The Kingston Frontenacs played a solid first 54 minutes of the game as they led the Windsor Spitfires 5-1 with about 6 minutes left in the third. And while Windsor scored two back-to-back goals a minute 42 apart to cut into the Kingston lead, the Frontenacs were able to hang on for a 6-4 win.
Forward Chris Thibodeau thought the team played solid until the final moments.
“We gave them a couple of soft ones that we shouldn’t have,” Thibodeau said in a post-game interview with the Windsor broadcast. “I think this game should have been 6-2.”
“But we’re a good team and we found a way to win.”
Gage Heyes and Chris Thibodeau scored twice, while Paul Ludwinski and Linus Hemstrom each had a goal in the win.
Thiboeau’s first goal of the game appeared to have fooled the referees. The veteran forward shot it under the cross-bar and off the back of the net before it bounced back out into play, which continued for a few minutes before the arena horn sounded to indicate a review was needed.
“I saw it go in right away, so I was a little upset when they continued play,” Thibodeau said.
Defenseman Jacob Holmes and forward Ethan Miedema returned to Windsor for the first and second time respectively since being traded by the club to the Frontenacs.
There was not much in the way of offence during the opening period Thursday night other than a few chances. The first ended in a scoreless tie with shots 13-7 in favour of the Spitfires.
There was, however, a penalty shot called as Ethan Miedema was hooked on a breakaway, but was stopped on that chance by Windsor goaltender, Joey Costanzo.
The Frontenacs would open the scoring just over a minute into the second period. Gage Heyes cut through the right wing and found Linus Hemstrum rushing toward the net who tipped it past Costanzo to give Kingston a 1-0 lead.
But that lead was short-lived, Liam Greentree took off from centre ice on a breakaway and fired a wrist shot past Mason Vaccari to score his fifth of the season to tie the game a one apiece.
Windsor continued with the pressure throughout the middle part of the middle frame, but each time Mason Vaccari was there to shut the door and keep the game tied.
Gage Heyes would regain the lead for the Frontenacs at 9:51 of the second, beating Costanzo from a near-impossible angle on an assist from Hemstrom to make it a 2-1 game.
The momentum would continue in the Frontenacs’ favour at the 15:51 mark when Chris Thibodeau cut in all alone on Costanzo and fired a shot off the back bar of the goal and out. The goal was initially waved off by the referees on the ice, but after a few minutes of play, the horn sounded to indicate a video review was necessary.
The period would end with the Frontenacs up 3-1, with shots in the second finishing at 11 each.
It would take ten minutes of play into the third period before another line was added to the scoresheet. At the 11:03 mark, Chris Thibodeau and Paul Ludwinski teamed up on a give-and-go play which saw Thibodeau passing to Ludwinski before getting it back in front of the night and finding a hole to beat Costanzo, extending the Kingston lead to 3.
The Frontenacs would continue the landslide just a few minutes later on the penalty kill. Paul Ludwinski took a shot that was stopped, but the rebound ended up on the stick of Nathan Poole, who then promptly passed it back to Ludwinksi who beat Costanzo making it a 5-1 game.
That lead would hold until the 14-minute mark, when Jack Nesbitt would score his first OHL on a bank-shot off of Mason Vaccari to put the Spitfires within 3.
Windsor would get even closer a minute 42 later on a goal from Rodwin Donicio to make it 5-3.
With the goalie pulled Gage Heyes would find the scoresheet for a second time, scoring on the empty net to make it 6-3.
But with a minute 19 to go, Windsor stayed alive, with Anthony Cristoforo tapping in a feed in front of the net to once again put the Spitfires within 2.
Kingston would kill the rest of the clock to hang on for the win.
Shots on goal were 36-29 in favour of the Spitfires.
Chris Thibodeau was named the game’s First Star for his two-goal effort and Gage Heyes was awarded the second star for his three points. Windsor’s Anthony Cristoforo was named the Third Star.
The announced attendance was 3,693.
Kingston next plays on Friday when they visit the London Knights. They end the road trip on Saturday against the Niagara Ice Dogs.
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