OHL Guelph Storm

Game Preview: Saturday Matinee Features Storm, Steelheads

Published on December 19, 2015 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Guelph Storm News Release


In the last game prior to the holiday break, the Guelph Storm host the Mississauga Steelheads for a 2:00pm start on Saturday afternoon.

Steph Coratti, GuelphStorm.com ---

Get your tickets to Mississauga @ Guelph HERE.

It will be an interesting match-up on Saturday afternoon.

The Guelph Storm, hosting the Mississauga Steelheads for a 2:00p.m. puck drop, will likely be looking to ride the momentum from a close 5-4 overtime loss to the London Knights on Friday - a loss that saw the Storm rally with three straight goals to tie up the game before falling in the extra period.

The Steelheads, on the other hand, have dropped two straight, including a 6-1 loss to the Sarnia Sting in their last match-up on Friday. Looking to get back into the win column before breaking for the holiday season, Mississauga will undoubtedly be putting a strong rebound effort on display Saturday afternoon at the Sleeman Centre.

Player Watch

Guelph Storm

After being sidelined due to injury for a little over a month, overager Tyler Hill returned to the Storm line up in London on Friday. In the 5-4 overtime loss, the six-foot-six, 236-pound forward posted two assists, bringing his season total to seven points (one goal, six assists) through 17 games played. Additionally, with the multi-point performance, the Hagersville, Ontario native points in three of his last four games played, compiling one goal and five assists.

Sophomore Givani Smith also found the score sheet on Friday in London, registering a goal to surpass his rookie goal total of seven recorded in 61 games last season. Now with eight tallies on the season, the Toronto, Ontario native has 17 points, putting him second overall on the Storm in production. The six-foot-one, 197-pound forward also has points in four of his last six games played, compiling four goals for six points.

Defenseman Garrett McFadden, after pocketing a goal against the Knights on Friday, is a mere three points away from setting a new career-best offensively, currently sitting with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) through 31 games this season. The Kincardine, Ontario native's 18 points set in 56 games last campaign stands as a career-high presently, with McFadden inching closer to the mark registering three points over his last four games played.

Mississauga Steelheads

With leading scorer Alexander Nylander out of the line up, the next biggest threat comes packaged in assistant captain Michael McLeod, registering 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) through 35 games this season. A native of Mississauga, Ontario, the 1998-born OHL sophomore has already seen and passed his rookie point total of 29 registered in 63 games last campaign. Although pointless in his last two games, the six-foot-two, 187-pound forward has recorded three goals for seven points in his last five games played.

Third on the Steelheads in production is third-year veteran Nathan Bastian. Being a native of Kitchener, Ontario, the six-foot-four, 208-pound forward will surely find getting up for this match-up fairly easy, with family and friends likely to make the short trip down Highway Seven to the Royal City. So far, through 33 games this season, Bastian has put together a career-year, posting 37 points (eight more than his previous best in 2014-15). Over seven games played in the month of December, the 1997-born centre has been held pointless only twice, recording three goals for 11 points.

Looking at Mississauga's most recent contest, a 6-1 loss to the Sarnia Sting on Friday, a bright spot came in captain Josh Burnside. With the Steelheads only goal of the contest, the Brampton, Ontario native earned third star honours. On the season overall, the five-foot-eleven, 190-pound forward has 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) in 23 games.

The Opponent: Mississauga Steelheads (18-14-1-2, 39 points)

Holding the second seed in the Central Division, the Eastern Conference's Mississauga Steelheads are having a solid season so far, currently tied in points with the Central's leader Barrie Colts with one less win.

Over their last 10 games played, Mississauga has compiled a 6-3-1-0 record. Most recently, though, there's been a few road bumps. Since stringing together three straight victories - a 6-3 result over the Colts (Dec. 6), a 4-3 final versus the Windsor Spitfires (Dec. 10), and a 3-0 shutout win against the Flint Firebirds - the Steelheads have dropped their last two contests.

Falling 2-1 in overtime at the hands of the North Bay Battalion on Dec. 17, Mississauga went on to lose 6-1 to the Sarnia Sting Friday - a result that will undoubtedly leave the Steelheads pushing for a strong comeback effort in Guelph on Saturday.

Another notable for the Steelheads heading into Saturday's match-up with the Storm stands in their road record, an improved compilation of 10-6-1-1 when playing as the visiting squad in comparison to that of their 8-8-0-1 record at home.

GAME NOTES

Saturday's match-up is the first of two meetings between the Storm and the Steelheads this season.

The game is also the last before the Storm head into the holiday break.

The Storm resume from the break on Dec. 29 when they host the Erie Otters.

Check out the Guelph Storm Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from December 19, 2015


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