Come playoff time, the Spitfires won’t have to worry about shootouts.

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Come playoff time, the Windsor Spitfires won’t have to worry about shootouts.

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That’s the solace the club can take after a solid performance on Saturday ended with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Kitchener Rangers before a crowd of 4,544 at the WFCU Centre.

“I thought we had a good game overall,” Spitfires’ goalie Joey Costanzo said. “I thought we did a good job of matching their intensity early. I thought we were really physical. I think, overall, we played a good game and sometimes you don’t come out with the win.”

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Both teams are nationally ranked with the Spitfires No. 6 in the Canadian Hockey League top 10 and the Rangers at No. 7, but Saturday’s point still gave Windsor five of a possible six points overall in three meetings this season against Kitchener.

“It’s tough to lose,” Spitfires’ forward Ilya Protas said. “I hate losing a game like that. It’s so tough because it was close, we had lots of opportunities and I think we played better.”

The Rangers got on the board first when Wheatley’s Cameron Arquette stripped the puck from Costanzo behind the Windsor net and fed Tanner Lam in front.

Windsor would get a goal from Ethan Martin and another from Protas as he stepped around two defenders to give the Spitfires a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.

A puck that bounced off the side of the net and in front allowed the Rangers to pull even in the second period on a goal by Jack Pridham, but Windsor killed off a five-minute major penalty to Ethan Martin, who also got a game misconduct for a check to the head, to prevent any further damage.

Despite a dominant third period that saw Windsor outshot the Ranger 14-3, the game went to overtime and then a shootout.

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“Really proud of the way the guys played,” said Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters, whose team held a 35-21 edge in shots. “Holding a team like that to 21 shots and they had eight scoring chances, if we play like that, we’re going to win a lot of hockey games.”

Trent Swick had the lone goal in the shootout to give Kitchener the extra against the Spitfires, who were playing a shootout for the first time this season.

“I’m a fan of (shootouts), just not tonight,” Costanzo said.

But the Spitfires will have to move on quickly with the club back on the ice at home on Sunday against the Saginaw Spirit. Game time at the WFCU Centre is 4:05 p.m.

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Game Summary

Saturday Result

Rangers 3 Spitfires 2 (SO)

Kitchener 1 1 0 1 – 3

Windsor 2 0 0 0 – 2

First period: 1. Kitchener, Lam (Arquette) 7:37, 2. Windsor, Martin 3 (Belchetz, Nesbitt) 17:17, 3. Windsor, Protas 17 (Eichler) 18:42. Penalties: None.

Second period: 4. Kitchener, Pridham 5 (Reid, Romano) 11:05. Penalties: Swick K (misconduct), Eichler W (misconduct), Martin W (check to head major, game misconduct) 13:36.

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Third period: No scoring. Penalties: Dirracolo K (tripping) :31, Reid K (tripping) 15:12.

Overtime: No scoring. Penalties: None.

Shootout: For Windsor: Protas (no goal), Greentree (no goal) and Belchetz (no goal).  For Kitchener: Swick (goal) and Lam (no goal). 

Game stats – SOG – Kitchener 9 8 3 1 – 21 Windsor 13 6 14 2 – 35 Goal (shots-saves) – Kitchener: Parsons (W,17-5-1-0) (35-33). Windsor: Costanzo (L,16-4-1-1) (21-19). Power play (goals-chances) – Kitchener 0-1. Windsor 0-2. Referees: Mike Cairns and Ryan Hutchison. Linesmen: Phil Nadeau and Tristan Peacock. Att.: 4,544 at the WFCU Centre.

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