Return of Christopoulos to the Spitfires' lineup will not cure all of the team's ills

Author of the article:

Jim Parker • Windsor Star

Published Oct 27, 2023 • Last updated 16 hours ago • 3 minute read

After missing the first nine games of the season, Alex Christopoulos scored in his season debut with the Windsor Spitfires on Thursday. Photo by Mike Hensen /Mike Hensen/The London Free Pres

The return over overage forward Alex Christopoulos does not cure all the ills for the Windsor Spitfires.

Third in the Ontario Hockey League last season with 49 goals, Christopoulos had been sidelined for the first nine games of the season as he recovered from off-season wrist surgery. Back in the lineup for the first time on Thursday, the 20-year-old Christopoulos picked up right where he left off with a goal in his debut.

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“It felt good,” Christopoulos said of being back in the lineup and on the scoresheet. “I was really happy I got that.

“It’s hard to watch, I don’t really like watching, I like being out there helping the team.”

In the end, the goal by Christopoulos wasn’t enough to prevent the Spitfires from falling for the eighth time in 10 games to start the season as the Ottawa 67’s claimed a 6-4 win before a crowd of 5,187 at the WFCU Centre.

“Everyone’s out there battling for each other,” Christopoulos said. “We’ve just got to bear down on our chances in front of the net. We’re getting a lot of chances. We just have to put the puck in the back of the net.”

But while Christopoulos will boost the offence, the Spitfires continue to struggle on defence. Ottawa’s offensive output, which included an empty-net goal, marked the seventh time in 10 games this season that Windsor has allowed five goals or more.

“You can’t focus on scoring six goals a game to win a hockey game,” Spitfires’ overage forward Jacob Maillet said. “I think we just have to tighten up a bit and I think the offence follows, if we’re playing right defensively.

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“I don’t think we’ve been giving up too many odd-man (rushes) the last couple games. I think that’s a positive note and we just have to keep trending the right way.

“As a team, we try to stay as positive as we can. It’s just a matter of time until we get that luck and that follows with some wins.”

Christopoulos, who is also a solid defensive winger and kills penalties, should help the club’s defensive effort along with 19-year-old centre Ryan Abraham, who returned with a full-face shield on Thursday after missing 11 days and two games after taking a puck to the face in Erie.

“(Alex) is great,” Maillet said. “A great teammate and great player and I think you saw his compete level boosts everyone. I feel like, when I watch him, it gives me an extra boost because he works so hard.”

There is no way for Christopoulos to get back the nine games that he missed to start the season, but he also wants to be careful not to try and do too much trying to makeup for lost time.

“That wasn’t my goal to do extra stuff,” Christopoulos said. “Just do my simple game, be myself out there like I was last year. I didn’t want to do extra because you do extra stuff and sometimes you lose the puck and it goes the other way.”

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With a Friday game in Sarnia against the Sting and a Saturday game against the Niagara IceDogs at 7:05 p.m. at the WFCU Centre, Christopoulos will also be battling fatigue with three games in three days.

“Conditioning wise, it’ll be tough, but I’ll get through it,” Christopoulos said.

His return also creates a little roster overload for the club that will be have to be dealt with at some point. The Spitfires are carrying four overage players right now and only three can play with defenceman James Jodoin sitting out on Thursday while Christopoulos, Maillet and Oliver Peer dressed for the game.

However, there’s no question the Spitfires are a better club with Christopoulos in the lineup as opposed to being on the sidelines.

“We’ve been missing him, no doubt, just his leadership and his knack for scoring goals,” Spitfires’ head coach Jerrod Smith said. “I thought he battled, competed and the pace was fine for him. He didn’t look like he missed a step at all.”

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