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Windsorspitfires.com reports
Plagued by bad third periods at home in recent weeks, the Spitfires got a solid finish - and the game winner - from their grind line, in a 4-3 victory over the London Knights.
Windsor's grind line of Kenny Ryan, Kerby Rychel and Jeff Brown outworked and outscored the line they were assigned to smother Thursday night.
Ryan had the game winner midway through the third period and the Spits held tight in the late-going for a huge 4-3 win over the London Knights in front of 6,394 at the WFCU Centre.
"I love playing with Kerby and Brownie," Ryan told windsorspitfires.com. "We all kind of play the same way. We're not overly-skilled guys. But we know, you match us up with anyone, and we're going to outwork you.
"That's just our mentality."
The bang-and-crash trio held London star centre Vlad Namestnikov (27G, 37A in 62 GP) off the scoresheet. While the winning goal was a thing of beauty, it was from three guys known more for their grit than their grace.
Brown started the play with some of his trademark spade work along the side boards, before hitting Rychel with a feed at the right dot. The rookie tossed one toward the net, finding Ryan in front. And Ryan put a Savardian style spin-o-rama on Michael Houser, for his 19th of the year.
"I haven't done that move since mini sticks down in my basement," Ryan joked with an ear-to-ear smile.
The win moved the Spitfires (34-21-3-3) back into fourth place in the Western Conference and, even more importantly, to within four points of Saginaw for first in the division.
Stephen Sanza had a big game for the Knights (32-25-4-1) with a pair of goals and an assist.
Ryan Ellis had a pair of assists for the Spits. The captain now has a gawdy 29 points in his last 13 games.
He will get strong consideration tomorrow for OHL Player of the Month for February.
The Spits now have a day off before facing the Whalers in Plymouth - in arguably the biggest game of the season - on Saturday night, before returning home Sunday afternoon to face the Guelph Storm for the final time this season.
SCORING
FIRST PERIOD
WSR Duininck, (7) (Ebert, Kassian), 11:12
SECOND PERIOD
LDN Sanza, (23) (Knight), 11:15
LDN Martin, (17) (Sanza), 14:06
WSR Kuhnhackl, (35) (Ellis, Kassian), 14:44
LDN Sanza, (24) (Knight), 16:55
THIRD PERIOD
WSR Carnevale, (35) (Ellis, Ryan), 1:24 (PP)
WSR Ryan, (19) (Rychel, Brown), 10:42
SHOTS ON GOAL
WINDSOR: 15 - 10 - 15 = 40
LONDON: 8 - 8 - 4 = 20
POWER PLAYS
WINDSOR: 1-FOR-1
LONDON: 0-FOR-0
