Walters promising changes after another third-period lead turns into a loss for Spitfires

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Windsor Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters is promising changes. 

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That was his reaction after seeing his team let another third-period lead slip away on Friday in a 4-2 loss to the Flint Firebirds at the WFCU Centre. 

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“If the guys out there aren’t listening, we’ll put guys out who do,” said Walters, who saw his team let a lead slip away on Wednesday in a 3-2 overtime loss to Kitchener. “We’ll get there.” 

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It marked just the second time in 26 games this season that the Spitfires lost in regulation after carrying a lead into the third period. 

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“We lose our game,” Spitfires’ forward Ethan Belchetz said. “The third (period), we’re not doing what we need to do to close out games. Just the little things to close out games and win games.” 

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Let’s put it in perspective 

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Windsor boasts the league’s second-ranked power play, but it has struggled in recent games. 

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“Our power play cost us the game,” Walters said. “I didn’t think our best players were our best players.” 

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The Spitfires got a power-play goal from Belchetz to take a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, but failed on four other chances with two coming in the third period. 

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On top of that, Windsor coughed up a short-handed goal that proved to be the game winner with just under two minutes to play in regulation. 

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“They don’t listen,” Walters said. “They were standing three guys at the blue line. It’s so far from what (assistant coach) Casey (Torres, who runs the power play) talked about. They just went on their own page and it cost us the game. It wasn’t good at all.” 

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Over the club’s last eight games, the Spitfires have produced just six goals on 28 chances  

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“Power play has to be better, that’s it,” said the Spitfires’ Anthony Cristoforo, who assisted on Belchetz’s goal and scored Windsor’s other goal. “The team that we have, the power play should not be losing us games. We should be putting teams away from that. Our power play has to help us win games, not lose games.” 

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What’s the missing ingredient? 

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Walters said there’s no secret to what allows a team to close out a game with the lead. 

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“Turnovers happen, mistakes happen, but coaches trust players that make the game boring when it matters the most,” Walters said. “Your decision making under pressure, is probably the biggest thing as to who goes out there and we made some bad decisions.” 

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Right now, the Spitfires aren’t making enough good decisions to come away with a victory and it falls on the more seasoned players on the team. 

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“It’s the most physical we’ve been all year, our forecheck was dominant, our trap was dominant, we just found a way to lose,” Walters said. “Honestly, just the decision making. They have to simplify the game or they won’t be out there. Earn your next shift. We’re trying to do too much.”