This one stings.
The Guelph Storm was five seconds away from a big upset over the Saginaw Spirit at the Sleeman Centre Friday night. Then everything went to hell.
A careless turnover by Cam Allen led to Saginaw's tying goal with 4.8 seconds remaining in regulation then an ill-advised drop pass by Quinn Beauchesne led to a Saginaw two-on-one rush with Josh Bloom winning the game with 11 seconds remaining in overtime as the Storm fell 5-4.
Guelph led 4-2 with 2:23 remaining in the third.
"The way we played the game, I thought we deserved a better outcome tonight," Storm coach Chad Wiseman said, and he was right.
"We had a 4-2 lead with two or three minutes left in the game and that's a position you want to put yourself in. I thought we played a great 58 ... 58 and a half minutes. I thought we deserved a better fate tonight."
As for the two critical mistakes late in the game that led to the tying and winning goals, Wiseman said "it's a game of mistakes. It's going to happen."
Guelph led 3-1 heading into the third period on goals by Braeden Bowman, Jake Karabela and Brody Crane. After Saginaw made it 3-2 early in the third, Vilmer Alriksson scored to restore the Storm's two-goal lead.
Then a bad penalty by Alriksson – leaving his feet to hit Saginaw's Braden Hache in the corner – led to a Spirit power play goal to bring them within one.
Allen's poor clearing attempt off the glass didn't make it out of the Storm zone with the clock winding down and it led to the tying goal by Matyas Sapovalis.
"I loved our first 40 minutes. I thought we came out a little timid in the third period ... sitting back, trying to protect the lead instead of advancing pucks and playing in the o-zone and still protecting the lead," Wiseman said.
The fatal two turnovers late in the game aside, the Storm played a very solid game. They worked hard, they skated hard and they played hard against the Memorial Cup hosts.
Brayden Gillespie was also brilliant, facing 43 shots, 22 of those in the third period.
There was also some questionable calls by the officials, notably a seemingly obvious intentional offside that was given normal offside status by the linesman late in the game. Saginaw won the face off just outside the Storm blueline and scored shortly after.
Wiseman wasn't going to be baited into earning a fine by commenting on the officiating.
"I have none, Tony. Absolutely none," Wiseman said before walking away when asked if he had any comment on the officiating. "I thought they were fantastic."
Guelph hosts the Kitchener Rangers Sunday at 2 p.m.
