With the schedule of doom looming over the final 11 games, the Guelph Storm got a much-needed win Friday night.
Brayden Gillespie turned in a stellar 34-save performance during live action then stopped all three Owen Sound Attack attempts in the shootout as the Storm downed the Attack 3-2.
Jett Luchanko scored the lone goal in the shootout, roofing a backhand past the outstretched pad of Carter George.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak.
"It was a huge weight off our shoulders. We needed that win against a division rival," said Gillespie.
"The boys stayed with it, they battled for me in overtime and made some big blocks and then I got it done for them in the shootout."
Guelph had to kill off a too-many-men penalty during overtime.
It was a very emotional showing by Gillespie, who let the Owen Sound shooters have an earful after stopping them in the shootout then doing the glass splash in the corner after sealing the victory.
"I really wanted that win, I wasn't gonna' give that one up. It was all in the heart," Gillespie said. "They had to know they missed. It was fun."
It was a 1-1 game heading into the third, with Charlie Paquette putting the Storm up 2-1 with 71 seconds left in the period when Vilmer Alriksson found him all alone at the side of the Owen Sound net.
But 18 seconds later the Attack's Servac Petrovsky split the Storm defence and chipped the puck over Gillespie's shoulder to force overtime.
Braeden Bowman had Guelph's other goal.
Guelph has a very tough schedule the rest of the way: Saginaw three times, London, Kitchener and Owen Sound each twice, and single games against Sault Ste. Marie and Windsor, the latter being the only opponent behind them in the Western Conference standings.
"I think everyone knows who we're playing and it's just day by day, game by game and practice by practice. If we need to work on something, go back to the drawing board.
"When we work our hardest and play our game, we can compete with anybody."
Bowman said the winning formula is a simple one.
"Hard work. It's no secret," the Storm captain said. "Just work as hard as you possibly can in games and practice ... the last couple of weeks we've been honing in on our work ethic and just be determined to play the right way no matter what to play hard no matter what."
Guelph was without four regulars Friday as Brayden Hislop, Parker Snelgrove and Gavin Grundner all missed the game with injuries and Ryan McGuire sat out the second game of his two-game suspension.
Michael Buchinger was back on the blueline after missing 13 games after having surgery on his thumb.
Guelph will host the second-place Saginaw Spirit Sunday at 2 p.m.
