Ilya Protas delivered the decisive goal in overtime, capitalizing on a rebound from Noah Morneau’s shot to lift the Windsor Spitfires to a 3-2 victory over the Brantford Bulldogs on Saturday night at the WFCU Centre. The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) matchup marked the final regular-season meeting between the two teams, with Windsor leading the West Division standings. The loss closed out a demanding stretch for Brantford, marking their sixth game in nine days.
The game saw a historic milestone as Bulldogs forward Nick Lardis netted his 52nd goal of the season, surpassing Arthur Kaliyev’s franchise record for single-season scoring.
Brantford struck first on the power play in the opening period, as Marek Vanacker found the net at 14:31. Patrick Thomas and Jake O’Brien orchestrated a sequence in the left circle before Vanacker spun off a check and buried the bouncing puck for his 14th of the season. However, Windsor equalized in the final minutes of the period when Los Angeles Kings prospect Liam Greentree intercepted a clearing attempt and beat Bulldogs goaltender Ryerson Leenders at 18:33.
Leenders kept Brantford in the game with a standout performance, turning aside 17 shots in the second period alone. The 18-year-old netminder made a spectacular split save to deny Jack Nesbitt and A.J. Spellacy on back-to-back attempts. Windsor eventually broke through on the power play at 18:03 when Anthony Cristoforo lifted a rebound over Leenders to give the Spitfires a 2-1 lead heading into the third.
Brantford responded with renewed energy in the final frame, generating multiple scoring opportunities. At 15:29, Lardis etched his name into Bulldogs history. Positioned in the right circle on a double-minor power play, Vanacker held up to allow defenders to clear before threading a pass through the middle. Lardis corralled the puck on his forehand and fired a wrist shot past Windsor goaltender Joey Costanzo to tie the game 2-2.
Overtime saw another dramatic moment from Leenders, who made a sprawling save at the left post to deny Morneau’s initial attempt. However, Protas was in position to pounce on the loose puck, slipping it past Leenders to seal the victory for Windsor.
The Bulldogs, currently competing in the OHL’s Eastern Conference, return to action on Friday, February 14, as they host the Niagara IceDogs at the Brantford Civic Centre. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
