.

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“There were some ugly plays there,” Walters said. “It’s hockey, but you want to keep that stuff out of the game as well.” 

Protas, rookie Ethan Belchetz and Liam Greentree pushed the lead to 6-0 early in the third period.

Saginaw’s Dimian Zhilkin and Carson Harmer scored 45 seconds to end Costanzo’s shutout bid, but Abraham came back with a late goal to close the scoring.

“It just tells you it’s night and day from last year,” Abraham said after the team improved to 18-5-2-0 on the season. “Everyone’s a year older, different coaching and everyone’s buying into that. It’s a lot better and I think everyone’s having fun.”

The Spitfires now hit the road for a Friday game in Guelph against the Storm at 7:07 p.m. before heading to Owen Sound to face the Attack on Saturday at 7 p.m.

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Game Summary

Wednesday Result

Spitfires 7 Spirit 2

Saginaw 0 0 2 – 2

Windsor 3 2 2 – 7

First period: 1. Windsor, Abraham 9 (Woodall, Davis) 1:59 (pp), 2. Windsor, Protas 14 (Greentree, Nesbitt) 14:42, 3. Windsor, Outwater 5 (Spellacy, Davis) 18:16. Penalties: Mangone S (high sticking) 1:16, Parekh S (holding) 3:19, Hicks W (double minor checking from behind) 8:06, Forgione S (high sticking) 12:39, Zhilkin S (interference) 19:33.

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Second period: 4. Windsor, Protas 15 (Greentree, Cristoforo) 2:35 (pp), 5. Windsor, Belchetz 8 (Walton, Woodall) 7:16. Penalties: Cloutier S (interference) 1:44, Belchetz W (roughing) 4:54, Parekh S (cross-checking major, game misconduct), Willis S (roughing), Martin W (roughing) 9:15, Glavin S (roughing), Greentree W (roughing) 16:54, Mangone S (roughing) 17:26, Glavin S (misconduct), Manzo W (misconduct), Martin W (unsportsmanlike conduct) 19:35.

Third period: 6. Windsor, Greentree 14 (Protas, Morneau) 7:28 (pp), 7. Saginaw, Zhilkin 4 (Jones) 9:12, 8. Saginaw, Harmer 8 (Zhilkin, Jones) 9:57, 9. Windsor, Abraham 10 (Hicks, Lemieux) 16:41. Penalties: Bishop S (misconduct), Najim S (misconduct) Davis W (misconduct) 4:33, Guo S (slashing, fighting), Willis S (double-minor roughing, misconduct), Cloutier S (misconduct), Nesbitt W (fighting), Woodall W (double-minor roughing, misconduct), Belchetz W (misconduct) 6:29, Bishop S (misconduct), Lemieux W (misconduct) 19:36. 

Game stats – SOG – Saginaw 11 8 14 – 33 Windsor 6 12 9 – 27 Goal (shots-saves) – Saginaw: Papineau (L,2-2-0-0) (5-2), DiBlasi (18:16 of first period) (22-18). Windsor: Costanzo (W,15-4-1-0) (33-31). Power play (goals-chances) – Saginaw 0-4. Windsor 3-8. Referees: Chad Ingalls and Drew Jackson. Linesmen: Dan Kovachik and Brandon Shaw. Att.: 4,656 at the WFCU Centre.

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