In Play on Facebook
windsorspitfires.com staff reports
If the race for fourth in the Western Conference wasn't tight enough coming into Monday afternoon's matchup with the London, it sure is now.
Michael Houser made 41 saves and Jared Knight scored a pair of goals, as the Knights beat the Spits 3-2 in front of 8,975 on Family Day at the John Labatt Centre.
The win pulls London to within two points of Windsor in the standings; the Spits are currently tied with Plymouth in fourth, but the Whalers hold the tie-breaker (head-to-head wins).
The Spits scored first and last, with goals from Jake Carrick and Tom Kuhnhackl. But it's what happened in between in a fast-paced, hard-hitting tilt that sent London to its 30th win of the season.
The teams exchanged second period goals in the opening five minutes, before Knight scored his first of the game on the power play with 4:10 remaining.
His second of the day and 24th of the season, less than two minutes into the third, was the dagger goal, putting the Spits down 3-1.
Despite three power plays in the final 15 minutes, including a long 5-on-3, Windsor couldn't cut into the lead.
Tom Kuhnhackl scored in the final minute with the net empty, on a blast from the right point. But the Spitfires never really threatened to get the tying goal.
Jack Campbell deserved a better fate in the Windsor goal. He made 28 saves, several of which came on breakaway or two-on-one chances for London.
FIRST PERIOD
No Scoring
SECOND PERIOD
WSR Carrick, (18) (Carnevale), 1:26 (PP)
LDN Sanza, (21) (Martin, Tinordi), 4:41
LDN Knight, (23) (Namestnikov, Rupert), 15:50 (PP)
THIRD PERIOD
LDN Knight, (24) (Fox), 1:49
WSR Kuhnhackl, (32) (Ellis), 19:10
SHOTS ON GOAL
WINDSOR: 13 - 11 - 19 = 43
LONDON: 6 - 14- 11 = 31
POWER PLAYS
WINDSOR 1-FOR-6
LONDON 1-FOR-3
