LAST GAME RECAP

It was the lone Saturday night home game on the schedule for Oshawa, and the lone trip to Oshawa for the Storm, ending in favour of the visitors 5-4 via the shootout.

Once again, it was Oshawa coming out strong early, breaking the ice just more than two minutes into the game. Recent powerhouse Matthew Buckley scored the third of his season to give Oshawa the 1-0 lead. The score would stay this way until the final minutes of the first period when it was the Storms’ turn to get in on the action. Guelph’s captain located a perfect shot over the shoulder of Jacob Oster, tying the game at 1-1.

In the middle period, Oshawa jumped out in front once again thanks to a scramble in front of Guelph’s crease. After a few big stops by Storm goaltender Brayden Gillespie, a loose puck landed into the slot for a wide-open Joseph Serpa to score his 15th of the season. Nine minutes later, the Generals executed a nearly PERFECT 3-on-1 rush that was finished by Ryder McIntyre. His fourth of the season gave Oshawa the 3-1 lead, midway through the second period.

The Storm would not go away quietly in the second period, clawing their way back into the game on the back of Boston Bruins draft pick Matthew Poitras. With four minutes remaining in the second period, Poitras wristed home his 13th of the season to give the Storm life ≠heading into the third, trailing 3-2.

For the first time all night, it was the Storm scoring first to start a period, when Brayden Bowman’s 23rd of the campaign tied the game on the power play. Oshawa, needing to respond, did just that on their own power play. Following two penalties by the Storm, the Generals made good on a 5-on-3 advantage, thanks to a one-timer from Stuart Rolofs. His 24th of the season had just enough on it to get through and behind the line. With the goal, Rolofs set a new career-high in points with 46.

Just like they did to start the period, Guelph would find their way back into the game. With just 1:12 remaining on the clock, Max Namestikov buried a net-front puck to send the game to overtime.

Overtime did very little to solve the game, aside from a massive breakaway stop by Jacob Oster on Matthew Poitras.

In the shootout, Oshawa continued to struggle, failing to score on all three opportunites. Guelph’s Valentin Zhugin was the only Storm able to solve Oster, but it’s all the Storm needed to grab the extra point.

With the point, Oshawa ties the Sudbury Wolves for 8th in the eastern conference, and put themselves within two points of 6th. The Generals take the ice next on Family Day Monday against the 10th place Niagara IceDogs at 2:00 p.m.