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OHL Guelph Storm

Game Preview: Storm Go for Two Straight in Oshawa

October 11, 2015 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Guelph Storm News Release


Fresh off their first win of the season, the Guelph Storm will be looking to build off the victory visiting the Oshawa Generals for a Thanksgiving Monday matinee.

Steph Coratti, GuelphStorm.com ---

They got the first one, and now it's on to the next.

The Guelph Storm earned their first victory of the 2015-16 campaign this past Friday with a 3-1 result over the Owen Sound Attack at home. Now it's right back at it come Monday afternoon as the Storm visit the Generals for the second and final meeting between the cross-conference teams. The puck is scheduled to drop at 2:05pm.

The Generals, entering Monday's matinee a little differently than their opponent, are looking to put a three-game losing streak to an end after beginning their season with three out of four victories. Oshawa's last win came on Oct. 2 in a 3-0 score over the Peterborough Petes.

Weekend Pass Alert!

Following Monday's match-up against the Generals, the Storm return home to play two games at the Sleeman Centre next weekend, beginning with the visiting Windsor Spitfires on Oct. 16 at 7:30pm. Then the Kitchener Rangers are in town two days later on Oct. 18, kicking off the Highway Seven rivalry at 6:00pm. These two games give Storm fans the great opportunity to capitalize on the Weekend Pass ticket deal! With any ticket purchase to Friday's game, you can add a ticket to Sunday's big rivalry match-up for just $10! Catch all the action and get your tickets now! Call (519) 837-9690 for more information.

Click here to purchase your tickets for Windsor Spitfires @ Guelph Storm, Oct. 16.

Player Watch

Guelph Storm

Starting in the paint, there can never be too much said about veteran netminder Justin Nichols. The 1995-born, St. Catharine's, Ontario native continues to be the backbone of this young Storm squad, putting together outstanding displays between the pipes to earn the club their first point, later followed by their first win of the season - both against the Owen Sound Attack. In the team's 3-1 victory on Oct. 9, Nichols turned aside 37 shots including a flurry of remarkable saves to keep his team ahead in the final 20 minutes of the game. Nichols would be named the contest's first star. The five-foot-nine, 163-pound goaltender began the season with star-recognition with a 26-save performance to earn third star honours against the Oshawa Generals in a 3-0 season opening loss on Sept. 25. With four games under his belt so far, Nichols stands third overall in the OHL with an impressive .938 save percentage.

Leading the way offensively is sophomore forward James McEwan. Arguably the most all-around consistent player for the Storm so far, the 1997-born winger has four points - all goals - through the first five games of the season, with two multi-goal performances. McEwan earned second star honours in the Storm's victory over the Attack on Oct. 9, pocketing the game winning goal and the added cushion with just 19 seconds remaining on the clock. Additionally, with his two goals against the Attack, McEwan surpassed his goals total as a rookie in 2014-15 in which he recorded three in 45 games played. Looking at OHL totals, the Chatham, Ontario native currently sits seventh overall in goals scored.

Not too far behind is another second year winger in Luke Burghardt. The five-foot-ten, 150-pound forward has three points through five games so far this season, sitting just two points removed from surpassing his rookie point total of five recorded through 54 games in 2014-15. The Bowmanville, Ontario native has also already exceeded his rookie goal total of one with two goals through the young 2015-16 campaign. In the Storm's 3-1 victory over the Attack on Oct. 9, Burghardt registered an assist on Tyler Boston's opening marker.

Oshawa Generals

Returned from the Los Angeles Kings for his overage season, 1995-born winger Matt Mistele is leading the Generals offensively with eight points (two goals, six assists) through seven games played this season. With that, the Whitby, Ontario native is averaging 1.14 point(s) per game, a trend Mistele began against the Storm on Sept. 25 with a two-assist display for first star honours. Sitting 18th overall in OHL scoring, the six-foot-two, 190-pound forward was last on the score sheet in Kingston on Oct. 7 with a goal in a 3-2 overtime loss. With that, Mistele will be looking to get things going - not only offensively, but for a skidding Generals team - with the Storm in town on Monday afternoon.

Perhaps the most notable for the Generals, however, stands on the blue line at six-foot-four, 198-pounds wearing number 37. Defenceman Stephen Desrocher is averaging a point-per-game with three goals and four assists to start the 2015-16 campaign, and is more than on pace to surpass his sophomore totals of 23 points (10 goals, 13 assists) recorded through 66 games played in 2014-15. Selected in the 2015 NHL Draft in the sixth round (155th overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto, Ontario native currently sits second overall in OHL defenceman scoring - just one point back of the first-place standing. Desrocher pocketed a goal in the Generals' last contest, a 4-2 loss in Ottawa on Oct. 9.

Between the pipes stands six-foot, 170-pound netminder Jeremy Brodeur. Stepping into the starting position this campaign, the Essex Falls, New Jersey native hasn't missed a beat, earning a 3-2-1-0 record through six games played. Brodeur currently ranks fourth overall in goals-against-average with 1.83 and sixth overall in save percentage with .933. Against the Storm on Sept. 25, Brodeur earned a 23-save shutout for second star honours, while the goaltender's last contest came on Oct. 7 in a 3-2 overtime loss in Kingston. Brodeur made 26 of 29 saves in the game.

The Opponent: Oshawa Generals (3-3-1-0, 7 points)

After opening the 2015-16 campaign with three out of four wins, the Generals have slid into a three game losing streak with the last victory coming on Oct. 2 in a 3-0 score over the Peterborough Petes.

On Oct. 4, the Generals fell 5-2 to the Midwest Division's London Knights, only to drop a 3-2 overtime decision three days later to the Kingston Frontenacs on Oct. 7. Oshawa's last match-up came against the Ottawa 67's, a contest that saw the reigning Memorial Cup Champions on the other end of a 4-2 score.

With the skid, the Generals are at an even .500 winning percentage, and will undoubtedly be ready to get back into the win column with the Storm visiting on Monday afternoon.

Monday's match-up will be a rematch of the season opener for both squads, a contest the Generals came out of with a 3-0 victory. In the win, Oshawa scored three power play goals, going three for five with the man advantage, while Guelph struggled to get anything going offensively. Through seven games played, the Generals remain near the top for power play prowess, ranking second overall in the OHL with 10 goals for on 37 opportunities (27 PP%).

Last Match-Up: Oshawa 3 @ Guelph 0 (Sept. 25)

Sept. 25 game sheet.

GAME NOTES

Monday's match-up between the Generals and the Storm will be the second and final meeting for the cross-conference teams.

The Generals defeated the Storm in the season opener on Sept. 25 with a 3-0 score.

Following Monday's contest, the Storm return to action on Oct. 16 with the Windsor Spitfires visiting the Sleeman Centre. The Kitchener Rangers are also in town next weekend, visiting on Oct. 18, giving Storm fans the chance to take advantage of the Weekend Pass ticket deal! With any ticket purchase for Friday's game against Windsor, you can add a $10 ticket to see the Highway Seven rivalry in action on Sunday! For more information or to order your tickets, call (519) 837-9690. Tickets can also be purchased here.

Check out the Guelph Storm Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from October 11, 2015


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