Spitfires Let Another Lead Slip Away in Shootout Loss to Battalion
For the third time in their last seven games, the Windsor Spitfires found themselves on the wrong end of a third-period collapse - and this one stung just as much as the others.
Despite jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and getting timely goals from veterans looking to rediscover their scoring touch, the Spitfires couldn’t close the deal Thursday night. A 5-4 shootout loss to the North Bay Battalion marked another missed opportunity in a stretch where Windsor has struggled to finish strong.
Early Control, Late Regret
Windsor came out flying in the opening frame. Ethan Belchetz got the scoring started with his 30th of the year, and A.J.
Spellacy followed up with his 11th to give the Spits a 2-0 cushion. They dominated the shot clock early, outshooting North Bay 13-5 in the first period - a strong start that had all the makings of a bounce-back performance.
But as head coach Jerrod Walters pointed out postgame, things unraveled as the game wore on.
“It started in the second period, and I don’t know,” Walters said. “Our guys don’t manage the puck, they try to do too much. This fancy hockey doesn’t work and we got what we deserved.”
The Spitfires were burned by exactly that - trying to force plays that weren’t there, overhandling the puck, and ultimately giving the Battalion life. North Bay capitalized with a power-play goal and a short-handed tally in the second to even the score. While Windsor responded with a goal from Cole Davis to retake the lead, the cracks were already showing.
Veterans Step Up, But It’s Not Enough
There were bright spots - and they came from players the Spitfires desperately need to get going. Cole Davis ended a 13-game goal drought with his first of 2026, and Jack Nesbitt, returning from a three-game absence, snapped a seven-game slump of his own with a third-period goal that pushed Windsor ahead 4-2.
“Davey was good, Nezzy was good and happy to see them get on the board,” Walters said. “We need them to keep scoring.”
These weren’t highlight-reel goals, and that’s exactly the point. Walters emphasized the importance of playoff-style scoring - gritty, net-front efforts that come from rebounds, deflections, and second chances. Not the fancy stuff.
“Getting pucks to the net, getting to the net, rebounds, tip-ins - those are playoff goals,” Walters said. “The fancy plays, they don’t generate anything.”
Another Lead Slips Away
Windsor’s 4-2 lead didn’t last long. North Bay clawed back with goals from Sandis Procyszyn and Dalyn Carey to tie it up midway through the third. The Spitfires couldn’t regain momentum and failed to convert in overtime or the shootout.
Windsor went 0-for-3 in the shootout, while North Bay’s Owen Wellenreiter buried the lone goal needed to seal the extra point.
Newlove Gets the Nod Again
Between the pipes, rookie goaltender Michael Newlove made back-to-back starts for the first time this season. With Windsor facing a tough three-games-in-four-days road swing, Walters opted to give overager Joey Costanzo a rest.
Newlove, who picked up a win over Sarnia on Sunday, stopped 23 of 27 shots through regulation and overtime, and turned aside one of two in the shootout. It wasn’t his sharpest outing, but the Spitfires didn’t exactly make life easy for him.
“I know he didn’t have a lot of work against Sarnia, but he did make some big saves,” Walters said. “We’ve got to make sure he’s ready, too, down the stretch. Unfortunately, we didn’t play the right way.”
The Bottom Line
This one hurts, not just because of the standings, but because it’s becoming a pattern. The Spitfires are showing flashes - strong starts, veteran scoring, solid goaltending - but they’re not stringing it all together for 60 minutes.
Walters’ message was clear: manage the puck, play responsible hockey, and stop trying to do too much. Even the best in the game - yes, even Connor McDavid - keep it simple when it matters most.
If Windsor wants to turn this stretch around, it starts with getting back to basics. Because when you’re giving up third-period leads and leaving points on the table, the margin for error gets smaller with every game.