Brayden Gillespie has been so good in net for the Guelph Storm this season that sometimes you forget he's only human.
One of the statistical leaders in virtually every league goaltending category to date, Gillespie continued to struggle against just one team: the Kitchener Rangers.
The OHL's top team scored three times on Gillespie in the opening 12 minutes Wednesday night at the Sleeman Centre to build up a 3-0 lead after the first period, then cruised to a 5-1 victory.
For Guelph it was its third straight loss in a week against teams in the top half of the OHL standings: Sault Ste. Marie, Saginaw and now Kitchener.
Gillespie got the hook after allowing three goals on seven shots in just 11:35 of action. In four starts against Kitchener this season he has been given the hook in three of them.
Are the Rangers in his head a little bit?
"Not really. You think about it sometimes, but at the same time it's in the trash. You throw it away and then you focus on the next time you play them," said a subdued Gillespie after the loss. "You just focus on the next one and be better for the team when they need it.
"I'm always looking forward to play against them, knowing where they are in the standings, you always want to go in their and give it your best effort," said Gillespie.
"They're just a very good puck-moving team in general, they move the puck very well, and they're always looking for that back door play."
Of course it wasn't all Gillespie's doing. Guelph failed to capitalize on some glorious scoring chances, were shooting wide or over the net time and time again, hit a post and had one goal waived off for offside.
But you don't beat the OHL's top team by being decent. You have to bring your 'A' game and it wasn't done with any sustainability.
"To be honest with you I didn't mind our first period, I thought we generated a bunch of chances," Storm coach Chad Wiseman said, "but three or four glaring mistakes ended up in the back of our net. Those are the times you need a save."
As for Gillespie having some tough outings of late, Wiseman said it's part of the game.
"Everybody goes through that at certain times of the year, a little turbulence, whether it's individual or as a team and I think Brayden's maybe going through a little bit of that right now, but it's our job as a staff and it's our job as a team to help him out of it."
Jett Luchanko had Guelph's lone goal in the opening minute of the second period to breath some life into the Storm, but the Rangers' Simon Motew scored 48 seconds later to restore the three-goal lead and deflate the crowd of almost 4,600.
Guelph's next game is Friday when the Flint Firebirds visit.
