When you are ranked the number one team in Canada and are defending Memorial Cup champions, the last thing that team needs is help from the referees.

But that’s exactly what the Windsor Spitfires got Saturday night against the Sarnia Sting.

Team Canada member Ryan Ellis drilled home a slap shot on the power play with 21.8 seconds remaining in regulation time to give the Spitfires a 5-4 victory before 4,008 fans at the RBC Centre.

Sarnia found themselves shorthanded after rookie referee Kevin Blundell called a questionable high-sticking penalty to a Sting player with a minute and a half remaining.

Sting head coach Dave MacQueen was visibly upset with the penalty.

“To lose like that, come on. If the officials are going to set the standard early in the game, that’s fine, then call it all game. To put them on a power play with a minute and a half to play is tough.”

He added, “it’s tough because we battled like crazy and we played hard. We tried not to sit back in the third period, but they are the number one team in Canada for a reason and they kept coming at us. But in general we did a pretty good job.”

The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period and Sarnia led 4-3 after the second. Windsor outshot Sarnia 20-2 in the third period. The Spitfires tied the game with just less than six minutes to play.

“I feel bad for the guys because they put in a solid, solid effort,” said MacQueen. “But on the winning goal we lost the draw off the face-off and didn’t block the shot from the point.”

The game was an entertaining considering the fact the Sting dealt their captain Jordan Hill to Saginaw earlier in the day for defenceman Kyle Flemington and what turned out to be three draft picks.

“You are always a little concerned when you make a trade no matter who it is. But we had a meeting after the trade and Jordan talked to the team before he left. He has the opportunity now to go a couple of rounds in the playoffs while our situation is we are still trying to recoup assets and depth. It was a difficult day, but Jordan handled it with class and character.”

Sting defenceman Brent Sullivan said it was tough to see Hill depart.

“When we got to the rink and found out about the trade it leaves an empty feeling to see your captain leaving. We’ve been played together for a while now and are good friends. But I think everyone realized the trade is for his sake since it’s his last year in the league.”

Sullivan added, “we worked hard and left everything on the ice. They are the best team in Canada and we gave them a run for their money. We should keep our heads high.”

Mark Cundari opened the scoring for Windsor four minutes into the game with a slapshot from the left point. Ben O’Quinn tied the game five minutes later on the power play when he backhanded home a passout from Brandon Francisco.

It was O’Quinn’s ninth goal of the year but only his second in the last 25 games.

There were five goals in the second period.

Sarnia jumped out to a 3-1 lead when Jesse Stoughton deflected home an O’Quinn shot while Miroslav Preisinger stripped the puck from Ellis at the Windsor blueline, skated in alone and then banged his own rebound past Windsor goalie Troy Passingham.

But the Spitfires roared back with a pair of power play goals as Taylor Hall scored on a slapshot and Austin Watson deflected home a point shot.

The Sting regained the lead a minute later when Brett Ritchie knocked in a rebound after Sullivan’s point shot.

The scored remained that way until the 14:10 mark of period three when Eric Wellwood tied the game as he jammed home the puck from close range past Sting goalie Adam Courchaine.

That set the stage for Ellis’ winning goal on the power play with 21.8 seconds to go.

Windsor finished with a 44-20 edge in shots on goal.

For the second time in as many games Sarnia has held a lead in the third period and both times ended up losing 5-4.

“We are not going to let these guys off the hook the rest of the season,” said MacQueen. “It starts in practice and gaining all the experience they can this season is all situations will only benefit us down the road. I think we can go out and play loose because we have nothing to lose, but the young guys want to take a step forward. Tonight we were missing some veterans and the young guys put in a pretty good effort.”

Things will no doubt be just as difficult Sunday as the two teams meet again in Windsor at 2 p.m. The next home game for the Sting is Friday against Sault Ste. Marie.

-         Hall was first star as he finished with a goal and three assists. O’Quinn had a two point night and was second star while Wellwood was third star.

-         Windsor’s record improved to 33-5-0-4 while Sarnia is now 14-25-2-1 in the Ontario League.

-         Sarnia’s newest player, Kyle Flemington played a regular shift and had two penalties.  He was a fifth round draft pick in 2008 by Saginaw. He spent last season and part of this year with the Sarnia Legionnaires junior B team.