A.J. Spellacy’s short-handed goal just under nine minutes into the third period gave the Windsor Spitfires their first lead of the game and they held on from there to defeat the London Knights 4-3 at the WFCU Centre on Feb. 2.
The loss was only London’s second in regulation in the 2025 calendar year.
Windsor came back from a 3-0 deficit to even the season series between the teams at two wins apiece.
A 5-on-3 power play for the Knights kicked off the scoring as Easton Cowan fed Denver Barkey for a one-timer on the right side of the Spitfires zone to make it 1-0 for London at 16:24 of the first period.
The assist extended Cowan’s regular season point streak to 64 games.
Just 36 seconds later Kasper Halttunen hammered a shot from the slot behind Windsor goalie Joey Costanzo to put the Knights up 2-0. Barkey and Landon Sim assisted on Halttunen’s goal.
Jesse Nurmi banged in a Henry Brzustewicz rebound at the 2:24 mark of the second period to stretch the London lead to 3-0 and end the night for Costanzo who was replaced by former London Jr. Knight Carter Froggett in the Spitfires net. Froggett would stop all 13 shots that he faced.
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Noah Morneau scored on a Windsor power play at 8:19 of the second period to cut into the Knight lead.
Then with 27.5 seconds remaining on the clock Anthony Cristoforo of the Spitfires fed Ilya Protas for the hockey equivalent of a basketball ally-oop as Protas went to the net off a faceoff and put the puck in and the Knights and Windsor headed to the third period with London up by one.
Windsor tied the game 3-3 just 53 seconds into the final period on the second goal of the game by Protas and then took the lead on Spellacy’s short-handed goal when a puck popped into the air in centre ice and Spellacy found it and raced into the Knights zone where he snapped the puck past London goalie Austin Elliott.
The loss was Elliott’s first in a Knights uniform as it ended a run of 20-0-0-0 by the Strathmore, Alta., native.
Windsor outshot London 28-25.
The Knights were 2-for-8 on the power play.
The Spitfires were 2-for-8.
Aleksei Medvedev named OHL Goaltender of the Month
In November 17-year old Aleksei Medvedev was named Rookie of the Month. The London Knights netminder now has another honour for his trophy case. After posting a 1.99 goals against average and a .937 save percentage in six games Medvedev was named OHL Goaltender of the Month for the month of January. The St. Petersburg, Rus., native went 4-1-1 in those games.
Up next
London returns home from a big game against Windsor to play an equally big game against the Kitchener Rangers.
The game will feature an early 6:30 p.m., start at Canada Life Place and will bring together the top two teams in the overall Ontario Hockey League standings.
Coverage will get going at 6 p.m., on 980 CFPL, at http://www.980cfpl.ca and on the iHeart Radio and Radioplayer Canada apps.
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