Overtime loss for the Storm

Friday night in Kitchener, the Storm and Rangers tangled for the fourth time since the end of November with the Rangers grabbing a tight 4-3 win in extra time.  Peter Holland with a goal was dangerous all night long and earned second star honours in the loss.

After 20 minutes, the hosts led 1-0 on a powerplay goal by Matthew Tipoff with 5:07 remaining in the first.  The Rangers forward snapped a shot from the top of the circle that caught a Storm stick and dropped at Tipoff’s feet for a second attempt that Cody St. Jacques couldn’t stop.  Guelph would have chances to score in the frame with 13 shots, but the Kitchener goal on one of their two first period powerplays was the lone marker.

In the second, Guelph would bounce back with three goals compared to just one by the Rangers and grab a 3-2 advantage.  Mat Sisca tied the game up with his seventh goal in the last four games taking advantage of the Storm’s first powerplay of the night.  The veteran forward one-timed a Tim Campbell pass to finish a three way passing play only 24 seconds after the opening puck drop.  Just under ten minutes later, Guelph would grab their first lead of the contest on Holland’s 8th of the season from Cody McNaughton and Sam Lofquist with the extra man.  After driving through the heart of the Kitchener defence down the slot, Holland’s shot rebounded to a Kitchener defenceman who was quickly stripped by McNaughton for a pass to Holland and an easy tap in past Brandon Maxwell.  The Rangers would notch their second powerplay tally of the game on a centering pass by Tipoff that hit a Guelph stick and slid through the legs of St. Jacques.  Moments later, Tyler Carroll with a wrist shot from 30 feet gave the visitors a 3-2 lead after two.  Shots on goal were 13-12 for the Storm to give them a slim 26-25 edge.

The Rangers came out of the second intermission and wasted little time erasing the Guelph lead.  Jeff Skinner scored his first of two on the night after fanning on his first attempt and grabbing the loose puck for a short side goal past St. Jacques.  Tied at three the two teams exchanged chances, none better than McNaughton all alone on the doorstep after a great bit of work by Holland, but in spite four straight Kitchener powerplays in the third Skinner’s goal was the only one in the stanza.  

In overtime, the Storm created a turnover deep in the Kitchener zone, on a stick check by Taylor Beck, but the Guelph forward took the feet out from under the Rangers defender and was whistled for tripping.  On the four-on-three man advantage, the home side worked it around the offensive zone before Skinner fired from the circle off Lofquist’s leg and past St. Jacques on the short side for the winner.

Tomorrow afternoon at the Sleeman Centre, the Storm will wrap up their pre-Christmas schedule against the Plymouth Whalers with top rated NHL draft prospect Tyler Seguin in the lineup.  For tickets to Saturday’s game call or visit the Guelph Storm box office or buy online at GuelphStorm.com 

Guelph Storm 3 At Kitchener Rangers 4 (OT) – Status: Final OT
Dec 18, 2009 – Kitchener Memorial Auditorium

Guelph 0 3 0 0 – 3
Kitchener 1 1 1 1 – 4

1st Period-1, Kitchener, Tipoff 16 (Skinner, Murphy), 14:53 (pp). Penalties-Latta Gue (fighting), 8:33; Randell Kit (fighting), 8:33; Chiarot Gue (roughing), 11:54; Andersson Kit (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 11:54; Holland Gue (holding), 13:25; McNaughton Gue (elbowing), 17:59; Andersson Kit (interference), 20:00.

2nd Period-2, Guelph, Sisca 17 (Campbell, Latta), 0:24 (pp). 3, Guelph, Holland 8 (Lofquist, McNaughton), 12:12 (pp). 4, Kitchener, Tipoff 17 (Skinner, Andersson), 15:59 (pp). 5, Guelph, Carroll 6   18:37. Penalties-McNaughton Gue (interference), 6:58; Dodero Kit (slashing), 10:32; Morris Kit (hooking), 13:49; Sisca Gue (holding), 15:46; Carroll Gue (inter. on goaltender), 16:10.

3rd Period-6, Kitchener, Skinner 26 (Jasper), 0:24. Penalties-Campbell Gue (holding), 1:40; Kelly Kit (hooking), 3:28; Lofquist Gue (slashing), 5:36; Latta Gue (slashing), 9:53; Chiarot Gue (checking to the head), 13:12; Beck Gue (slashing), 16:06; Sisca Gue (misc-abuse of off.), 16:06.

OT Period-7, Kitchener, Skinner 27 (MacKinnon, Akeson), 2:30 (pp). Penalties-Beck Gue (tripping), 1:48.

Shots on Goal-Guelph 13-13-10-2-38. Kitchener 13-12-16-4-45.
Power Play Opportunities-Guelph 2 of 4; Kitchener 3 of 11.
Goalies-Guelph, St. Jacques 8-11-2-0 (45 shots-41 saves). Kitchener, Maxwell 11-7-0-2 (38 shots-35 saves).
A-6,481
Referees-Ryan Carroll (9), Seth Ferguson (39).
Linesmen-Ryan Wilson (54), Darryl Wolfe (53).