Storm battles back into series with big win on home ice
By Tony Saxon, Guelph Today.com
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Guelph Storm coach George Burnett wasn’t biting.
His team rode an emotional roller coaster to a 7-5 win over the Kitchener Rangers Tuesday night to get back in their playoff series when he was asked if a couple of bad penalties by the Rangers turned the tide of the game in the Storm’s favour.
“Everyone will have an opinion. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to have one at this time,” Burnett said. “It is what it is. I’m not going to comment. There’s lots of hits in the game.”
Ex-Storm forward Givani Smith was in the penalty box for the tying goal after bowling over the Storm’s Cam Hillis on a line change. He was also in the box when Nate Schnarr scored a power play goal in the second period, this time for retaliating to an Isaac Ratcliffe cross check that went uncalled.
Guelph seemed to channel the emotion of Tuesday’s game in a more positive manner than the Rangers, who still lead the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 set for Wednesday night at the Sleeman Centre.
A disappointing crowd of just 2,832 took in the game.
“Lots of people down on us right now and we find a way to win tonight. I think it’s incredibly important that we’re much better tomorrow,” Burnett said.
“I thought that was the weakest of the three games we’ve played, but we found a way to win tonight.”
Guelph tied the game on a power play goal by Alexey Toropchenko with 2:09 in regulation then got the game winner 24 seconds later when Zach Poirier tipped a Mark Shoemaker point shot past Mario Culina in the Rangers net.
