The Windsor Spitfires snapped a seven-game losing-streak with a 4-3 road-win in overtime against the Sault Ste. Marie in OHL action Sunday.
Windsor needed two-points as they fight to hold on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Keeghan Howdeshell's opened the scoring for the Greyhounds around the seven-minute mark of the first period, burying a rebound past Colton Incze to make it 1-0.
Luke Boka blasted his 11th of the campaign past Sault Ste. Marie goaltender Ethan Taylor from the slot off a Curtis Douglas feed from behind the net to tie things up 1-1 midway through the frame.
Windsor got off to a quick start in the second period after Cole Purboo took a long pass in from the neutral zone to snap home his 28th goal of the year from the wing and stake the Spitfires to a 2-1 lead.
The Greyhounds answered back midway through the period on the powerplay. Howdeshell notching his second marker of the game and 46th of the year in from the slot to knot things up 2-2.
Purboo would respond with his second goal of the period just minutes later, this time taking a nifty feed from Jean-Luc Foody and depositing his 29th of the year past a screened Taylor from the right faceoff circle.
Zack Trott would continue the seesaw battle in the third frame, tucking a wraparound goal past Incze to tie things up 3-3 at the six-minute mark.
Both teams would exchange scoring chances, with Incze robbing Joe Carroll on a breakaway with just minutes left to hold the line for the Spitfires and send the game into overtime.
Nathan Staios capitalized on a Sault Ste. Marie turnover in the Windsor zone at the four-minute mark of overtime — blasting though the neutral-zone and dancing through three Greyhound defenders to snap a shot over Taylor's left shoulder to put the exclamation point on an end-to-end rush.
Incze made 32 saves in the 4-3 victory.
The Spitfires now have a two-point buffer over the idle Erie Otters for the eighth and final playoff spot and pull within one point of the Sarnia Sting for seventh place in the Western Conference.
Windsor hosts the Flint Firebirds at the WFCU Centre in its second last game of the season Thursday night — the Otters have two games in hand to end the year.
Puck drops at 7:05pm — tune into AM800 for all the action.