It was a closer game than the Guelph Storm would have liked against the visiting Barrie Colts.
The power play proved pivotal as the Storm skated to a 3-1 victory Friday night at the Sleeman Centre.
Guelph got a four-minute power play 1:20 into the game as Roenick Jodoin received a double-minor for checking from behind, but they couldn’t capitalize, managing only two shots on Colts’ goaltender Ben West.
“We’ve got to capitalize on our power play,” said Storm defenseman Michael Buchinger after their first man advantage. “When you have a sloppy period, you have to look what we did wrong and learn from that.” And they did.
Barrie, who had just one shot on goal in the first period, opened the scoring early in the second when Zach Wigle’s attempted pass went off Brayden Hislop and by Brayden Gillespie for a 1-0 Colts lead.
The Storm answered when the Colts went down two men for a full two minutes midway through the period. Buchinger (one goal and one assist) scored on the 5-on-3 power play to tie the game at 1-1 at the 9:37 mark. Then Vilmer Alrikson put Guelph ahead 1:26 later with his third of the season on a 5-on-4 man advantage for a 2-1 lead.
Max Namestnikov (one goal, one assist) would add an insurance marker late in the third period, also on a 5-on-3 power play, giving the Storm a 3-1 lead.
Guelph went 3-for-9 with the man advantage while Barrie failed to find the net through five power play opportunities.
“I thought there were some missed opportunities from our end,” said Storm head coach Chad Wiseman. “But we generated some offence and had opportunities to score and that was the most important thing.”
Gillespie finished the game with 20 saves for the Storm (5-2-0-0) while West stopped 26 shots for the Colts (4-4-0-0).
“He played a great game,” said Colts captain Connor Punnett of his goaltender.
“(The Storm) scored two goals 5-on-3; (without the) 5-on-3s it’s a 1-1 game … he stood on his head.”
It was Gillespie’s fourth win in six starts in net. He entered the game with a 2.03 goals against average and a .934 save percentage, both second in the OHL behind Carter George of the Owen Sound Attack.
“When you have a goalie like that, he’s going to stop those when you need him to,” said Buchinger, adding the team has confidence in Gillespie and backup Damian Slavik.
The Storm’s next home game is Saturday night when they welcome the Kingston Frontenacs; puck drop is at 7 p.m. Listen to the game on 1460 CJOY.
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