Spits storm back to take down Sting

by Rob Benneian

The WFCU Centre’s second-largest crowd of the season was treated to the Spitfires wildest game of the year Jan. 20, a 5-4 win over the Sarnia Sting.

A raucous mob of 6,838 hockey fans saw the Spitfires overcome three two-goal deficits before Remy Giftopoulos gave Windsor its first lead of the night. His seventeenth of the season and second as a Spitfire proved to be the game-winner and capped a scoring spree of three Windsor goals in just over five minutes.

The Spits have scored 10 goals in their last two games, victories against the Western Conference’s two division leaders.

“I’m really proud of the team. I think that was probably the most exciting game I’ve played in the OHL,” said rookie forward Josh Ho-Sang, whose third period goal tied the game at four goals apiece. “It was back and forth, we kept chasing and I think we had five different celebrations when I scored.”

The Spitfires were again paced offensively by the players they acquired prior to the trade deadline. In addition to the goal from Giftopoulos, acquired from Ottawa Jan. 8, Alex Aleardi had a goal and an assist while Alex Khokhlachev had three points. The Spitfires have won five of six since the deadline, with the lone loss coming in a shootout against the stingy Belleville Bulls.

“Our top two lines can skate with anybody now,” said Spitfires general manager Warren Rychel. “Alex Aleardi can back guys off with speed, Koko has been that much better. We’re doing great things. It’s promising.”

The win puts the Spitfires two points back of the Saginaw Spirit with one fewer game played.

Windsor will host the Plymouth Whalers Jan. 24, who shut them out 3-0 at Compuware Arena in their last match-up.