After suffering their fifth loss in their last nine games, the Spitfires are looking to bounce back against the Firebirds.

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A frenetic start to the season for the Windsor Spitfires quickly faded.

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The Windsor comfortably topped the Western Conference standings after starting the season without losing regulation in the first 11 games and scoring 19 of their 22 points.

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After struggling at home against Owen Sound on Wednesday, the club have lost five of their last nine games to settle in the middle of the pack heading into Friday’s game against the Flint Firebirds at WFCU Arena.Game time is 7:05pm

Spitfire head coach Mark Savard said: “We’re trying to find our way a little bit. “Maybe there’s a little bit of our identity. , (Wednesday) was a little flat.

“They’ve flattened out a bit. We have to find a way. We have to be more consistent night after night. Simple, I think.”

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Four of the club’s last five losses have been against Western Conference teams, and just two of the team’s last nine wins have come against conference rivals.

“Obviously we got off to a great start and the last few games didn’t go as planned, but it’s a 68-game season,” said Spitfire captain Matthew Maggio. But the next few games (including Saturday’s road match against Saginaw) are going to be big for us.”

But it’s not a simple area where the Spitfire needs improvement. After leading the league at one point in an offense averaging five or more goals per game, he has scored three goals or less in four of his last five games.

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Young and somewhat inexperienced defensive breakdowns were noticeable at times, and goaltending was sporadic.

Spitfire defenseman Nick De Angelis said, “It’s on everyone and it’s not fixed on anyone. “Nobody on this team is responsible. Everyone on this team is responsible It’s just one of the things we all have to do as a group, myself included.”

The good news for the Spitfires is that the club remains in a tight pack in the Western Conference, taking games with all the teams higher in the standings.

De Angelis said: ‘We have to play more consistently’

And the defending Western Conference is still adjusting to life without OHL scoring champion and MVP Wyatt Johnston making an early NHL move with the Dallas Stars.

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The roster has five first-year players and eight rookies from a year ago.

“There are some young players in the lineup, so that’s always a problem,” Savard said. “Even when I was younger, I was discovering that consistency was professional.”

One area Maggio hopes to improve is in jumping and leading for the team to start the game. Clubs are 1-3-1-0 when trailing after the first period and 1-5 when trailing after two periods.

“We are an energetic team,” Maggio said. “We have to prepare for the puck drop. The last few games we wake up early and it’s like we’re taking back the whole game. I think the first goal is huge for us and we really need to get back to looking for it. There is

“I think we still have confidence that we can be the best. I think we all need to step up, myself included. We all have to play better and buy in and we will see the results.”

Just 20 games into the season, there’s no panic for the Spitfires, who had a slow start to their run to clinch the Western Conference title last season.

“There is no way out,” said Savard. “You have to answer the bell. I think you’ll find it in that room. It’s going to take some time, but we have to start getting some wins here.”

jpparker@postmedia.com

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