The Windsor Spitfires are sometimes their own worst enemy. That was the case on Thursday night as they gave away a multi-goal lead against a strong division rival.
Entering the 2025-26 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season, the Spitfires were considered one of the Western Conference’s elite. They have the talent and coaching to have a long playoff run. Since opening night they have been to the at the top of the conference rankings and haven’t moved. However, some nights the points are hard to come by and they occasionally find their biggest enemy just by looking in the mirror. That was the case Thursday night against the Soo Greyhounds. Here are three takeaways from the WFCU center.
Spitfires’ wounds are self-inflicted
The clubs met in Sault Ste. Marie in October and the Spitfires won there 4-1. However, the Greyhounds came into the match second in the West Division, just seven points behind the Spitfires, and are a feisty team who won’t give anyone two easy points. Thursday night was the proof.
The Spitfires started the way they wanted as Ethan Belchetz and AJ Spellacy (Chicago Blackhawks) gave them a 2-0 lead. While Travis Hayes (Pittsburgh Penguins) cut that to 2-1, Belchetz responding early in the second with his second for a 3-1 lead. However, that’s where it fell off.
A power play goal early in the third period made it a one-goal game, with the Greyhounds having all the momentum. The home side took penalties and the visitors pressed, eventually leveling the score with less than eight minutes to go. The Spitfires had a great chance to finish the match thanks to an almost full five-on-three two-minute lead with five minutes remaining. However, they could not beat goaltender Landon Miller and watched it slip away instead. In overtime, the Hounds came rushing and found a way to beat goaltender Joey Costanzo to complete the 4-3 comeback victory.
Despite turnovers, penalties and missed coverage in their own zone, the Spitfires had the lead, power plays, breakaways and chances to win. That all failed. After the match, Belchetz said that when you take penalties, you give the opponent momentum and the lead can disappear.
The Windsor #Spitfires allowed three consecutive goals in a 4–3 overtime loss to the Soo #Greyhounds on Thursday evening at the WFCU Center. #OHL pic.twitter.com/6EMTZniJ5d
— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) November 14, 2025
The Greyhounds feature four NHL picks leading the way and some serious talent throughout the lineup. They don’t go away easily and have given the Spitfires a very tough lesson.
Power play becomes a power outage
For much of the season, the Spitfires have prided themselves on playing an elite power game. They came into the game third in the OHL at 32.1 percent, including two-for-five on Saturday against the Brampton Steelheads. However, this did not have the same result.
The Spitfires had three chances in the second period and their long-standing two-man lead into a draw late in the third period. When you have Belchetz, captain Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings), Jack Nesbitt (Philadelphia Flyers) and a host of other producers, you expect at least one score per game. In fact, since October 9 against the Guelph Storm, they have had 10 of 11 games with at least one power play goal. It didn’t happen on Thursday.
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From an aggressive Greyhounds forecheck to missed passes, crossbars to big saves from Miller, the visitors made life difficult and the Spitfires hurt themselves. Belchetz said you’re going to have ups and downs on the power play all season long and Thursday night was just a bad night. He did give credit to the Greyhounds, who have now killed 18 of 19 penalties in five games in November.
The power play will be a rollercoaster all season long. However, when you get an opportunity like the Spitfires got on Thursday, you have to take advantage of it. Every point this season will matter, especially if they mean the difference between a conference title and the second seed.
Woodall Bright spot despite little spotlight
On most nights, players like Greentree, Belchetz and Nesbitt are in the spotlight. However, defenseman Carson Woodall remains a bright spot on the roster that remains under the radar.
The 6-foot-4, 183-pound Belle River native entered Thursday with 23 assists in 20 games. He led the Spitfires in points (26), leads all OHL defensemen in assists and points, is second in the league in assists and is ninth overall in the OHL in points.
Strong vision and quick decision-making saw him add to his tally with two more assists against the Greyhounds. His first came after a patient passing play that was finished by Belchetz. The second was a quick pass from his zone to Cole Davis, where Spellacy ultimately scored. After the game, Woodall said he was just trying to play smart and that his teammates made it easy to create.
Woodall is active in the communitybut tends to bring a cool, calm demeanor to the ice. Thursday was another example of making the simple plays his teammates can use. He also gave the Greyhounds high praise and said you have to give them respect. He may not get the attention of the others, but as long as he’s producing on both sides, no one’s complaining.
This was a heavy loss that they had to bear. However, there is no time to dwell on that. The Spitfires hit the road Friday to take on Jett Luchanko and the Guelph Storm in their final game of the weekend.
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