Top-seeded Spitfires face eighth-seeded Sting looking to win a first-round series for first time since 2011


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The Windsor Spitfires go from the hunter to the hunted.

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A regular season filled with unique challenges saw the Spitfires chase down the field to finish atop the West Division and Western Conference for the first time since 2010.

Now, with the playoff set to open on Thursday at the WFCU Center at 7:05 pm, the Spitfires, who are ranked No. 6 in the Canadian Hockey League, become the team everyone is looking to knock off.

First up looking to accomplish that goal against the top-seeded Spitfires is the Sarnia Sting, who earned the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference on the last day of the regular season.

“We know we ended up as the No. 1 team and that makes us the team to beat, but at the end of the day, we have to play within ourselves,” Spitfires’ first-year head coach Marc Savard said. “That’s how we went on that 13-game winning streak at the end of the season. We just took it a game at a time.

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“For me, we talk about our regular season and how great it was and that’s because of how guys bought in and why we had success. Now, with the playoffs, we’re back to zero. Es una fresh mindset, but I sense good vibes and a good mindset.”

Despite finishing 36-points back of Windsor in the standings, the Sting had some success against the Spitfires.

Sarnia won the season opener in Windsor and the Spitfires will ride a 14-game winning streak into the best-of-seven series opener with the Sting the last team to hand the club a loss at home back on Feb. 6.

“We’ve played games and it always seems we rise to the occasion against top teams and we’ve been opportunistic against Windsor,” said Sting head coach Alan Letang, whose team won four-of-10 meetings against the Spitfires this season. “We have nothing to lose.

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“We just have to play the way we’ve played against them. There’s pressure on us, but not as much when it’s the eighth seed playing a one seed.”

Since the OHL went to a two-conference system for playoffs in 1999, the No. 8 seed has produced an upset on just two occasions. In 2005, Toronto Michael, who finished 14-points back of top-seeded Mississauga, scored an upset in five games. In 2002, eighth-seeded London, which finished 27-points back of top-seeded Plymouth, earned the upset in six games.

“We’re all confident in what we have in the locker room,” Spitfires’ center Wyatt Johnston said. “The focus is on ourselves and what we do.”

For the Spitfires, that starts on offense for a team that topped the OHL in scoring with 305 goals in 68 games (4.5 per game) led by Johnston, who posted 124 points to become the first Windsor player to win an outright league scoring title in to quarter century. There’s plenty of support in Matthew Maggio (38 goals and 85 points), captain Will Cuylle (43 goals and 80 point), defenseman Louka Henault (65 points) and Daniel D’Amico, who emerged at the end of the season to finish with 32 goals. Pasquale Zito, who had 22 goals in 49 games, is also expected back after missing the last six games with an upper-body injury.

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“(Johnston’s) a good player and probably one of the top three in the league and they arguably have one of top lines,” Letang said of Johnston, Cuylle and Zito. “It’s important we recognize when they’re on the ice. The more shifts we wash against them, the better we are.”

Sarnia counters with one of the best goalies in the league in Ben Gaudreau. Despite his 3.71 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in 44 games, the former first-round pick is a big reason the Sting, who opted to go young this season, have reached the playoffs.

“He’s been our MVP all year,” Letang said of Gaudreau. “We’re going to rely on him. Windsor has Johnston and Cuylle and we have Ben. His performance by him will be critical.”

Sarnia has a few players that can put the puck in the net. Leading scorers Ty Voit (26 goals and 80 points) is one of five 20-goal scores on the team along with Nolan Burke (34 goals), Nolan Dann (29 goals) Theo Hill (21 goals) and Nolan DeGurse (20 goals) .

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“They’re a quick team and transition well,” Savard said. “Good players that skate well, but when we’re physical, that’s our advantage and feel can slow them down.”

Savard said goalie Matt Onuska, who was forced out of Friday’s game with an injury, has been cleared to play, but did not commit to a starter for Game 1.

If there’s a potential tipping point in this series, it could be on special teams. Windsor boasted the league No. 3 power play at 26.1 per cent and it went off at 50 per cent (20-for-40) against the Sting while the penalty kill, which was under 70 per cent at one point in the season, finished second in the league at 82.6 per cent. Sarnia was 14th in the 20-team league on the power play at 19.5 per cent.

“Five-one-five will be important, but it’s tough to go through a game without a couple of power plays or having a few penalty kills,” Letang said. “But we want to play five-on-five.”

Along with ending a 12-year drought for a division and conference title, the Spitfires are also looking to reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Every franchise in the league has accomplished that feat since Windsor last got through a first-round series successfully.

“I’ve heard that and we’re looking to end that,” Johnston said. “Everyone is so excited to get the playoffs going.”

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