If there was any good news to come out of the current Guelph Storm slump it's that Brayden Gillespie appears to have returned to form.
The Storm goaltender, so good in the first half of the season but struggling mightily after Christmas, has strung together three straight excellent efforts in the Storm net.
The latest came Monday in a 4-1 Family Day afternoon loss to the Sudbury wolves before 4,881 at the Sleeman Centre, a game that was 0-0 heading into the third period.
Gillespie was brilliant, making 38 saves in the game and was the only reason it was close for as long as it was. Sudbury's fourth goal was into an empty net.
"I feel like I'm right back to where I was at the start of the season," said Gillespie after the game.
"You go through those dry spells for a bit, but when you get back you know you're back and it just feels really good right now."
Gillespie said the problem was never mental, it was physical and technical. He credits lots of video and practice with goalie coach Rob Beatty for the turnaround.
"The physical game wasn't there for a bit, but we've been working on it all last month but then it's all come together right now," the Oakville native said.
"It's all credit to (Beatty) and me just working together as a team and it's all come out really well."
Monday's loss was Guelph's ninth in its last 10 games.
A gritty, physical affair, Guelph couldn't solve Sudbury netminder Marcus Vandenberg on the few chances it had early on.
Sudbury finally beat Gillespie 21 seconds into the third period, a deflected shot that went to David Goyette who rifled it home.
Kocha Delic scored what proved to be the game winner at 5:54 of the third, a quick wrister from the slot following a Storm turnover in the corner.
A power play goal by Dalibor Dvorsky make it 3-0 before Guelph's Cam Allen scored on the power play with the goalie pulled to make it 3-1.
Goyette's second of the game into the empty net finished off the scoring.
"They're a great team over there and it was a great game, it was just a few bounces that didn't go our way," Gillespie said. "That's the luck of the draw."
With 14 games to go in the regular season Guelph sits in fifth place in the Western Conference, one point up on the Owen Sound Attack and four points up on seventh place Erie.
Gueph was outshot 42-32.
Next up is the Windsor Spitfires on Friday.
