Bulls drop Spits in shootout

Windsor blows third period lead, overtime opportunities

by Rob Benneian

The Windsor Spitfires led the Belleville Bulls for nearly 50 minutes Sunday afternoon at the WFCU Centre but lost 2-1 in a shootout.

Kerby Rychel scored his team-leading eleventh goal of the season nearly eight minutes into the contest on a Spitfires power play. Rychel’s shot from the point eluded 2012 Boston Bruins first round pick Malcolm Subban. It was the only blip on the radar for the otherwise solid Subban, who stopped 33 of 34 shots in regulation and overtime. He also stopped all six shootout attempts.

“I was just trying to give my team a chance to win after that first goal wasn’t a great goal,” Subban said. “I just tried to bear down for the rest of the game and that’s what I did.”

Subban is one of just two goaltenders taken in the first round of the last two NHL drafts. He boasts sparkling numbers this year, sporting a 2.21 goals against average and a 92.9 save percentage.

“It’s tough when you run into a goalie like that,” said Spits captain Saverio Posa. “You just have to find a way. Every goalie has holes that he leaves open. I had the opportunity to put the game away there in overtime. He leaves that five-hole wide open, but he’s such a quick goalie down low that he covers it just as quick … he’s probably the best goalie that we’ve ever faced.”

Subban’s younger brother Jordan won the game for Belleville in the sixth round of the shootout. He rang a shot off of the crossbar which struck Windsor goaltender Jaroslav Pavelka in the back and bounced in. Bulls forward Michael Curtis had scored with just over five minutes to play to force overtime.

The Spitfires are off until a road date Nov. 9 with their West division rivals, the Plymouth Whalers. Their next home game is Nov. 15 when Vincent Trochek and the Saginaw Spirit come to town.

Follow Rob Benneian on Twitter @robbenneian