The Guelph Storm got a much-needed confidence boost Sunday against the team that could very well be its opponent in the first round of the playoffs.
Charlie Paquette scored the winner with 1:32 left in regulation as the Storm downed the Rangers 5-4 in front of 4,882 at the Sleeman Centre.
It was Guelph's second win in seven games against the Rangers this season. The two teams meet again Tuesday in Kitchener.
More importantly, the Highway 7 Rivalry looks like it might heat up with a first round playoff matchup between the two.
After Sunday's action Guelph sits tenuously in fifth place and Kitchener entrenched in fourth in the Western Conference. A home-and-home series with the Owen Sound Attack later this week will likely be the determining factor in the final standings.
"Whatever happens, happens," said Storm coach Chad Wiseman about a preferred opponent in the first round.
"Obviously a little lighter travel would be nice rather than being stuck on the bus in that first round. But whoever we play, we'll be ready."
Wiseman said the key is playing well when the post-season starts no matter where you land in the standings or who you meet.
"You're always looking at the standings and trying to figure out where you're going to land, but at the end of the day we need to be playing better hockey, and we are," said Wiseman.
"Other than the game in Saginaw our last four or five games have been real solid and we've had an opportunity to win every game that we've played."
The Storm, on the heels of a heartbreaking overtime loss to Saginaw Friday, finished this one in style Sunday.
With overtime on the horizon, Max Namestnikov won the puck in the corner and found Gavin Grundner in the high slot. Jackson Parsons made a nice pad save on his hard wrist shot, but Paquette swooped in to deposit the rebound, his second goal of the game.
The Storm held off the Rangers the rest of the way, which included killing off the final 24 seconds two men short thanks to Parsons being pulled and Braeden Bowman being whistled for a delay of game penalty.
"It feels nice to get a couple of goals, but it feels better to get the two points," said Paquette, who has 18 on the season.
"Max just made a great forecheck and he found Grundner in the slot. He made a great play off his pad and it just happened to find my stick," he said of the winner.
"We're trying to get to that fifth spot, that's our goal right now. It's about playing good hockey, playing our system and tuning everything out for playoffs."
The Storm led 2-0 early and 4-3 midway in the third before Simon Motew tied things up with 10:29 left in regulation.
Grundner, Jake Karabela and Cam Allen had the other Storm goals. Damian Slavik, filling in for the injured Brayden Gillespie, made 26 saves in the Storm net. Gillespie is day-to-day with a lower body injury.
Guelph plays in Kitchener Tuesday, hosts Owen Sound Thursday at 6:30 p.m., then wraps up the regular season with road games in Owen Sound Saturday and in London on Sunday.
Owen Sound, also winners Sunday, is one point back of Guelph, with the Storm holding two games in hand. The Flint Firebirds are two points back of Guelph with three games left to play.
