Top line sparked Spits
They are Windsor’s version of the Production Line. Captain Liam Greentree, import rookie Ilya Protas and overage Noah Morneau scored 18 of Windsor’s 28 goals and combined for 41 points as the Spitfires dismantled the Soo Greyhounds four games to one in the opening round of their Ontario Hockey League playoff series.
Greentree had seven goals, eight assists, 15 points, Protas netted three goals, 12 assists, 15 points and Morneau triggered eight goals, three assists, 11 points as the Spitfires outscored the Greyhounds 28 to 11 en route to the five game series triumph.
No. 2 seed Windsor was a formidable force on home ice with decisive 7-2, 7-1 and 8-4 romps over the no. 7 seed Red and White of the Soo. The Greyhounds only win of the series came on home ice, a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 3. But the Spitfires rebounded to take Game 4 in Sault Ste. Marie by a 4-1 score to set the stage for the 8-4 Game 5 clincher in Windsor.
What was impressive about the Spitfires gaining a split of the two games in Sault Ste. Marie was the fact that they were missing no less than six skaters due to injury including top two defensemen Anthony Cristoforo and Tnias Mathurin, top nine forwards A.J. Spellacy, Ethan Belchetz and J.C. Lemieux and versatile defenseman/forward Tanner Winegard.
But while the Greentree-Protas-Morneau troika was clearly a major difference in the series, several other Spitfires came through in the clutch including goalie Joey Costanzo, defensemen Wyatt Kennedy, Carson Woodall, Conor Walton and Carter Hicks and forwards Jack Nesbitt and Ethan Garden.
Notably, Hicks and Garden are two of four 2008 birth rookies that Spitfires have regularly employed over the course of the season, with the aforementioned Ethan Belchetz and J.C. Lemieux being the others. By contrast, the Greyhounds used only two 2008 birth year rookies this season, namely forwards Brady T. Smith and Carson Andrew. Seriously, as head coach John Dean constantly refers to the Greyhounds as being a “young team”, so too are the Spitfires.
Not that the Greyhounds were without high performance contributors over the course of the five games of the series loss to the Spitfires as, in particular, second year forwards Travis Hayes and Brady Martin and rookie defenseman Chase Reid all stood out.
In a summation of the series, the Spitfires top players were better than the Soo’s best. And Windsor clearly got a superb coaching ride from bench boss Greg Walters, especially in Games 3 and 4 in the Soo when the Spitfires were severely short handed due to injuries.
Aforementioned Hounds head coach John Dean tried to identify his team as decided underdogs prior to the start of the series. But the fact is that, experience wise, the Greyhounds held a big edge over the Spitfires among key veteran players in OHL career games played.
Between the pipes — the all important goalie position — is where Nolan Lalonde of the Greyhounds had considerably more involvement than Joey Costanzo of Windsor. Prior to the start of the series, Lalonde, who is a year older than Costanzo, had the OHL experience of 167 regular season games and 12 playoff contests. Costanzo, on the other hand, had been in 147 regular season games and parts of just two playoff matches in his OHL career.
Among top forwards, Marco Mignosa of the Greyhounds had played in 238 regular season games and 21 playoff contests and teammate Justin Cloutier had even more experience with 272 regular season games and 21 playoff outings. Conversely, Windsor’s leading scorer Ilya Protas — who is a rookie forward — had just 61 games of OHL experience, none of which were in the playoffs, while line mate Liam Greentree had played in 189 regular season games and just four playoff contests.
Top defensemen? Again the experience edge went to the Greyhounds. Caedan Carlisle of the Soo had played in 245 regular season games and 20 more in the playoffs while Anthony Cristoforo of Windsor had the OHL experience of 195 games, just four of which had been playoff outings.
To be sure, the Spitfires overachieved during the regular season with 96 points from a record of 45-17-6. The Greyhounds, on the other hand, were up and down and all around during the regular season wth 62 points from a disappointing record of 29-35-4.
And now, the Spitfires are in the second round of the playoffs against a Kitchener Rangers team that put up 100 regular season points. As for the Greyhounds, it is wait until next season — and with the changes that will come it.