So often, the Windsor Spitfires have gotten a pick-me-up performances.

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So often this season the Windsor Spitfires have gotten a pick-me-up performance from an unexpected source.

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It was true again in back-to-back road wins for Spitfires, who are now riding a season-high, eight-game winning streak after a 4-3 comeback overtime win over the Niagara IceDogs on Sunday and a 7-5 comeback win over the Erie Otters on Saturday.

“It’s been a lot of fun and all the credit goes to the kids,” Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said. “It’s a special group of kids.”

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Goaltender Michael Newlove, who was the first pick in last year’s OHL Under-18 Draft, came on in relief in Saturday’s game to make his first appearance of the team and got the win as the Spitfires rallied from a three-goal deficit.

The 17-year-old Newlove was again in net on Sunday and watched the Spitfires rally late to force overtime and win it.

“Newlove was really good (Saturday) and against a high-octane (Niagara) team he was real good for us,,” Walters said.

But Newlove wasn’t the only unsung hero. Six-foot-six, 226-pound defenceman Tanner Winegard, who has struggled to find regular playing time this season, filled in at forward on Sunday and scored his first OHL goal in his 74th game to get Windsor’s comeback started from an early two-goal deficit.

Meanwhile, defenceman Josef Eichler notched just his second goal of the season with just under five minutes left in regulation on Sunday to force overtime.

“Everyone on this team always has an impact on the game,” said Spitfires’ second-year centre Jack Nesbitt, who had two assists on Sunday and three assists on Saturday. “Newlove came in and won two games for us and Winegard getting his first goal pumped us right up. It can be anyone on the team to lift us up and get us going and that’s pretty special.”

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With backup Carter Froggett sidelined, the plan all along was to start Newlove on Sunday. However, when the Spitfires fell behind 3-0 less than six minutes into Saturday’s game on Saturday, Walters called in Newlove to replace Joey Costanzo.

“I wasn’t really thinking to be honest,” the six-foot-two, 170-pound Newlove said. “Got the nod and really the first thing I thought was where is my helmet and gloves? Not much time to think in that situation. Once I got in, the thought was just to play your game and give the boys a chance to comeback.”

Newlove is the fourth Windsor goalie to earn a win this season along with Costanzo, Froggett and rookie Jake Windbiel. That has not happened since 2015-16 when Mikey DiPietro, Mario Culina, Garret Hughson and Michael Giugovaz  all recorded wins in net for Windsor. 

“Of course there were some nerves,” said Newlove, who has been playing with the Georgetown Raiders in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. “Not as many as I thought though. Overall, pretty happy. The boys helped a lot, but plenty to work on going forward.”

J.C. Lemieux, Anthony Cristoforo and Liam Greentree had the Spitfires even before the 14-minute mark of the first period. Ryan Abraham and Ethan Martin put the Spitfires up 5-3 after two periods.

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The Otters rallied to tie the game at 5-5, but rookie Ethan Belchetz got the game-winning goal on a Windsor power play with less than eight minutes to play and Greentree added an empty-net goal.

“Coach gave me the game puck and I plan on putting it beside my shutout pucks and first goal puck,” said Newlove, who scored an empty-net goal with Georgetown.

Newlove was again solid in keeping Windsor in the game on Sunday despite the early 2-0 deficit as the club was playing its sixth game in nine days since returning from an eight-day break for Christmas.

“Road trips are very tiring and get to you when you play back-to-back, but I think that we played our game and outworked both teams and came out successful,” Nesbitt said. “(Deficits) definitely makes us work even harder and we took that challenge and powered through it.”

Belchetz, with another power-play goal, followed Winegard’s goal to get Windsor even at 2-2 after two periods. Niagara took a final lead midway through the third period before Eichler tied it and Greentree won it with a power-play goal just 50 seconds into overtime.

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“It’s crazy and they just know they can come back,” Walters said. “They’ve done it so many times and, with the skill set, once they get going it’s something.”

