Spirit's Goaltending Stymies Spitfires in Tight Contest
The Saginaw Spirit continued to be a thorn in the side of the Windsor Spitfires, securing a 2-1 victory on Saturday at the Dow Event Center. This marks the third time in four meetings this season that Saginaw has bested their Western Conference rivals, with one of those wins coming in a shootout.
Shurygin Stands Tall as Windsor's Power Play Falters
The story of the game was Saginaw goaltender Stepan Shurygin, who turned aside 31 of 32 shots to backstop his team to victory. His performance was especially critical given that Windsor held a 32-22 advantage in total shots. This echoes his performance from November 1st in Saginaw, where he made 40 saves in another win despite the Spitfires firing 43 shots on goal.
Windsor's lone goal came with just 67 seconds left in regulation when a shot from defenceman Carson Woodall hit the post, bounced back, hit Shurygin, and trickled in. The Spitfires had several chances to tie the game in the final moments but could not solve Shurygin a second time.
Spitfires' head coach Greg Walters did not mince words, stating, "Their goaltender was the best player on the ice and those things happen." He further emphasized, "When you only get one goal, you're not going to win many games."
Power Play Problems Plague Windsor
A significant factor in the loss was Windsor's inability to capitalize on the man-advantage. The team had four power-play opportunities in the first 10 minutes of the game but failed to score on any of them, and were actually being outshot 7-4 by Saginaw once those chances expired.
Walters pinpointed the power play as a primary reason for the defeat. "Our power play cost us the game," he said. "They're just getting too cute, staying on the perimeter and not having guys inside the dot and shooting." The struggles are part of a larger trend, with the team managing only two power-play goals in its last 17 chances.
Spitfires' Lineup Hit by Illness and Injury
Windsor's challenges were compounded by roster issues. After finally having a full lineup available for the first time all season in Friday's game, the team was immediately forced to adjust. Forward Cole Davis was sidelined with an illness for Saturday's contest.
The injury bug struck again during the game, as forward Nathan Gaymes left in the second period after taking a shot off his knee. He is not expected to be available for the Spitfires' next game against the Guelph Storm, scheduled for Sunday at 4:05 p.m. at the WFCU Centre.
With this win, the Spirit solidify their position in the tight Western Conference playoff picture, using their success against the conference-leading Spitfires as a key building block for their postseason aspirations.
