Defending champions move on to Western Conference Semi-Final
It took five games.
This time, however, was a little bit different.
The Guelph Storm – the defending OHL Champions – eliminated the fifth-place Owen Sound Attack in a 4-1 Quarterfinal series, the Storm’s fifth consecutive playoff series victory that took just five games.
In this match-up, the Storm fell 6-1 to open the postseason, a performance that earned them a few more skeptics than they started out with.
After eliminating the Owen Sound Attack in a 4-1 series, the Guelph Storm advanced to the Western Conference Semi-Final against the first overall Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Nevertheless, two days after Game One on March 29, the Storm rebounded in dramatic fashion – a fashion that would be on display through the remainder of the series – downing the Attack 5-4 in overtime.
Guelph came out of the gates quickly, earning a 2-0 lead in the first period with goals from Tyler Bertuzzi and Jason Dickinson. The Attack, however, would climb their way in front with three straight second period markers. The Storm would respond in the third period, grabbing their second lead of the game, as Bertuzzi scored two more for the hat trick. Owen Sound would add one more to force overtime, but it would be overage forward Chris Marchese emerging with overtime heroics just less than three minutes into the extra frame.
In Owen Sound, for Game’s Three and Four, the Storm would pull out two more victories to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, as both games were decided with one-goal differentials in 2-1 and 3-2 wins respectively, including a second overtime result.
Game Four would have the young guns on full display, with sophomore Garrett McFadden – playing close to hometown Kincardine, Ontario – tying the game with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to force overtime. The goal would be McFadden’s first career-OHL playoff marker, and he would score it on a shorthanded rush, following up his own rebound with a waist-level baseball swing. McFadden would also initiate the overtime winner, firing a point shot on net with rookie Givani Smith making no mistake for the game-winner.
Storm netminder Justin Nichols, who evidently rebounded following a tough showing in Game One of the series, earned the game’s first star with 48 of 50 saves.
Nichols would add another outstanding performance to the playoff resume in Game Five, not facing as many shots as in the previous contests, however, coming up with incredible saves, including a two-pad-stack, and an absolute robbery on Owen Sound’s Zach Nastasiuk in the dying minutes to keep his team up by one in an elimination game for the Attack.
Eliminating the Attack with their fourth consecutive victory in a 2-1 result, Nichols was named the game’s second star with 28 of 29 saves, while Pius Suter received first star recognition with a goal and an assist. Suter’s goal would be registered shorthanded, and would be the eventual game and series-winner for the Storm.
Guelph now looks to the Western Conference Semi-Final – a series that heavily favours their opponent, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. The Greyhounds, finishing first overall in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) through the 2014-15 regular season campaign, are a favourite to not only down the Storm, but to go on to contend for the OHL Championship.
If there’s a team that knows what it takes to emerge as underdogs over a Goliath-like squad, it will be the Guelph Storm.
Wearing the underdog label is something the Storm certainly aren’t used to, following the magic of the 2014 Playoffs en route to a championship. Nevertheless, in the 2014-15 regular season series, Guelph held the Greyhounds to three one-goal results, with one game requiring overtime, and a second needing a shootout resolution.
If there’s a team that knows what it takes to emerge as underdogs over a Goliath-like squad, it will be the Guelph Storm.
The series begins April 8 and April 9 for Game’s One and Two in Sault Ste. Marie, while Game’s Three and Four will be played in Guelph on April 12 and 14 respectively.