Rookie Guelph Storm goaltender Brayden Gillespie likes to keep it close.
It was another one-goal decision for Gillespie Friday as the Storm dropped a 3-2 game in overtime to the Barrie Colts.
Guelph wraps up the pre-Christmas portion of its holiday schedule Saturday when they host the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds,
Assigned to junior B Ayr Centennials this season with call-ups to the big club, four of the five games Gillespie, 17, has played for the Storm have been decided by one goal and three of them have gone to overtime. The other game was a two-goal difference.
"I don't know, it seems to be one of my specialties lately," Gillespie of the tendency to be in close games.
"But it's so much fun to be in those games because everything matters. Every save you make is so key for the team so it's just fun to be in those games. Doesn't matter where the puck is, you're always paying attention and into the game."
Gillespie said he feels a lot more confident now that he's got five games at the OHL level under his belt.
"It's just so much fun to be going up and down and playing with both teams."
Under his current status, Gillespie is limited to playing 10 games for the Storm. That could change if they signed him to a different type of card.
Storm coach Chad Wiseman said Gillespie has been a pleasant surprise since the Storm started using him, almost exclusively on Friday nights at home, a few weeks ago.
"He works hard, he tracks the puck incredibly well, he doesn't give up a lot of second chances, he smothers pucks or catches them. He's done a really nice job for us and has earned the opportunity to be here," Wiseman said.
Roenick Jodoin won it for the Colts at 3:34 of overtime.
Guelph's Jake Karabela was stripped of the puck deep in Barrie territory and Jodoin raced down the ice before burying a nice backhand past Gillespie.
The Storm's Valentin Zhugin forced overtime when he took a nice feed from Matt Poitras while streaking down the wing before burying it past Barrie netminder Sam Hillebrandt with 2:58 left in regulation.
Max Namestnikov, on the power play, had Guelph's other goal.
"It was a nice backhand goal. It just carried up on his stick and beat me by my glove. It was a great goal by him," said Gillespie, who made 31 saves on the night.
"It's not a bad thing to be in a lot of close games," Storm coach Chad Wiseman said. "I thought we got a little tired as the game went on."
Guelph hosts the Greyhounds Saturday at 2 p.m. then is off until Dec. 28 when they play in Windsor. Next home game is Dec. 30 against Windsor.
