3 Takeaways From Spitfires’ 6-0 Win at Home vs. IceDogs

From the opening puck drop to the final buzzer, everyone followed the trio’s footsteps, creating consistent offence and giving the IceDogs no room to breathe in either zone. Just when you thought the visitors would get a glimmer of hope, it was snuffed out. The home side scored two goals in the first, another three in the second, and added a single in the third, all by different scorers, for a 6-0 Spitfires win. The final shots were 38-9 as goaltender Joey Costanzo recorded his second shutout of the season. After the game, Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said the trio brought an impressive presence.

“Unbelievable (win) to be honest,” he said. “…You never know how things will go when they get back from NHL camp. They were so good, such a presence in our room … They’re three unbelievable people off the ice that drive this team … We were talking about we were winning without them, let’s not have everyone else take a step back. Let them just join the party. They did that.”

Walters added that he forgot to say something to the team after the second period. However, Greentree walked up to him and said “I told the guys this.” It’s something they brought from NHL camps and can instill on the younger players.

Nesbitt had a few days off before rejoining the club. Greentree got into town from the Kings’ camp on Wednesday. While he was maybe a bit jet-lagged, he had been watching the Spitfires’ games while he was gone and said he was ready to play when he returned.

“(Walters) texted me asking if I wanted to play,” he said. “I said, ‘I don’t see why not.’ I’m always going to try to get ice when I can.”

Spitfires’ Defence Suffocates IceDogs

Since Walters joined the Spitfires in July 2024, he has preached a defence-first mentality. If you stick to the systems and work hard in your own end, the offence will come in due time. They did that last season and went from allowing 360 goals in 68 games in 2023-24 to just 223 goals last season. This season has been an even bigger surprise, allowing just four in the first five games.

Thursday night was no different. The IceDogs had just four shots in the first period. When you thought they could find a way to get past the Spitfires’ defence, the defence got even tighter. They stopped cycles, used their sticks at every turn, forced players to the outside, and let very few pucks or bodies get anywhere near Costanzo.

In the end, the Spitfires allowed four shots in the first period, three in the second, and just two in the third. It was one of the most impressive defensive performances the team has seen in several seasons. Veterans Wyatt Kennedy and Anthony Cristoforo were plus-3 and plus-4, respectively. From the top pairing to seventh-defenceman Andrew Robinson, everyone chipped in and did their part.

Walters, along with assistant coaches Casey Torres and Kris Newbury, have put together systems that are not only working, but excelling at every turn. Nobody expects them to allow four goals in every six games but, if they can continue to build on Thursday’s effort, it’s going to be tough to beat this defence.

Depth, Depth, and More Depth

When the trio was away at camps, the Spitfires gave their depth players some bigger roles. It was a chance for them to get action in all situations. This included guys like Caden Harvey, Ethan Garden, Jean-Christoph Lemieux, and Beksultan Makysh.

Coming into Thursday, all four had at least five points in five games so far. On Thursday, they added a combined two goals and two assists. Having had the experience against other top lines, the return of players from NHL camps meant that Walters could put them anywhere and be comfortable.

“We’re looking at Garden, Makysh, and Harvey on our third line,” Walters said. “We feel very comfortable with them playing against most lines. It just goes back to the depth that (general manager) Bill (Bowler) has made here.”

Harvey had 41 goals and 95 points in 53 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16U last season. He had his first OHL goal on Thursday, along with an assist. He said the OHL is a much harder league to play in and you earn every point you get. He said players coming back from camp helps his game, despite maybe being bumped down a line.

“You look up to them every day, on the ice or off the ice,” he said. “You’re trying to do whatever they do. They’re in the footsteps of where I want to go. It’s about taking every little detail I can from them and applying it to my game.”

Unfortunately, sometimes depth means players have to sit. With the trio back, four players had to sit. Walters said it’s a tough part of the job.

“It’s extremely tough and the worst part of coaching is telling a kid he’s not playing,” he said. “You look at (Cole) Dubowsky scoring a huge goal for us in Oshawa (on Sunday) and he didn’t play (Thursday). It’s healthy competition and it’s what happens when you have a good team.”

With everyone back from NHL camps, the team has a chance to gel. That gets started as they hit the road this weekend for two very important games – Saturday against the Canadian Hockey League’s (CHL) third-ranked Brantford Bulldogs and Sunday against the Owen Sound Attack. While the Spitfires are ranked second in the CHL, if they want a measuring stick, they’ve got it.