Game Preview: Storm visit Attack in mid-week match-up

The Guelph Storm travel to Owen Sound on Wednesday to faceoff against their Highway Six rivals for the third time this season. 

Steph Coratti, GuelphStorm.com —

When the puck drops in Owen Sound on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m., there should be comfort in the fact that all three points the Guelph Storm have earned this season have come against their Highway Six rival. 

Confidence may be just what the Royal City’s young roster needs. 

Putting forth valiant efforts against two of the OHL’s best this past weekend in the Windsor Spitfires and the Erie Otters on Friday and Saturday respectively, followed by a third game in three nights against the Kitchener Rangers on Sunday, the Storm have been pushing for their second win of the season. The Highway Six rivalry with their Midwest Division counterpart could be the opponent to see effort finally translated.

The Attack, on the other hand, are just coming off a three game skid, grabbing a 4-3 overtime victory over the Windsor Spitfires on Oct. 18. Owen Sound has seen two of their last two contests require the extra period, while posting a 5-3-1-1 through the first ten games of the season.

Weekend Pass Alert!

Following Guelph’s visit to Owen Sound on Wednesday, the Storm are right back at it at home with the Niagara IceDogs in town on Friday, a contest that features the club’s special Pink in the Rink night. For Storm fans who purchase a regular ticket to Friday’s match-up, the opportunity to add a ticket to Sunday’s game versus the Kingston Frontenancs (also followed by Skate with the Storm post-game!) for only $11! Don’t miss a second of the action and get your tickets now! 

Click here for tickets to Niagara IceDogs @ Guelph Storm, Oct. 23. 

Click here for tickets to Kingston Frontenacs @ Guelph Storm, Oct. 25. 

Player Watch

• Guelph Storm

Heading into Owen Sound on Wednesday, the focus – as it is most nights – will be right back in the crease with veteran netminder Justin Nichols playing some of his major junior career’s best hockey versus the Attack. Facing the Storm’s Highway Six rivalry twice already this season, the St. Catharine’s, Ontario native has only allowed two goals, registering the season’s lone victory in a 3-1 result on Oct. 9 with a 37-save performance for first star honours. Looking back to the second game of the 2015-16 campaign on Sept. 26 in Owen Sound, Nichols was, once again, outstanding between the pipes, putting forth one of the best performances of his four-year OHL tenure with a second star 45-save display in a 1-0 overtime loss. In total, through seven games played this season, the five-foot-nine, 163-pound goaltender is fourth league-wide with a 2.08 goals-against-average, while sitting third overall in save percentage with .943.  

Third year defenseman and Storm assistant captain, Garrett McFadden, has also seen some success in Owen Sound, playing not too far removed from hometown Kincardine, Ontario. Third in team scoring, and first overall for Storm blueliners, McFadden has four points (one goal, three assists) in nine games this season, and has been a significant leader among Guelph’s defensive core. Getting things going this past weekend offensively, the five-foot-eleven, 180-pound defenceman opened the scoring with the Storm’s only goal against the Windsor Spitfires on Oct. 16, and followed up the effort with an assist in Erie on Oct. 17. 

Looking at another leader on the young Storm roster, third-year forward Marc Stevens is key when it comes to Guelph eyeing their second win of the season. Despite only one assist through eight games so far this campaign, the 1996-born centre brings necessary contributions away from the score sheet, displaying the very theme of the season: patience, grit, and hard work. The Turkey Point, Ontario native has experience dipping in and out of the line-up as a rookie on a star studded roster in 2013-14, with postseason action an addition to that, including playing in the 2014 Memorial Cup – all experience that shows in the much needed lead-by-example player that Stevens brings to the Storm line-up night in, and night out.

• Owen Sound Attack

The Attack have a defenseman leading the way offensively, which, when it comes to Santino Centorame, is certainly no downfall. The fourth-year veteran, and former London Knight, currently has 11 points (four goals, seven assists) through 10 games this season, averaging 1.10 point(s)-per-game. The Mississauga, Ontario native’s totals are good enough to have him ranked 20^th in the OHL’s Top 20 scoring leaders, while standing second overall among OHL blueliners. 

Coming in a close second is sophomore Petrus Palmu. The Finland native has been going at a point-per-game production with nine points (three goals, six assists), including an assist in the Attack’s last match-up with the Storm that also saw the five-foot-six, 172-pound winger fire seven shots on net in the 3-1 loss. The shot total would be the highest on both rosters, with Bryson Cianfrone firing just one less.

Cianfrone, however, pocketed the long goal in the Attack’s 3-1 loss on Oct. 9 in Guelph, now with three goals for nine points through 10 games this season. The former Steelhead is third on the Attack in points, and is also a plus-four, emphasizing his ability to play smart in all areas of the ice.  

The Opponent: Owen Sound Attack (5-3-1-1, 12 points)

With 10 games played this season (the most in the Midwest Division), the Owen Sound Attack have a division-ranking of fourth with 12 points on the season thus far – just two points back of the London Knights, and three removed from the second-standing Kitchener Rangers.

Going on a three-game skid beginning on Oct. 11 in a 7-5 loss against the Ottawa 67’s, the Attack would fall to the Barrie Colts in a 2-1 result, followed by a 3-2 overtime loss to the Rangers on Oct. 16. Two days later, however, Owen Sound would end up with a second straight overtime result, this time on the other side of things with a 4-3 victory over the Windsor Spitfires, snapping the losing streak. 

Looking at a potential struggle for the Attack, the goals against and goals for columns read the same number of 29 heading into Wednesday’s match-up, allowing only two more goals than the Storm this season with one more game played. Without a goal differential between the two, one could predict a tight contest between the Highway Six rivals – something that has already been illustrated through two previous match-ups of one-goal and two-goal score deficits with the Storm coming away with one win, and the Attack the other.

Special teams could also be a difference maker, with the Storm currently sitting first league wide on the man advantage while playing on the road with 80 PP%. Results overall for the power play sees Guelph still in good standing in sixth with 22 power play opportunities and five goals for (22.7 PP%), while the Attack are six spots below in 12^th with 53 power play chances and only nine goals for (17 PP%). 

Last match-up: Owen Sound 1 @ Guelph 3 (Oct. 9)

GAME NOTES

• The Storm and the Attack face off for the third of eight contests this season. 

• In the two previous games, the Attack took a 1-0 victory (Sept. 26), while the Storm took the other in a 3-1 result (Oct. 9).

• The home team has won both games so far this season series.

• Netminder Justin Nichols, facing the Owen Sound Attack twice this season, has turned aside 82 of 84 shots for a .976 SV% against the Highway Six rival in 2015-16.

• Defenseman Garrett McFadden is from nearby Kincardine, Ontario. 

• The Storm return to the Sleeman Centre for their next two match-ups following Wednesday’s game, hosting the Niagara Ice Dogs for the special Pink in the Rink night on Oct. 23, and the Kingston Frontenacs on Oct. 25. This gives fans a chance to capitalize on the $11 Weekend Pass deal! For more information, call (519) 837-9690.