Windsor is back in action on Friday with a road game against the London Knights at 7 p.m. 

jpparker@postmedia.com

twitter.com/winstarparker

Game Summaries

Sunday Result

Spitfires 4 IceDogs 3 (OT)

Windsor 0 2 1 1 – 4

Niagara 0 2 1 0 – 3

First period: No scoring. Penalties: Spellacy W (roughing), Czata N (cross checking), Scott N (roughing) 1:29, Morneau W (high sticking) 1:35, Wycisk N (tripping) 15:48.

Second period: 1. Niagara, Roobroeck 28 (unassisted) 2:23, 2. Niagara, Van Vliet 3 (Assandourian, Levin) 4:34, 3. Windsor, Winegard 1 (Garden, Martin) 5:48, 4. Windsor, Belchetz 12 (Nesbitt, Woodall) 14:27 (pp). Penalties: Martin W (roughing), Levin N (cross checking) 8:44, Van Vliet N (boarding) 13:50, Greentree W (holding) 19:24.

Third period: 5. Niagara, Crete 10 (Flores) 9:51, 6. Windsor, Eichler 2 (Abraham, Morneau) 15:06. Penalties: Virgillio N (tripping) :59, Flores N (delay of game) 1:46, Eichler W (slashing) 11:27, Scott N (slashing) 19:29.

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Overtime: 9. Windsor, Greentree 29 (Cristoforo, Nesbitt) :50 (pp). Penalty: Nesbitt W (roughing) :50. 

Game stats – SOG – Windsor 10 14 14 1 – 39 Niagara 11 6 17 0 – 34 Goal (shots-saves) – Windsor: Newlove (W,2-0-0-0) (34-31). Niagara: Flores (L,19-9-2-1) (39-35). Power play (goals-chances) – Windsor 2-6. Niagara 0-3. Referees: Ryan Elbers and Ryan Harrison. Linesmen: Joe Kielbowich and David Milne. Att.: 3,531 at the Meridian Centre.

Saturday Result

Spitfires 7 Otters 5

Windsor 3 2 2 – 7

Erie 3 0 2 – 5

First period: 1. Erie, Fimis 12 (Phillips) 2:45, 2. Erie, Misiak 11 (unassisted) 4:03, 3. Erie, Frasca 8 (Daviault) 5:32, 4. Windsor, Lemieux 7 (Cristoforo, Nesbitt) 8:44, 5. Windsor, Cristoforo 7 (Spellacy, Nesbitt) 11:28, 6. Windsor, Greentree 27 (Protas, Belchetz) 13:26. Penalties: None.

Second period: 7. Windsor, Abraham 14 (Nesbitt) 8:22, 8. Windsor, Martin 4 (Hicks) 12:28. Penalties: Abraham W (holding) 6:12, Alfano E (slashing) 13:33, Spellacy W (high sticking) 15:16, Daviault E (tripping) 16:58.

Third period: 9. Erie, Hughes 6 (Edwards, Misiak) 1:52, 10. Erie, Alfano 21 (Spence) 3:51, 11. Windsor, Belchetz 11 (Woodall, Davis) 12:15 (pp), 12. Windsor, Greentree 28 (Protas) 18:35 (en). Penalty: Hughes E (tripping) 11:02.

Game stats – SOG – Windsor 11 21 11 – 43 Erie 8 6 12 – 26 Goal (shots-saves) – Windsor: Costanzo (7-4), Newlove (5:32 of first period) (W,1-0-0-0) (19-17). Erie: Erlinden (9-6), Burns (13:26 of first period) (L,2-6-0-0) (33-30). Power play (goals-chances) – Windsor 1-3. Erie 0-2. Referees: Cameron Fynney and Matt Scott. Linesmen: Ray King and Mac Whalen. Att.: 3,598 at the Erie Insurance Arena.

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