4 Takeaways From Spitfires’ 5-2 Win Over Steelheads

Despite sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference, the Steelheads boast eight NHL draft picks and can beat anyone. They’re a dangerous team and it was a game where the Spitfires’ top talents had to be at their best. Fortunately, team leading scorers Greentree and Protas combined for six points. Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said the first Protas goal was something special.

“I was amazed, sitting there watching it,” he said. “I had to put my card over my face because I was grinning ear-to-ear. He’s just a special talent and an amazing kid. You know he’s going to be there when the game is on the line.”

Greentree is now second in the OHL with 79 points, four behind the Spirit’s Michael Misa (83). Protas is third with 74 points.

Froggett Shows No Rust

Froggett’s return on Sunday was a big help for the Spitfires. Between a knee injury and an illness, this was his first action in over a month. The team has played their other rookies, Michael Newlove and Jake Windbiel, in three combined appearances, but veteran goaltender Joey Costanzo has seen the vast majority. This was a good chance to give him a breather while Froggett got his long-awaited opportunity.

The club’s sixth-round pick in 2022 has paid his dues in lower levels and came into the season ready to show his talent. While he’s had some great games, and some he’d probably like to forget, Sunday was one he was all smiles about after. Playing after a month off isn’t easy. Add in a team like the Steelheads and it can be a daunting task. However, the 18-year-old said he was really looking forward to it.

“It’s good to be back,” he said. “I just wanted to have fun. I haven’t played the game in a month and a bit now, so had fun, stayed calm, and listened to what my goaltending coach Stan (Matwijiw) said.”

After the game, Walters said Froggett’s been working hard at getting back and it was a performance the club needed.

“He was awesome,” he said. “With everything that he’s gone through, we’re so happy. He’s worked extremely hard with his knee and then he got sick. (We’re) really, really happy, he was so solid, big in the net, calming, and played the puck extremely well.”

While the Spitfires have four goaltenders with OHL experience now, getting Froggett back is a nice bonus. It gives Costanzo a rest when needed while allowing Newlove and Windbiel to focus on development at lower levels.

The Boys Are Back in Town

It would be hard to blame the Spitfires if Sunday’s game had been circled on their calendar for a while. When the calendar turned to January, the club had their bags packed for what was a long month on the bus. From Sat., Jan. 4 through Fri., Jan. 24, they had seven of eight games on the road. While they had a 4-3-0 road record over that stretch, coming back to the WFCU Centre had to feel good.

They’ve earned a Canadian Hockey League-best 18-2-0-1 record (.881 winning percentage) at home with their last loss coming in a shootout in early December, and their last regulation loss coming in early November. They’re not taking anything for granted and Walters said they’re still targeting the top seed.

“…Our home record means so much to us,” he said “Obviously being 18-2, and understanding that every point matters, it’s looking more like the two seed, but we have our hopes on the one seed. We’re making sure we’re getting better every single day, whether it’s at home, on the road, or in practice. Our leadership group has put a mandate that we practice extremely hard, so the young guys that are here have to follow suit because our older guys are working that hard.”

Nothing is going to come easy, though. During their homestand, they’ll face the top-ranked London Knights, the Spirit, a strong contender in the Brantford Bulldogs, and the ever-dangerous Sarnia Sting twice. While it’s nice to be home, this is the time for the club to make a statement.

Flu Doesn’t Stop Spitfires

On top of having a strong home schedule, the club is happy to get home and rest up. While injuries did a number on the team late in the first half, the flu bug caught up to the club recently. They were forced to play a short lineup on the road against the Barrie Colts and Oshawa Generals in mid-January. Even then, not everyone who played was healthy. Walters said he’s proud of the club for battling through a tough stretch.

“… We had seven guys that were out for the Colts and Generals games and the flu bug was a big thing,” he said. “There were probably another half dozen guys that battled through there and were able to stay in those two games. We ended up losing but they played hard through it. (The flu) went through this week and we only had one real team practice before the Sting (Jan. 23 on the road) so I’m real proud of the kids and their resilience. Our leadership group is everything to this team.”

Every team goes through injuries and illnesses throughout the season. However, they’ve found a way to power through and be competitive. Sunday was another example of that resilience. Nothing about this is going to be easy but it’s a testament to their drive. With the win, their lead on the Spirit is now at 21 points with 24 games (Spirit) and 22 games (Spitfires) remaining.