For many members of the Windsor Spitfires, it was a long time coming.

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For many members of the Windsor Spitfires, it was a long time coming.

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Despite the club’s success during the regular season, 17 of the 20 players that dressed for Windsor on Thursday had never won a playoff games despite having more than 1,800 games of league experience combined.

“Sometimes, that’s just how it goes,” Spitfires’ captain Liam Greentree said. “Obviously, my first year (a first-round sweep), that wasn’t ideal and last year (missing the playoffs) was just a tough year.”

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But that stat was quickly put into the rearview mirror on Thursday with the club’s 7-2 series-opening win over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds before a crowd of 4,586 at the WFCU Centre.

“It’s been a long time coming, obviously, and that just makes that one that much sweeter,” Greentree said.

The second-seeded Spitfires lead the best-of-seven Western Conference quarter-final series 1-0 against the seventh-seeded Greyhounds. Game 2 of the series is Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at the WFCU Centre.

“It feels really good,” Spitfires’ overage forward Noah Morneau said. “A lot of guys here have never won a game in the playoffs and it’s a big confidence.”

And the Spitfires got the jump early with the game’s first five shots and took a two-goal lead less than four minutes into the game on goals by defenceman Carson Woodall and forward Cole Davis, which forced the Greyhounds to call timeout.

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“We knew exactly what the Sault’s all about,” Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said. “I thought our guys competed extremely hard, we matched their physicality, we were disciplined and our best players were our best players.”

When Greentree scored just 37 seconds into the second period to put Windsor up 3-0, the Spitfires looked ready to run away with the game. However, Travis Hayes scored 16 seconds after Greentree and Owen Allard’s power-play goal had the Greyhounds within 3-2 with just over six minutes left in the second period.

Greentree said that is where maybe some of the experience from that 2023 first-round playoff sweep may have helped some of the players still with the team.

“It was a tough series and I think the biggest thing that happened that year was we got too down on ourselves when we got down,” Greentree. “For us, just to stay calm and collected is a huge thing.”

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Before the period ended, Morneau restored Windsor’s two-goal lead as he buried his own rebound off a shot that hit the post to put Windsor up 4-2 with 66 seconds left in the period.

“That goal’s huge for us,” Greentree said. “(Morneau) getting on the board there was huge for us. You can’t be too comfortable with a two-gaol lead, but we took that one and ran with it.”

The Spitfires, who held a commanding 37-16 edge in shots, put things away in the third period. Morneau scored his second and Greentree added his second goal into an empty net before Luke McNamara capped the scoring.

While 11 different players picked up at least a point in the win, it was Windsor’s big trio of Morneau, Greentree and Ilya Protas doing the damage.

Greentree had two goals and two assists while Protas had four assists as the trio combined for four goals and 10 points.

“That was one of the top games we’re going to play in the playoffs,” Greentree said. “I think we broke their spirits early and we have to come out and do the same thing (in Game 2) on Saturday.”

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jpparker@postmedia.com

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Game Summary

Thursday Result

Spitfires 7 Greyhounds 2

Sault Ste. Marie 0 2 0 – 2

Windsor 2 2 3 – 7

First period: 1. Windsor, Woodall 1 (Cristoforo, Protas) 2:08, 2. Windsor, Davis 1 (Spellacy, Garden) 3:34. Penalty: Carlisle S (holding) 18:07. 

Second period: 3. Windsor, Greentree 1 (Protas) :37, 4. Sault Ste. Marie, Hayes 1 (Martin, BR Smith) :53, 5. Sault Ste. Marie, Allard 1 (Nordh, Reid) 13:54 (pp), 6. Windsor, Morneau 1 (Protas, Greentree) 18:54 (pp). Penalties: Nesbitt W (tripping) 1:00, Evans S (roughing) 9:03, Cristoforo W (delay of game) 13:08, Davis W (roughing) 15:22, Charron S (roughing), Smith S (double minor roughing), Hicks W (roughing), Nesbitt S (roughing) 18:07.

Third period: 7. Windsor, Morneau 2 (Protas, Greentree) 9:50, 8. Windsor, Greentree 2 (unassisted) 14:12 (en), 9. Windsor, McNamara 1 (Nesbitt, Abraham) 14:28. Penalties: Martin S (tripping), Cristoforo W (unsportsmanlike conduct) 1:41, Spellacy W (head checking) 5:40, Gillen S (high sticking) 19:20, BR Smith S (roughing), Garden W (roughing) 19:32.

Game stats – SOG – Sault Ste. Marie 4 5 7 – 16 Windsor 12 10 15 – 37 Goal (shots-saves) – Sault Ste. Marie: Lalonde (L,0-1-0) (36-30). Windsor: Costanzo (W,1-0-0) (16-14). Power play (goals-chances) – Sault Ste. Marie 1-4. Windsor 1-4. Referees: Mike Cairns and Pat Myers. Linesmen: Dustin McCrank and Geoff Rutherford. Att.: 4,586 at the WFCU Centre.

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