Victory by a touchdown
By Brendan Zwambag, Guelphstorm.com
The Guelph Storm beat the Kitchener Rangers by a touchdown at the Sleeman Centre on Sunday afternoon.
Justin Nichols recorded his first shutout of the season and Zac Leslie led Guelph’s offence for the second straight game in a 6-0 win.
All of that while the Storm sported Hamilton Tiger-Cats themed jerseys to commemorate the Grey Cup finalists’ season in Guelph.
Leslie opened the scoring midway through the first and finished it off with 21 seconds remaining in the third. Assists on goals by Scott Kosmachuk and Brock McGinn gave the Los Angeles Kings prospect six goals and eight points in his last two games.
“Sometimes you just get on a streak like that,” said Leslie. “I haven’t changed my game. I am just being in the right spots and I am playing with some good players that are getting the puck to me.”
Leslie was certainly in the right spot on the first goal. He joined an odd-man rush with Brock McGinn and Jason Dickinson to fire home a one-timer from the face-off circle.
The Ottawa native potted his second of the game with a snap shot from the slot that beat Rangers goalie Jordan DeKort glove side.
“Our coaches emphasize being a second layer in the rush and giving our forwards another option,” said Leslie. “It’s something that I have always been doing, it’s just coming a little bit more than it normally does.”
Storm coach Scott Walker likes the way that Leslie has been joining the rush.
“He’s got the ability and he gets back in time,” said Walker.
Collectively, the Storm played a solid defensive game and Nichols turned aside 34 shots to earn the shutout.
Brody Milne and Hunter Garlent provided second period insurance after Leslie scored the only goal of the first.
Milne deked to his backhand on a breakaway and Garlent batted a puck out of midair at the side of the net to give Guelph a 3-0 lead headed into the third.
Kosmachuk scored from the doorstep and McGinn fired a puck up and over DeKort to extend the Storm lead in the third.
“You can’t have just your defence scoring or just one line carrying you or you are in trouble,” said Walker.
Guelph failed to convert on the field goal, coming close on a Matt Finn shot that got reviewed but ultimately was determined not to have fully crossed the line.
Jason Dickinson recorded two assists while McGinn, Garlent, Milne, Finn, Pius Suter, and Tyler Bertuzzi each had one.
The win ends a three-game weekend for the Storm in which they picked up four points.
“It was a tough weekend. Give our guys credit, we played the right way and got it done,” said Walker.
Guelph will head to Erie on Thursday night for a 7:00 matchup before returning home to face the Barrie Colts at on Friday.
Storm 6, Rangers 0
1st Period
1-0 GUE Leslie (7) (Dickinson, McGinn) 10:52
Penalties – DiPerna KIT (Roughing) 12:20, Bertuzzi GUE (Roughing) 12:20, Bertuzzi GUE (Tripping) 15:39
2nd Period
2-0 GUE Milne (6) (Suter) 0:37
3-0 GUE Garlent (8) (Finn, Bertuzzi) 5:47 PP
Penalties – Learn KIT (Tripping) 2:57, Faksa KIT (High Sticking) 4:17, Blaisdell KIT (Cross Checking) 5:47, Auger GUE (Boarding) 10:33, Kosmachuk GUE (Spearing – Double Minor) 19:08
3rd Period
4-0 GUE Kosmachuk (19) (Leslie, Garlent) 12:17
5-0 GUE McGinn (22) (Dickinson, Leslie) 15:30 PP
6-0 GUE Leslie (8) (Milne) 19:39
Penalties – Craievich GUE (Tripping) 5:28, Bailey KIT (Slashing) 14:06
Shots GUE 19-10-12 – 41 KIT 14-7-13 – 34
Goalies GUE Nichols (14-2-1-0) 34-34 KIT DeKort (3-11-0-0) 35-41
Powerplay GUE – 2-4 KIT – 0-5
3 Stars
1. Leslie, GUE
2. Nichols, GUE
3. Dickinson, GUE
