Storm win again

Brendan Zwambag, Guelphstorm.com

The Guelph Storm received strong goaltending and made the most of their opportunities to beat the Erie Otters 7-2 in Game Two of their Western Conference final series.

Justin Nichols stopped 34 shots in a game that saw Guelph muster 30 of their own.

Scott Kosmachuk, Kerby Rychel and Zack Mitchell provided the offence, each scoring two goals. Kosmachuk made it a four-point night with two assists while Rychel and Mitchell each chipped in one.

For the second straight game, Erie had the quick jump, firing five shots in the first minute alone.

Nichols kept the sore even and Kosmachuk capitalized on Guelph’s second shot of the game – at the 9:33 mark. With Erie already having registered 13 shots, Kosmachuk fired a laser top corner on the powerplay. Nick Ebert and Rychel picked up the helpers.

Rychel took his turn in picking the same corner three minutes later. The Columbus Blue Jacket prospect beat Erie goaltender Oscar Dansk on the short side as he walked in on the right wing. Kosmachuk and Ben Harpur tallied assists.

Then came a short-handed marker from Mitchell with less than five remaining in the period.

Already down a man, Guelph found themelves on the wrong side of a 5-on-3 with a puck-over-the-glass penalty.

The Storm specialty unit kept the Otters to the outside until Mitchell stripped an Otter at the Guelph blueline just after the first penalty expired. The 21-year-old raced down the ice on a breakaway, settled the puck and went upstairs for the unassisted goal.

Erie solved Nichols twice in the second with point shots but Guelph replied each time.

A Cory Genovese wrist shot found its way into the top corner at 2:52 and Andre Burakovsky deflected a Kurtis MacDermid shot into a Storm defender and past Nichols at 18:39.

Rychel had the first answer from the doorstep midway through the period. Mitchell found the big winger all alone in front with a beautiful behind-the-back pass from the corner and Rychel beat Dansk with a quick shot blocker side. Robby Fabbri had the other assist.

Kosmachuk also picked up his second of the game with a snap shot to the top corner. Tyler Bertuzzi set his linemate up in the slot with 38 seconds remaining in the period.

The goal came seconds after an on-ice goal call for an Ebert blast was ruled to have hit the post upon review. Ebert still picked up his second point of the game with an assist on Kosmachuk’s goal.

Mitchell joined the two-goal club at 6:23 of the third when he picked the top corner on an odd man rush with Kosmachuk.

Fabbri added one more with less than four minutes remaining. He beat Dansk over the shoulder after Bertuzzi set him up from behind the net. Pius Suter also assisted.

Guelph leads the series 2-0.

Play resumes in Erie after the Easter weekend. Game Three is set for Monday night and Game Four on Tuesday.

Erie Otters 2 at Guelph Storm 7 – Status: Final
Friday, April 18, 2014 – Sleeman Centre

Erie 0 2 0 – 2
Guelph 3 2 2 – 7

1st Period-1, Guelph, Kosmachuk 7 (Ebert, Rychel), 9:33 (PP). 2, Guelph, Rychel 4 (Kosmachuk, Harpur), 12:32. 3, Guelph, Mitchell 6   15:16 (SH). Penalties-Burakovsky Er (elbowing), 1:57; McGinn Gue (slashing), 4:12; MacDermid Er (delay of game), 8:28; Baltisberger Gue (interference), 12:47; Finn Gue (delay of game), 14:34; Genovese Er (roughing), 17:42; Rychel Gue (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 17:42; MacDermid Er (interference), 18:56.

2nd Period-4, Erie, Genovese 1 (McDavid), 2:52. 5, Guelph, Rychel 5 (Fabbri, Mitchell), 10:04. 6, Guelph, Kosmachuk 8 (Bertuzzi, Ebert), 18:21. 7, Erie, Burakovsky 10 (MacDermid, Curtis), 18:39. Penalties-Betz Er (roughing), 7:30; Genovese Er (roughing), 7:30; Fabbri Gue (boarding), 7:30; Rychel Gue (roughing), 7:30.

3rd Period-8, Guelph, Mitchell 7 (Kosmachuk), 6:23. 9, Guelph, Fabbri 6 (Bertuzzi, Suter), 16:08. Penalties-Wigle Er (roughing), 5:05; McGinn Gue (roughing), 5:05; Kosmachuk Gue (hooking), 14:27; Pelech Er (interference), 15:15; Harpur Gue (interference), 17:43.

Shots on Goal-Erie 16-9-11-36. Guelph 9-8-13-30.
Power Play Opportunities-Erie 0 / 5; Guelph 1 / 4.
Goalies-Erie, Dansk 0-1-0-0 (30 shots-23 saves). Guelph, Nichols 10-2-0-0 (36 shots-34 saves).
A-4,923
Referees-Scott Oakman (23), Mike Marley (31).
Linesmen-Kevin Hastings (61), Andrew Brown (56).