3 Takeaways From Spitfires’ 6-3 Win Over Greyhounds

After the game, Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters raved about his depth, including new defenceman Andrew Robinson.

“The win was the depth of this team,” he said. “We’ve talked about it a lot, the next guy up mentality. We have a lot of guys out tonight against a very good Greyhounds team … They had a full lineup tonight and have been playing extremely well. You add (Shawn) Costello, (Nathan) Gaymes, (Tanner) Winegard, (Carter) Hicks, (Ethan) Garden, Robinson; they all played extremely well against a desperate team. Really happy with our depth guys.”

Robinson Shows Skill in OHL Debut

Earlier this month, Mathurin got hurt in a game against the Ottawa 67’s. On Tuesday, Eichler was injured and scratched from Thursday’s game. Fortunately, general manager Bill Bowler got help by signing Robinson, their 2024 third-round pick.

The 6-foot, 185-pound defenceman had 34 points in 53 games with the Georgetown Raiders of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL – Junior A). He’s committed to Providence College for 2027-28. With the new NCAA/OHL rule change, where players can now join the OHL before going to the NCAA, it’s a golden chance for Robinson to join the Spitfires.

Robinson was poised and calm in his own zone, while showing speed and offensive creativity in the Greyhounds’ zone. Walters said he was impressed with the youngster, who adds to a stellar 2008-born class.

“(He looked) very, very comfortable,” he said. “Brian McLaughlan, one of my best friends in the world, coached him last season in Vaughan (Kings U16 AAA). I was able to see him and really liked him. This is my first look at him this season; very calm, poised, and defended well. (He has a) very smart brain away from the puck and played extremely well … We told him to keep things simple to start, but once he got his feet, he made some great passes and joined the rush. He made some real good plays in the offensive zone.”

Woodall said he welcomed the rookie and believes the defensive group will be fine until the injured players return.

“I was sitting next to him in the room, asking him about his life,” he said. “He seems like a confident kid, reminds me of myself a little bit.”

Robinson joins Belchetz, Hicks, Garden, forwards J.C. Lemieux and Max Brocklehurst, and goaltender Jake Windbiel from the 2008-class who have already signed and played this season.

Costanzo Back on Track… For Now

One of the biggest question marks on the Spitfires has been in goal. While veteran Joey Costanzo is their number one guy, coming into the game with a .892 save percentage and 2.96 goals-against average, he’s had some rocky starts lately.

In his last five outings, Costanzo had allowed 23 goals on 111 shots, which can be frustrating for him and his team. He had just one appearance where he allowed fewer than four goals (three). In his previous seven appearances, he allowed three at most. It has become a bit of a guessing game. Fortunately, Thursday night showed what he can do when he’s at his best.

Costanzo allowed two first-period goals, but settled in and made the saves he needed to. The Spitfires were solid defensively, but the Greyhounds are a team that never stops skating, and they’re second in the OHL with 17 shorthanded tallies. They were giving the Spitfires fits around Costanzo while a man down, and he had to be ready at any moment. It was an underrated performance, but his 24 saves earned him the club’s Player of the Game. He also got his 32nd win of the season, which is second in the league behind the Rangers’ Jackson Parsons.

While the Spitfires have backup rookie Carter Froggett to lean on if necessary, and he’s done a solid job for them, they need Costanzo’s best. With the playoffs starting in a few weeks, having him on his A-game will be a huge relief and could play a major part in the first round and, potentially, beyond.