That’s four straight losses for the Owen Sound Attack.
Jett Luchanko had a pair of primary assists on second period goals by the Guelph Storm, who opened up a 3-0 lead en route to downing the Attack 4-1 in Ontario Hockey League action Friday evening at the Sleeman Centre.
Guelph (8-15-2-1) moved past Owen Sound for ninth in the OHL’s Western Conference with the win.
The Attack (7-16-2-3) dropped their fourth in a row, and eighth in the past 10 games.
Carter Stevens, Charlie Paquette, Max Namestnikov and Lev Katzin scored for Guelph. Ben Cormier had Owen Sound’s lone goal.
The Storm controlled this one start-to-finish. Stevens made it 1-0 Guelph just over 13 minutes into the first, taking a puck near the crease and moving it to his forehand before quickly putting it high past Carter George.
Guelph outshot Owen Sound 15-10 in the first.
Just 10 seconds into the second period the Storm were given a lengthy power play opportunity. David Bedkowski caught Namestnikov with a big open ice hit near the Attack blueline – and was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct on the play.
But Guelph couldn’t get anything going on the five minute power play. Owen Sound actually had the best scoring chance, a puck that came to James Petrovski near the left hash mark and forced Brayden Gillespie to make a big save with his blocker and he slid to his right.
Paquette made it 2-0 Guelph just past the midway mark of the second, slamming a one-time shot from the slot past George blocker side.
Six minutes later it was 3-0 Guelph. Just seconds after returning to the ice after a penalty, Luchanko won a board battle with Declan Waddick in the corner and got the puck to Namestnikov, who swung out from behind the goal and shot five-hole on George.
Owen Sound would get on the board at 10:12 of the third period. Tristan Delisle came out of the box and carried the puck up the left wing, his shot was stopped but the rebound sat there and was put in by Cormier.
It was Owen Sound’s first goal in more than five periods, after being blanked 3-0 in London Wednesday and the first fifty-minutes and 12 seconds at the Sleeman Centre.
Katzin added an empty-netter, his first OHL goal.
Gillespie made 28 saves in the win, while George stopped 43 taking the loss. Guelph outshot Owen Sound 47-29 while going 0 for 3 on the power play; the Attack finished 0 for 4.
Next up for the Attack is a home game against the Soo Greyhounds (13-14) Saturday night at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.
INJURY UPDATE
Attack forward Ben Cormier made his return to the lineup – and scored – after missing the past two games with a hand injury. Jake Crawford was out and considered day-to-day with a lower-body ailment he picked up in London Wednesday. Trent Gates also missed Friday’s game, he’s day-to-day with an illness.
Attack captain Konnor Smith continues to progress in his recovery from a wrist injury. He’s missed this past 18 games. It’s still a few weeks out, but he could be ready to make his return right out of the Christmas break when the Attack host the Brantford Bulldogs Dec. 28.
