It started out as a laugher but ended up a thriller.
The Guelph Storm completely dominated the opening 30 minutes at the Sleeman Centre Friday night but then had to fight off a third-period surge by the Kitchener Rangers before emerging with a 4-2 win in Game 1 of their playoff opener against the Kitchener Rangers.e
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series goes Sunday afternoon at the Sleeman Centre.
Guelph benefited with the return of Jack Hanley, Cedric Ralph, Keegan Stevenson and Sean Durzi all returned to the lineup after missing the end of the regular season with injury and illness.
"I think it was good for us. It was important for us to find a way to get the job done," Storm coach George Burnett said of how the game gradually turned.
"But we can certainly learn some things from tonight, the good and correctable.
"It's one hockey game only and (Kitchener) are probably going to leave here feeling pretty good about the way they pushed. We can enjoy this for a few minutes tonight only then correct a few things tomorrow and make sure we're better off Sunday afternoon.
Guelph led 2-0 in a first period that saw them outshoot the Rangers 19-3.
By the midway point of the second period the shots were 23-5 and Guelph led 3-0.
The third goal, which proved to be the game winner, was a thing of beauty as the Storm's Alexey Toropchenko completely undressed rookie Rangers defenceman Donovan Sebrango before tucking it past goaltender Luke Richardson.
But the Rangers got stronger as the game wore on and managed to get on the board in the opening minute of the third period and at 11:26 to make for a thrilling ending that was only finalized when Guelph's MacKenzie Entwistle fired one into an empty net.
"Going into the third period we knew there was going to be a big push and that's what they did," said the Storm's Nate Schnarr, who opened the scoring in the first.
"We were lucky to get a win there," Schnarr added.
Zach Roberts had Guelph's other goal.
Guelph aided its own cause by taking just two minor penalties, killing them both off against the league's top power play during the regular season.
"We made a few adjustments there, we've been preparing all week. I don't want to give away all our secrets," Schnarr said.
Burnett said the Kitchener push late in the game was expected.
"I think the difference was for us was that we stopped pursuing the forecheck as much as we had been and we let them have some free ice," Burnett said. "A little too much time and space and we allowed them to use their speed through the neutral zone."
One of the question marks for both teams heading into the series was goaltending. But both Guelph's Anthony Popovich and Kitchener's Richardson played great games.
Richardson was the star of the first half of the game just holding his team in it, while Popovich was solid when he had to be and great when he needed to be, in particular on a five-save stint during a Rangers power play in the second period.
