The playoff standing for the Windsor Spitfires got a little more unstable Saturday night.
Windsor let a lead get away in Erie and lost 4-3 to the Otters in a shootout. The eighth-place Spitfires did earn a point for the shootout loss, but this puts the Otters three points behind them in the OHL Western Conference standings. Both teams were counting on a win as the playoff chase is on with five weeks left in the regular season.
The Spits jumped out early with two goals scored within two minutes of each other in the opening period. Chris Playfair scored the first at 5:08, and Jordan Frasca followed suit a short time later. Windsor led Erie 13-10 in shots on goal in those first 20 minutes.
Erie got on the board in the second period when a goal by Maxim Golod cut the Windsor lead in half, to 2-1. The Spitfires regained the two-goal advantage on Connor Corcoran's goal late in the frame.
The Otters scored two goals in the third to force overtime, from Brendan Hoffmann and Emmett Sproule within 22 seconds of each other. The overtime period past without a goal scored and each team taking five shots each. Sproule ended the shootout by scoring the winner.
Colton Incze took the loss in goal for Windsor, stopping 28 shots. Daniel Murphy had 31 saves for Erie.
The Spitfires travel to Mississauga Sunday afternoon.