The Windsor Spitfires continue to roll along. Despite falling behind the Flint Firebirds in Game 2 of their 2025-26 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) second-round series on Sunday, they found a way to stage a comeback and come out on top.
The clubs are no strangers to each other. They battled throughout the season with the Western Conference’s second-seeded Spitfires winning the West Division over the third-seeded Firebirds by just two points. Now, with the first round out of the way, the two are going head-to-head in what is expected to be a long, tough series. With the Spitfires leading the series 1-0, thanks to a 4-2 win at home on Friday, the two faced off at the WFCU Centre on Sunday in Game 2. Here are three takeaways from this instant classic.
Spitfires Refuse to Quit
The Spitfires are a defence-first club and managed to stifle an offensive-minded Firebirds’ club in Game 1. However, Game 2 was expected to be different… and it was.
Similar to Game 1, the Spitfires grabbed a 2-0 lead, including one from captain Liam Greentree (New York Rangers). However, Firebirds’ forward Kevin He (Winnipeg Jets) cut the lead to one. The teams then exchanged goals for a 3-2 Spitfires’ lead after the first.
In the second, the visitors tied it up and started to press. The Spitfires couldn’t get going offensively and had no answers for the visitor’s offensive push. Late in the period, Firebirds’ captain Nathan Aspinall (Rangers) scored a pair to give them the 5-3 lead entering the third.
Cue the comeback. Spitfires’ rookie Caden Harvey added his second of the game early in the third, followed by forward Jack Nesbitt, who tied the game with seven minutes left. Then, with a minute left, Spitfires’ defenceman Conor Walton pinched, smacked the loose puck, and beat goaltender Mason Vaccari to give the home side a dramatic 6-5 win and a 2-0 series lead.
The Spitfires knew the Firebirds would come out strong offensively. However, Spitfires’ head coach Greg Walters said everyone was on board for making the right plays.
“The guys just all got on board,” he said. “The forecheck was unreal. We talked about making the right plays at the right time and scoring in big moments. Our guys did that.”
Walton’s goal was his sixth career game-winner, out of 11 goals. He was all smiles after the game and said he saw Cole Davis go to the net, so pinching was worth a shot.
“There’s no harm to jump in there,” Walton said. “I’m just trying to hit the net. Just don’t miss. It was rolling a little bit so just hit it as hard as I can and see where it goes. I don’t even know what I was doing. I blacked out after I scored. I just saw Davis and said ‘let’s go!’”
The Windsor #Spitfires scored three unanswered third-period goals, including the game-winner with 60-seconds left, to beat the Flint #Firebirds 6-5 at the WFCU Centre on Sunday in Game 2. The series is now 2-0 Spitfires with Games 3 and 4 in Flint on Tues/Thurs. #OHL pic.twitter.com/F3egDXYV55
— Dave Jewell (@DaveJewellOHL) April 13, 2026
Walters had plenty of praise for the 19-year-old veteran. He said Walton is the kind of guy you want on your team.
“He scores goals for us and big goals,” Walters said. “He’s one of the best defenders in the league, one of the best kids, a huge leader in the room for our young guys, and he’s rewarded.”
Firebirds Flex Offensive Muscles
Make no mistake – despite the loss, the Firebirds showed why they were right there with the Spitfires through the second half. This is a team that’s big, plays with an edge, and can put the puck in at will.
Coming into the season, it was hard to pinpoint where they might finish in the standings. Over the last two seasons, they finished sixth and eighth in the conference, respectively. They had talent with Aspinall and forwards Jimmy Lombardi and Alex Kostov, but was it enough?
This season, they brought in He and Jacob Battaglia (from the Kingston Frontenacs), along with Vaccari last summer. Add in career seasons from Aspinall and Lombardi, and you’ve got a team that can pounce on you offensively while stifling you defensively.
After scoring just two goals in Game 1, the Firebirds flexed their offensive muscles in Game 2. He, Lombardi, and Aspinall combined for six points and were able to insert a bit of doubt among the Spitfires’ faithful. Walton said they come as-advertised.
“They’re really good,” he said. “You saw with the amount of goals, they can score fast, they can score in a hurry. (The Firebirds) went all-in at the deadline and they’re as-advertised.”
When you’ve got that kind of offence, you earn respect around the league. Walters said the Firebirds took advantage of their chances, and it was the Spitfires’ will to not lose that came out on top.
“They’re a great team,” he said. “We had a ton of chances. They scored on their chances. Their best player (Aspinall) scored back-to-back goals. The competitiveness and will to not lose, it’s a huge statement (by the Spitfires).”
Spitfires Show Leadership After Disallowed Goal
While it was fun and games at the end, there were a pair of situations during the game that will be talked about until Game 3 starts.
Late in the second period, following Aspinall’s first goal, Greentree got into an altercation with the Firebirds’ Darian Anderson. Both were ejected from the game and possibly face suspension. Then, in the third period, Nesbitt tipped a shot past Vaccari in what was believed to be the game-tying goal. However, the officials immediately waved it off, ruling it was a high stick. The replay appeared to be inconclusive, so it was deemed no goal. It was shortly after that Nesbitt ended up tying the game, officially.
Related: Liam Greentree: Everything to Know About the Rangers’ New Acquisition
Despite losing their captain for the rest of the game, Walters said the rest of the leaders stepped up on the bench and refused to let a waved-off goal bother them.
“They were so good, our leadership group,” he said. “(Forward Anthony) Cristoforo was like, ‘If it’s disallowed, it’s okay guys. We’re going to get another one.’ They went right down and scored. I couldn’t be prouder of these kids.”
Walton has been with the club for three seasons now and is one of the leaders in the room. He said in a situation like that, you need to channel the emotions properly.
“We were really good about it,” he said. “Without Greentree there, all the other guys stepped up. We said stay calm but use that emotion, use that fired up. We knew we would get that next goal.”
The Spitfires constantly use the “next man up” philosophy where, if someone is out of the lineup for any reason, the next person steps up and takes control. Walters has consistently praised his leadership group, and this was another example of them stepping up when it was needed.
With the Spitfires now holding a 2-0 lead, the series shifts to Flint, MI. Game 3 will be on Tues. April 14, while Game 4 is on Thurs. April 16. Both puck drops are at 7:00 p.m.
