Suter and Dickinson shine in comebacks
The Guelph Storm moved to 3-1-0 on the season after back-to-back come back wins at home against the Plymouth Whalers on Oct. 3 and visiting the Owen Sound Attack on Oct. 4.
In the hunt for their first win on home ice, the Storm found themselves in an early hole against the Whalers. The visiting squad controlled most of the first period, with Matthew Campagna pocketing the first tally quick off a face-off to give the Whalers a 1-0 lead.
Frustrations boiled over to end the first, giving way to a five-on-three man advantage for the Whalers to start the middle frame. Wasting no time, Victor Crus Rydberg found the back of the net just 20 seconds in, pushing the Whalers’ lead to two.
That would be it for Plymouth on the night, however, as the Storm would respond with four unanswered goals to take the game 4-2.
While still shorthanded, Pius Suter forced a Whalers turnover, feeding the puck up to Jason Dickinson, in his first game back in the Storm line up since being reassigned by the Dallas Stars. Dickinson would make no mistake, scoring the first Storm goal on home ice for the 2014-15 season and cutting the two-goal deficit in half.
Merely two minutes later, Guelph native Stephen Pierog rushed in across the slot, putting the puck past Whalers goaltender Alexander Nedelijkovic to tie the game.
Dickinson and Suter would continue to be a pair to be reckoned with for the go-ahead goal. Dickinson managed to find Suter through a Whalers defender and the coined Swiss Sensation put the home team up 3-2 after a five-hole tally.
Suter would hammer in a rebound off a Dickinson shot late in the third to solidify the 4-2 win, putting Guelph’s first home win of the season in the books.
With two goals and an assist, Suter registered a career-high night and was named the game’s first star.
Storm goaltender Justin Nichols was strong in net, stopping 17 of 19 shots., while the Storm fired a total of 34 shots at Nedelijkovic.
The following night in Owen Sound had a similar story.
With a total of 14 penalty minutes being handed out in the first period alone, the Storm were down a man for eight of them. The Attack took advantage, with Ethan Szypula putting one past Matthew Mancina on the powerplay after the Storm goaltender made an incredible initial save on the Attack’s Damir Sharipzyanov.
Suter would continue his hot hand, tying the game at one as he took to the races to outskate the Attack defencemen and put the puck past goaltender Jack Flinn.
The Storm would still head to the dressing room after twenty minutes of play down a goal as Owen Sound’s Daniel Milne scored his third of the season on the powerplay, putting the home team up 2-1.
In the second, the Storm came out with all kinds of pressure but struggled to solve Owen Sound goaltender, Flinn, who made several outstanding saves in a scoreless period. Dickinson, Pierog, and Tyler Bertuzzi all had great chances for the tying marker, but failed to capitalize. The Storm outshot the Attack 18-6 in the middle frame.
The final period saw dynamic duo of Suter and Dickinson connect once again, with Suter making a beautiful pass to Dickinson for the tap-in to tie the game at two on the powerplay.
The game winner came at the hands of local boy Garrett McFadden, who made an incredible end-to-end rush followed up with great hands for the deke around the Attack defenceman to put the puck past Flinn. The Storm would take their third straight win by a score of 3-2.
Suter would earn first star honours for the second night in a row with a goal and an assist.
Mancina, who made several great saves throughout the game, stopped 26 of 28 shots. Attack goaltender Flinn faced 40 shots from the visiting squad, stopping 37 of them.
The next contest for the defending OHL Champions comes at home against the North Bay Battalion on Oct. 10 in what will be a rematch of the 2014 OHL Final.