Storm push through Firebirds, earn second win
The Guelph Storm earned their second win of the 2015-16 campaign on Saturday night, snapping a 10-game skid with a 5-3 victory over the Flint Firebirds.
Steph Coratti, GuelphStorm.com —
A second win was well earned by the Guelph Storm on Saturday night.
Despite allowing the game’s first goal, the Storm came out of the gates on the hunt, firing 21 shots at Alex Nedeljkovic in the opening frame alone. Guelph would go on to outshoot Flint 38-31, while taking home a 5-3 victory and snapping a 10-game losing streak in the process.
Tyler Boston, James McEwan, and Givani Smith all had multi-point efforts, with Boston scoring twice for first star honours, McEwan registering a goal and an assist, while Smith added two helpers of his own.
Netminder Justin Nichols was nothing but solid between the pipes, turning aside 28 of 31 shots in the victory.
Outside of offensive production, special teams certainly stole the show, with a total of 53 penalty minutes handed out on the game. The Storm would score twice out of eight power play opportunities, while adding a shorthanded tally in the second period. Additionally, after a rough display on the penalty kill against the London Knights on Friday, the Storm turned things around, allowing only one goal through eight given man-advantages.
Wasting no time getting reacquainted, both clubs were physical early on, beginning the game with an altercation between Matt Hotchkiss and Flint’s Connor Sills. Hotchkiss took exception to a hit on rookie Nic Sicoly, resulting in five minutes for fighting, a ten-minute misconduct, and the extra two for instigating just 2:32 into the contest.
Three minutes later, the Firebirds got things going on the scoreboard, potting the contest’s first goal off a quick passing play on the rush with Nicholas Caamano finishing.
The extracurriculars continued, with the Firebirds’ Samuel Duchesne and Nick Deakin-Poot each given two minutes for roughing, with Sills adding a cross checking penalty at the 12:03 point of the period for a scrum following the whistle. With the Storm on the power play, Zack Pittman added to the advantage, giving the Storm a five-on-three.
Guelph, unable to capitalize, would get another opportunity later at the 16:13 mark of the first with Sills returning to the box for cross checking. This time, the Storm – making no mistake on their fourth man-advantage of the period – would find the back of the net with Garrett McFadden putting a wrist shot through traffic, tying the game up at one-a-piece.
The penalty parade continued into the middle frame, with Flint’s Stephan Seeger getting the first minor of the period for tripping at the 7:41 mark. Taking the lead, the Storm scored their second power play goal of the game with Tyler Hill in front, following up on his own redirect that would give him an empty cage to make it a 2-1 contest. McEwan, getting his second point on the night, added an assist, along with defenseman Noah Carroll.
Two minutes later, the Storm began a streak of four straight penalties. Starting with Smith in the box for tripping, the Firebirds pulled within one with a power play goal of their own as Bitten pocketed his ninth of the season at the 11:38 point of the period.
Immediately following the goal, the Storm seemed to be in trouble with Austin Hall sent to the box for slashing. Boston, however, had other plans, pulling ahead on a shorthanded breakaway, restoring the Storm’s two-goal lead with a nifty move in alone.
Penalties wouldn’t ease up in the final 20 minutes, however, both teams would record an even-strength tally, starting with Boston pocketing his second of the night (and sixth of the season) just 1:23 into the period, giving the Storm a three-goal lead.
Responding quickly, a turnover in the Guelph end gave way to the Firebirds climbing back to within two, with Bitten capitalizing at the 2:39 point.
Although, that would do it, with the Storm pushing their way through the remainder of the contest to take home their second win of the season in a 5-3 final over the Firebirds.
Guelph will look to keep things going, returning to the Sleeman Centre on Sunday night to face off against the Windsor Spitfires. The puck is slated to drop at 6:00pm.
GAME NOTES
- Saturday’s game was the first time the Storm and the Firebirds met, with Flint in their inaugural Ontario Hockey League season.
- Tyler Boston (two goals), James McEwan (one goal, one assist), and Givani Smith (two assists) all had multi-point efforts in the win.
- With two points (one goal, one assist) against the Firebirds, James McEwan has matched his rookie point total of 10 previously set in 2014-15.
- With the 5-3 victory, the Storm snapped a 10-game losing streak, earning their second win of the season.
- The Storm return home to conclude the three-in-three weekend, hosting the Windsor Spitfires for a 6:00p.m. puck drop on Sunday. Fans who purchased a regular ticket to Friday’s game against London, can add a ticket to Sunday’s tilt for just $11! Call (519) 837-9690 for more information. You can also click this link to purchase your tickets to Sunday’s game.
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Guelph Storm 5 at Flint Firebirds 3 – Status: Final
Saturday, November 7, 2015 – Dort Federal Event Center
Guelph 1 3 1 – 5
Flint 1 1 1 – 3
1st Period-1, Flint, Caamano 4 (Bitten, Moore), 5:36. 2, Guelph, McFadden 2 (Barulin, Smith), 17:42 (PP).
Penalties-Hotchkiss Gue (instigator, fighting, 10-min. misc.), 2:32; Sills Fl (fighting), 2:32; Caamano Fl (cross checking), 7:02; Deakin-Poot Gue (roughing), 12:03; Duchesne Fl (roughing), 12:03; Sills Fl (cross checking), 12:03; Pittman Fl (cross checking), 13:19; Sills Fl (cross checking), 16:13; Hall Gue (holding), 18:04.
2nd Period–3, Guelph, McEwan 7 (Smith), 5:04. 4, Guelph, Hill 1 (McEwan, Carroll), 9:11 (PP). 5, Flint, Henderson 3 (Moore, Bitten), 11:38 (PP). 6, Guelph, Boston 5 (Burghardt), 12:24 (SH). Penalties-Seeger Fl (tripping), 7:41; Smith Gue (tripping), 11:15; Hall Gue (slashing), 11:38; Garcia Gue (tripping), 16:37; Rhodes Gue (cross checking), 18:26.
3rd Period–7, Guelph, Boston 6 (Barulin), 1:23. 8, Flint, Bitten 9 2:39.
Penalties-Hill Gue (hooking), 3:01; Nilsen Fl (hooking), 5:48; Burghardt Gue (slashing), 11:28; Kantner Fl (hooking), 14:28; Chatham Fl (boarding), 18:23; Wesley Fl (check to the head, game misconduct), 19:36; Pittman Fl (cross checking), 20:00.
Shots on Goal–Guelph 21-9-7-37. Flint 8-10-13-31.
Power Play Opportunities–Guelph 2 / 8; Flint 1 / 8.
Goalies–Guelph, Nichols 2-9-1-0 (31 shots-28 saves). Flint, Nedeljkovic 3-4-0-0 (37 shots-32 saves).
A-3,235
Referees-Shawn Hamelin (28), Joe Celestin (4).
Linesmen-Chad Petrie (77), Nicholas Bet (76).
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Jeff O’Neill Banner Night, Nov. 21 vs. Kitchener Rangers
The Guelph Storm will honour Jeff O’Neill on Nov. 21 at the Sleeman Centre by raising #92 to the rafters in an on-ice ceremony prior to the game against the Kitchener Rangers. The game will be the hockey club’s first homecoming game for Storm alumni and their families. Get your tickets to a special moment in Storm history here!
