In Play on Facebook
by John-Eric Iannicello
windsorspitfires.com
Ryan Ellis scored the only goal in a shootout and Jack Campbell made 35 saves as the Windsor Spitfires edged the Niagara Ice Dogs 4-3 on Saturday night.
Ellis also scored the tying goal early in the third period for the Spitfires (9-6-0-1), who won their second straight road game and third overall.
As they did Friday night in Erie, the Spits fell behind early in the first period.
After a turnover in the Niagara zone, Freddy Hamilton let a shot go off the rush that seemed to slingshot off Ellis’s stick and into the top corner behind Jack Campbell for a 1-0 IceDogs lead.
Zack MacQueen tied it on a power play at the 14:42 mark. Stationed at the side of the crease, MacQueen was able to tap home a Zack Kassian rebound past Mark Visentin.
But Mitchell Theoret scored under a minute later and the IceDogs took a 2-1 edge into the first intermission.
The Spits once again pulled even late in the second. Nick Czinder picked off a bad pass by Simon Gronvaldt and scored on his own rebound, making it 2-2 at 13:36.
Trailing 3-2 heading into the third, the Spitfires wasted no time making the most of their fourth power play opportunity. Ellis finished off a pretty tic-tac-toe play in the slot, from Tom Kuhnhackl and Alexander Khokhlachev, just 16 seconds in to tie the game back up at 3-3.
As both teams began to tire, the Spits were awarded three consecutive power play opportunities, but couldn't muster the go-ahead goal in regulation time.
Overtime settled nothing.
And three big Jack Campbell saves off Andrew Agozzino, Ryan Strome and Mitchell Theoret in the shootout set the stage for Eliis to beat Visentin five-hole for the game-winner.
Scoring
1. NIAG Hamilton, (8) , 1:48
1. WSR MacQueen, (5) (Kassian, Ebert), 14:42 (PP)
1. NIAG Theoret, (3) , 15:21
2. WSR Czinder, (1) , 13:36
2. NIAG Theoret, (4) (Billingsley, Wilson), 17:23
3. WSR Ellis, (4) (Khokhlachev, Kuhnhackl), 0:16 (PP)
NOTES
Campbell turned aside 35 of 38 shots along with his three shootout saves. Visentin made 34 of 37 saves and also stopped two shootout attempts ... The Spitfires were 3-for-7 on the power play. The Ice Dogs went 0-for-3 ... Nick Czinder’s goal was his first of the season and first of his OHL career ... Spits head coach Bob Jones continued his masterful job of rotating players in and out of the lineup - in the team's third game in three nights. Michael Whaley and Grant Webermin rotated back into the lineup. Spitfire scratches include Derek Lanoue, Andrew Clouthier, Troy Passingham and Cam Fowler, who is still with the Anaheim Ducks. Attendance at the Gatorade Garden City Complex in St. Catherines was 2,822.
THREE STARS
1. WSR – 6 Ryan Ellis
2. NIAG – 23 Mitchell Theoret
3. WSR – 1 Jack Campbell
