From the Stands
By Paul Osborne, Guelph Tribune
It was a dream weekend for Guelph Storm defenceman Zac Leslie. Not only did he become the first Storm blueliner to score four goals in a single game on Saturday night in the team’s 6-2 win in Plymouth, he added two more goals and two assists Sunday to highlight the Storm’s 6-0 blanking of Kitchener. He finished the weekend with a +7 rating.
“(Saturday) was the first multi-goal game of my OHL career,” said the Los Angeles Kings draft pick who followed it up with his second 14 hours later. “I don’t even know if I did that in minor hockey…maybe pee wee or something.”
He was in one of those grooves where just about every shot he took ended up in the back of the net. It doesn’t happen often in sports but he rode the way right to the end.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever felt a streak like this before,” he said. “It just feels like nothing can go wrong at this point. As a defenceman my first job is to keep the puck out of the net but its fun to jump up into the rush.”
The Storm hammered Mississauga 9-3 last Tuesday and lost to Windsor 3-2 at home Friday for their first loss in regulation in 15 games. The Storm lead the OHL is goal scoring with 137, 24 more than their closest competitor, and their mobile defence corps is one of the reasons why. The backend has accounted for 22 goals with newly signed Toronto Maple Leaf prospect Matt Finn and Leslie sitting and fourth and fifth respectively in scoring for defencemen, combining for 44 points.
“Our coaches emphasize (that defencemen) should be the second layer on the rush giving forwards another option to pass the puck,” said Leslie. “It’s something we’ve always been doing but its working more than it usually does and I’m playing with good players, they are getting me the puck”
Leslie missed eight games due to injury but this weekend he played a dominant role, something this club will need from him if they hope to advance far into the playoffs.
Because of all the goals, the Storm holds the top four spots in the OHL’s +/- rating. Finn and Brock McGinn lead the way at +23; Ben Harpur and Scott Kosmachuk are +21, Zack Mitchell +20, Leslie is now +16.
Leslie developed into a solid two-way defenceman last season as an 18-year-old and now he continues to hone his game. He and Finn are the anchors on defence and much of the club’s success will depend on their excellent play.
From the Land of Oz….Guelph sports lost a true gentleman in Ken Bodendistel last week. He was 73 passing away after a bout with cancer. A member of the Guelph Sports Hall of Fame, he worked 40 years with OHL officials as a supervisor and mentor and was a long serving official working games in the OHL and NHL. Always impeccably dressed and quick with his staccato laugh, he was a fixture at junior hockey games in Royal City. He will be missed by the entire junior hockey world…The Storm now has a record of 19-4-2-1 and have the third best penalty killing record in the league at 85.1% and the fifth best powerplay at 24.6%…Brock McGinn’s season long scoring streak came to an end Friday night in the team’s loss to Windsor. He bounced back with a goal Saturday and a goal and an assist on Sunday…The Storm play just two games this week. They start with a battle for first place in Erie on Thursday, then host Barrie on Friday.
