Windsor Spitfires 2024 25 Season Thread Part Iv

So playoffs are ready to start and arguably we have 3 D men not in good shape. Goaltending is trending down…. Fingers crossed i guess lol.
If you can get a top goalie i have no problem moving on from the current pair.
Protus poses a big problem, BB MUST address it and push hard to keep him!
 
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Well guess we will see how this game plays out this evening. Best hope for us is the Hunters scratch a few guys to rest in a nothing game for them but I don't think will be afforded that break, there going to take it to us and I hope we can play with composure and compete hard. Only 9 regular season wins in the past 30 outings against these Knights the past 5 years so they've had are number but these are the games versus our rivals that it shouldn't take too much to be pumped up for and should be ready for puck drop.

Spits are going to need a strong start forsure and a 200 foot game for the full 60 by the whole team to have any chance of pulling off the 2 points. Being it's the 4th game in 6 days and there is multiple injuries, im not really expecting the win today but just hope for a strong, smart effort out there and you never know if the spits can pull out the win If they play smart hockey and play as a team.

Going to be a packed barn today & hopeful the team can play hard, strong effort and put on a good show for the fans.

Go Spits!!
 
A character win here today. The defense gets a lot of criticism on here but again, they held another good squad to only 21 shots. And that's without their #1 and #2 d men in Cristoforo and Mathurin. Also without Protas, and managed to score 8 goals against the Knights.

Walters is gutsy. Takes out Costanzo after allowing the weak goal on the 1st shot and yells at him on the bench for everyone to see. Then he puts him back in. Constanzo made some great saves but, again, conceded a weak one on the 4th goal.

Goatlending is a glaring issue. If this squad had great goaltending, they would be at 50 wins. Greentree should not be suspended for that. if he is, this league is a joke. He wasn't injured on the hit, not sure the refs realized that. It was his skate blade that was messed up.

Depth was on display, great goals by McNamara and Davis. I am assuming it's only minor injuries with Cristoforo and Protas?

Best to rest key players next week. Too many players are going down with injuries, it's not worth risking it. The preference is to play the Sting in the 1st round, so losing on Thursday would actually be solid, but you play to win regardless. I would rest Greentree, Cristoforo, Kennedy ( can't afford another d-man injured), and Protas.
 
Lots to unpack here. First off i love beating london!!!!
The deal with joey, imho could get ugly. Joey tried to send frog back coach yelled im the coach and pulled him. They then had a rather heated convo on the bench before he returned. Not something you want to see at any time let alone now. Thoughts??
 
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Watched from the TV and missed the first was curious what the switch was for, and assumed it was an equipment issue. Yanked after 1 goal is odd, but Joey has been shaky lately, especially early.

Now if he shows up with a point to prove, that could be what we need. Or it could go the complete other way.

May have to see if any of this was televised.

Was it really, give up one goal, yanked, yelled at, then put back in?
 
Was it really, give up one goal, yanked, yelled at, then put back in?

It was Walters sending a message and Costanzo not taking well to that, initially. Whether that's mental, stubbornness, or something else, I don't know. If/when I have time tonight, I'll post the quote from YouTube's post-game. The more I learn, the more I think Costanzo is gone after this season.
 
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Some thoughts...

- First, outstanding win. Giving up five goals isn't ideal, but scoring six (plus 2 EN) is impressive.
- I hate giving up a two-goal deficit, esp to London. That's playing with fire.
- The two goals weren't great, either. Costanzo diving for the first one and Cowan putting it 5-hole, then a turnover that's instantly in the goal? Nope.
- Props for the comeback in the second. You don't often score five against London, let alone in a single period.
- Three lines with points, plus at least two pairs. Tough to argue that.
- A physical affair; nothing overly dirty but chippy.
- The third London goal was off Eichler's stick. I don't blame anyone for that.
- Fourth London goal can't happen. A bad angle, finds a hole in Costanzo's legs. Nope.
- Fifth London goal shows that the Spitfires have an odd PK set-up in front of the goal. Julian was btwn Costanzo and his defenders, re-directs a pass home. You have to clear him out.

- Greentree's 49th. I wish he would have had his 50th but...
- The Greentree/Dickinson thing was odd. I still want a replay but it didn't look like Greentree did anything with malicious intent. He may have hit him in the back but nothing worth 5/GM. Hopefully the league sees it that way, too. I know fans were getting on Dickinson for needing the trainer but missing a skate blade will do that.
- Davis' end-to-end goal was a thing of beauty. McNamara doing something similar was also outstanding. Nice to know he has that in him.

- So, the whole Costanzo/Froggett/Walters thing. The post-game stuff is on YouTube. Walters has been frustrated with Costanzo allowing first-shot goals. He wants to see improvement. So, when Costanzo allowed the first one, he told Froggett to get in goal. Froggett went out, Costanzo refused to leave the net. Froggett comes back to the bench, surprising Walters, who goes "I'M the coach!" Costanzo finally accepts, heads to the bench, where he has a discussion with Walters. The option is given to go back in the game, Costanzo accept that, and has a solid outing. They talked at intermission, too. I'm a pro-Costanzo guy but to refuse to come out isn't right. You're struggling, we all see it, so it's time to figure it out. If it's mental, talk to someone before this boils over. I just hope they can figure it out.

- Very solid crowd of over 6200. They were loud and into the game.
- Last I heard is that Protas and Cristoforo are day-to-day; no real need to rush either one before the playoffs.

Get ready for Sarnia on Thursday.
 

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