The Guelph Storm's losing streak hit seven games Sunday with a 5-2 loss to the Mississauga Steelheads at the Sleeman Centre.
The loss came without the team's top scorer in the lineup, as Ryan Merkley was a healthy scratch.
The second-year defenceman leads the team with 58 points in 55 games this season and is a projected high pick in this June's National Hockey League draft.
Storm general/manager George Burnett didn't want to make too big of a deal about his decision to sit Merkley and wouldn't go into details as to why he did it.
"He wasn't happy and I don't expect him to be happy. But he understand why and that will stay between Ryan and I and I think that's the way to handle it," Burnett said.
Merkley politely declined to discuss the matter when given the opportunity to comment.
He did not play in Friday night's home loss to Owen Sound and post-game Burnett said that Merkley was injured.
He was back in the lineup Saturday night in Barrie, a 5-3 loss, and did not record a point. He did take a retaliatory slashing penalty that led to a Barrie goal and in the third period was given a 10-minute misconduct for something he said to the referee.
Burnett was asked what the young defenceman has to do to get back in the Storm lineup.
"That's probably a question for Ryan, but for right now we're working together on things," Burnett said.
"He knows the expectation and we're going to work together over the next few days that we're in a lot better spot a few days from now when we start next weekend."
Burnett stressed again that Merkley is an important part of the team.
Guelph started Sunday's game shorthanded and finished it even more shorthanded.
Joining Merkley on the sideline were the injured Cam Hillis and Tag Bertuzzi, both of who are scheduled to be re-evaluated on Monday.
During the game, defenceman Dmitri Samorukov was given a match penalty for slew footing, which likely means suspension, and Mason Primeau was given a misconduct for a fight. Zach Poirier, who played Sunday, was ejected Saturday night for a head checking major on Barrie's Ben Hawerchuk.
Sunday's loss, and a win by the Windsor Spitfires, leaves Guelph and Windsor are tied for seventh place in the Western Conference.
The Storm trailed 2-1 after the first period Sunday, but the killer was the second period, during which they were outscored 3-0 by Mississauga, who outshot them 20-3 in the frame.
Storm forward Nate Schnarr agreed that there are no magic potions for ending a losing streak. Just hard work.
"It's going to be back to the basics. It's going to be hard work. We've got to get back to our team game and simplify ourselves," Schnarr said.
"Every team has a slump somewhere, it's just a frustrating time of the year that it's happening to us. We still have 20 guys in that dressing room and we still believe in one another."
The Storm has another three-in-three weekend coming up: Flint at home Friday, in Owen Sound Saturday afternoon and home to the Kitchener Rangers on Sunday afternoon.
