Grim-faced, the burden of the hockey bag and goalie pads flung over his shoulder not weighing on him nearly as much as the sting of the 3-2 loss his Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds had just suffered at the hands of the Windsor Spitfires, former Spitfires goalie Jack Campbell was his usual polite self, but it was also clear that he was in no mood to talk.

"It was a big game," Campbell said quietly after Sunday's setback at the WFCU Centre, his first game there as the visiting goaltender.

"We needed the two points, and we didn't get it."

Spitfires coach Bob Boughner wasn't the least bit surprised to learn of Campbell's tight-lipped responses to questioners.

In fact, he'd experienced it himself only moments earlier.

"I just saw Jack in the hallway," Boughner said. "Obviously, he was disappointed. We said, 'Hi,' and that was about it.

"Jack probably takes losses harder than anybody I've seen in the last five or six years."

It would be wrong to classify the battle for playoff positions at the bottom of the Ontario Hockey League's Western Conference as a life-and-death struggle.

Although some teams will be left behind, physically, all will survive.

Emotionally, there will be heartbreak, especially where close friendships are involved.

It's quite feasible that when the finish line is reached in late March, one of Windsor or Sault Ste. Marie will be on the outside looking in.

Campbell, who holds dear to the many close bonds he formed during his time in Windsor, recognizes this fact of life.

"Yeah," he said, a faraway look in his eyes.

"Obviously, both teams want to make the playoffs. Windsor has the tradition of winning, and we expect to be there, so we'll see what happens."

For the moment, what's happening is that Campbell's Greyhounds have played themselves out of the picture. Sunday's loss left them with 41 points, dropping Sault Ste. Marie to ninth in the conference.

Sault Ste. Marie has lost a dozen straight on the road.

The Greyhounds have won twice since Dec. 14, and have allowed at least three or more goals in 13 consecutive games.

Sunday, despite holding a distinct advantage in play and a 10-5 edge on the shot clock, the Greyhounds trailed 2-0 after 20 minutes.

"When things aren't going your way, that seems the way it goes," Greyhounds coach Mike Stapleton said.

What they couldn't find Sunday was a way to solve Windsor netminder Jaroslav Pavelka, who Stapleton estimated made 20 saves of the spectacular variety among his 32 stops.

"In order for us to make the playoffs, we're going to need outstanding performances from individuals, and that was one of them," Boughner said of Pavelka's game.

Pavelka admitted the showdown with Campbell got him fired up.

"I wanted to win this game," Pavelka said. "This was motivation for me.

"These were big points." It wasn't that Campbell played poorly, it was simply a case of Pavelka playing out of this world.

"I think he gave his team a chance to win," Boughner said of Campbell. "We were a little fortunate that we had sick goaltending."

In the pits of their stomachs, both these teams know that time is running out, and every point is precious in their tenuous pursuit of postseason play.

"You go crazy sometimes, watching all the other teams," Boughner said.

The Spitfires can't be worrying about those teams, or their buddies who play for them.

There are no friends on the ice.

Or in the midst of a playoff race.