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windsorspitfires.com staff reports
Things started out just fine.
But by the time 40 minutes was done in Erie on Saturday night, the Spitfires couldn't wait to get back on the bus and out of Pennsylvania.
Brett Thompson had four goals and two assists and Phil Varone had a goal and four assists, as the Otters scored five times in the second period, turning a close game into an 8-2 blowout win.
Ryan Ellis opened the scoring for Windsor just three minutes into the first period, blasting a patented slapshot past Erie goalie Ramis Sadikov.
But Thompson's first of the night sent the teams to the first intermission in a 1-1 tie.
It didn't take long for Erie to pounce on the Spits in the second.
Two more goals from Thompson, sandwiched in with markers from Varone and Luke Cairns, quickly put the game out of reach, as the Otters (27-23-1-1) took a 5-1 lead.
Jack Campbell was pulled from the Windsor goal after giving up five goals in 28 minutes. He was replaced by Michael Nishi, who dressed as the back-up in place of John Cullen, who stayed back at the hotel with the flu.
A short while later, Zack Kassian, Alex Khokhlachev and Nick Ebert were all sent to the Windsor dressing room by the Spits coaching staff. They did not return.
Phil Varone made it 6-1 with a power play goal in the final minute of the second.
Anthony Luciani, Thompson's fourth and a late goal by Windsor's Brady Vail rounded out the scoring.
The win moved Erie to within three points of Windsor (27-17-2-3) in the Western Conference standings.
The Spitfires are back in action tomorrow afternoon in Brampton. We will have pre-game notes in our blog at 1:30. Radio pre-game show on AM800 at 1:45. TV coverage on Cogeco starts at 2.
SCORING
FIRST PERIOD
WSR Ellis, (17) , 3:45
ER Thompson, (31) (Luciani, Varone), 17:01
SECOND PERIOD
ER Szydlowski, (29) (Austin), 1:41
ER Thompson, (32) (McKegg, Holden), 4:18
ER Cairns, (4) (Thompson), 7:04 (PP)
ER Thompson, (33) (Varone), 7:54
ER Varone, (24) (Thompson, Luciani), 19:02 (PP)
THIRD PERIOD
ER Luciani, (19) (Varone, Cairns), 4:13 (PP)
ER Thompson, (34) (Varone, Luciani), 9:04
WSR Vail, (2) (Rychel, Webermin), 14:16
SHOTS ON GOAL
ERIE – 45, WINDSOR - 36
POWER PLAYS
WINDSOR 0-FOR-4 = ERIE 3-FOR-7
