The Windsor Spitfires aren’t just chasing wins - they’re chasing the top spot in the entire league. And after Saturday night’s bounce-back performance in Flint, they’re right back in that conversation.
“We have our sights set on first overall in the league,” said head coach Greg Walters. “To do that, you can’t lose many games.” That’s not just coach-speak - it’s a mindset, and the Spits backed it up with a composed, gritty 4-1 win over the Firebirds at the Dort Financial Center.
It wasn’t perfect. For the second straight night, Windsor saw a third-period lead vanish.
But unlike Friday’s 4-2 home loss to Flint - a game where the Spitfires couldn’t stop the bleeding late - this time, they regrouped, refocused, and responded. And that response mattered.
The win nudged Windsor back into the top spot in both the Western Conference and the West Division - by the slimmest of margins, just percentage points ahead of Flint. But in a race this tight, every edge counts.
And so does every head-to-head matchup. The Spitfires have now taken three of four meetings with the Firebirds this season, a critical factor as the playoff picture starts to take shape.
“Really important,” said rookie forward Caden Harvey. “Not that it was do-or-die, but it wouldn’t have been good to go down four points to that team.”
Harvey was part of the group that felt Friday’s sting - a one-goal lead that evaporated on home ice. Saturday’s win didn’t just even the weekend series; it kept Windsor from falling further behind a direct rival.
“So, good to get a split,” Harvey added.
This is the kind of game that shows maturity. Winning on the road, against a division rival, after a frustrating loss the night before - that’s the kind of response that separates contenders from the rest. The Spitfires didn’t just avoid a skid; they reasserted themselves as a team with serious aspirations.
There’s still a long way to go in the season, and the margins are razor-thin. But if the Spits continue to show this kind of resilience, they’ll be right where they want to be - not just in the hunt, but leading the pack.