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by windsorspitfires.com
(Windsor) The Windsor Spitfires enjoyed yet another historic moment on Sunday as the team celebrated their 2009-2010 championship performances in a special pre-game ceremony during which the Memorial Cup Championship, OHL Championship, OHL Western Conference Championship and OHL West Division Championship banners were raised to the rafters of the WFCU Centre.
Members of the Spitfires hockey operations and front office departments joined the 2010-2011 Spitfire squad on the ice for the celebration before getting back to regular business as the Spitfires faced off against the Barrie Colts in a rematch of last year’s Rogers OHL Championship Series.
Alexander Khokhlachev and Stephen Johnston each scored two goals, leading the two-time defending MasterCard Memorial Cup and Rogers OHL Champions to a 7-5 win over the Barrie Colts.
Khokhlachev added two assists for a four-point game, while Kenny Ryan scored and added two assists and Zack MacQueen added three helpers, as the Spits won for the second time in as many home games.
After a another slow start that saw the Colts out-shoot the Spits 10-1 in the opening ten minutes, the Spitfires got their legs, scoring twice in the first period, three times in the second, and twice more in the third.
"We started slow again, but again we got our legs," Spits centre Stephen Johnston told windsorspitfires.com.
Windsor out-shot Barrie 44 to 34 in all and went 2-for-6 on the powerplay.
And Johnston, who wrapped up a stint at Detroit Red Wings camp earlier this week, looked especially sharp.
"The day off was huge. Personally, I had skated for 2-and-a-half straight weeks," Johnston told windsorspitfires.com.
In a sloppy game, Johnston and Khokhlachev were the big difference down the middle, outskating Barrie centres John Padola, Colin Behenna and Zach Hall who combined to go minus-6.
The teams exchanged goals in the first, before Barrie went ahead 3-2 on what, at the time, could have been a backbreaking goal for the Spits. The Spits had just failed to score with a full minute 5-on-3 advantage. And as the first penalty expired, Steven Beyers jumped out of the box, picked up a loose puck at centre ice, and busted in to beat Spits goalie Jack Campbell.
But, fittingly, it was Johnston that got the Spits back to even at 3-3, salvaging the powerplay with just a dozen seconds left. After Khokhlachev put Windsor back ahead at 4-3, banging in a rebound off a Zack MacQueen shot, Johnston was in on the play of the game - and arguably the young season.
With all the momentum on Windsor's side, Johnston grabbed the puck, sped through the neutral zone and played give and go with MacQueen before showing great vision and dropping to a trailing Nick Ebert - who made it 5-3 with a blast that beat Colts goalie Peter DiSalvo.
"That worked out nicely," Johnston said. "I just looked back late and I knew Ebert was coming. He did the rest.
Despite Johnston's modesty, the play demonstrated something the Spits are rich in, speed up front. The goal was huge at that time - and the eventual margin of victory.
Trent Hawke cut the Spits lead to 5-4 heading into the third, but they wouldn't be within a goal for long.
Defenceman Mark MacIntyre continued his outstanding offensive start, scoring his third goal of the season - the eventual winner - on the powerplay just three minutes into the third to restore Windsor's two-goal lead.
Johnston wrapped an impressive day with his second of the game with six minutes to go, making it 7-4.
Steven Beyers scored his second of the game for Barrie two minutes later, to round out the scoring.
