It was too little and far too late for the Windsor Spitfires.

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It was too little and far too late for the Windsor Spitfires.

Down three goals less than 12 minutes into the game, the Spitfires’ late comeback bid came up short on Thursday in a 5-4 loss to the North Bay Battalion before 4,843 at the WFCU Centre.

“We just couldn’t get into it,” Spitfires’ centre Noah Morneau said. “I really don’t have an answer for you. It was an off night for us. 

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“We have all the skill in the world on this team and a team that’s going to come in and work harder than us is going to beat us every time. We can’t just roll out there and expect to beat teams. We have to bring it, too.”

Andrew LeBlanc had the Battalion up 1-0 just 19 seconds into the game. Lirim Amidovski made it 2-0 before the eight-minute mark and Windsor still not registered a shot on net. Ryder Carey then pushed the lead to 3-0 for the visitors.

“I think that start is what did it,” Spitfires’ defenceman Tnias Mathurin said. “We can’t come out that flat and expect every team not to give us their best now with our place in the standings and what we’ve been doing to other teams. We’re always going to get the best from other guys. We just have to be ready for that.”

Liam Greentree got Windsor to within 3-1 before the end of the opening period, which saw the Spitfires record just three shots.

Morneau’s power-play goal early in the second period made it a one-goal game, but Owen Van Steensel responded with a pair of goals to put the Battalion up three goals again at 5-2 after 40 minutes.

“We didn’t work hard enough for it,” Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said. “North Bay’s a rebuilding team and our big thing to our guys when we’re playing these teams is if skill doesn’t work, then work will win every time and that’s what happened.”

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It wasn’t until the final 10 minutes of the game that the Spitfires found life. Playing four-on-four, Walters pulled goalie Joey Costanzo for an extra attacker and Jack Nesbitt and Cole Davis scored 73 seconds apart to make it a one-goal game.

“I don’t think this team is ever out of it,” Walter said. “I’m never quitting and I know our guys won’t.”

Windsor got Costanzo out again for an extra attacker in the final two minutes, but could not produce the equalizer.

“We got some life in the third and they decided they wanted to work and it’s too late,” Walters said. “Through 5-0 (in exhibition play) and this is now the 16th game (of the season), so that’s 21 games, we’ve never played a bad 40 minutes. You know it’s going to happen and I know they’re going to respond Saturday.”

The Spitfires hit the road Saturday to face the Saginaw Spirit at 7 p.m. before returning home on Sunday to face the Peterborough Petes at the WFCU Centre at 4:05 p.m.

jpparker@postmedia.com

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Game Summary

Thursday Result

Battalion 5 Spitfires 4

North Bay 3 2 0 – 5

Windsor 1 1 2 – 4

First period: 1. North Bay, A.LeBlanc 4 (Therrien, Chukharev) :19, 2. North Bay, Amidovski 5 (Laird, Carey) 7:58, 3. North Bay, Carey 3 (Amidovski) 11:58, 4. Windsor, Greentree 9 (Protas) 12:50. Penalties: Cristoforo W (delay of game) 3:11, Turley NB (roughing) 19:35, Van Steensel NB (delay of game) 19:41.

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Second period: 5. Windsor, Morneau 6 (Woodall, Outwater) 2:55 (pp), 6. North Bay, Van Steensel 6 (Moses) 5:48, 7. North Bay, Van Steensel 7 (Moses, J.LeBlanc) 16:42 (pp). Penalties: Chukharev NB (slashing) 2:25, Davis W (tripping) 16:30.

Third period: 8. Windsor, Nesbitt 10 (Morneau, Greentree) 15:09, 9. Windsor, Davis 5 (Woodall, Mathurin) 16:22. Penalties: Martin W (charging) 6:06, Spellacy W (slashing) 7:33, A.LeBlanc NB (high sticking) 9:45, Procyszyn NB (roughing), Abraham W (roughing) 14:08. 

Game stats – SOG – North Bay 11 12 5 – 28 Windsor 3 10 13 – 26 Goal (shots-saves) – North Bay: Larocque (W,3-5-0-0) (26-22). Windsor: Costanzo (L,11-2-0-0) (28-23). Power play (goals-chances) – North Bay 1-4. Windsor 1-4. Referees: Nicholas Bet (27) and Ben Wilson (32). Linesmen: Brendan Barletta (61) and Dustin McCrank (68). Att.: 4,843 at WFCU Centre.

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