A lack of offensive power early in the game cost the Windsor Spitfires Saturday night.
The Saginaw Spirit scored early and often in their 6-3 win over the Spitfires at the Dow Event Center. Windsor is in fourth place in the OHL West Division with 43 points.
Saginaw jumped out first with a pair of goals in the opening segment. Albert Michnac scored on the power play, then Cole Perfetti doubled the lead for the Spirit.
The Spirit gave themselves an even greater advantage with two additional goals in the middle period, with Reagan O'Grady and Cole Coskey scoring within about two-and-a-half minutes of each other. Windsor jumped on the board with back-to-back goals from Tyler Angle, the first a short-handed one at 6:30, then a power-play goal later in the period. Owen Tippett scored soon after that for the Spirit to give them a 5-2 lead at the second intermission. The Spitfires pulled starting goalie Kari Piiroinen at that time and went with backup Colton Incze.
Daniel D'Amico tried to start a Windsor comeback when he scored early in the third period, but it fizzled when Coskey scored his second of the game, an empty-netter late in regulation.
Piiroinen and Incze combined for 18 saves out 32 shots for the Spits. Tristan Lennox had 31 saves for the Spirit.
The Spitfires return to the WFCU Centre Thursday when they host the Erie Otters.
