There's little sugar coating this one.
With a schedule from hell on the horizon, the Guelph Storm really needed a win Friday night at home in front of a near-full house against the Sarnia Sting, one of the team's they are trying to reel in for the final playoff spot. Instead they floundered, falling 5-1.
Next up? Games in Kitchener Sunday and a home-and-home against the CHL's top-ranked London Knights Tuesday in London and Wednesday at home.
On a night when two teams just above them lost and there was ground to be gained, the loss leaves the Storm six points out of a playoff spot with nine games left on the schedule.
"This was a game we needed tonight, for sure," Storm coach Cory Stillman said. "There's no excuses. It was a game we really needed to win and we were actually chasing the game for a while.
"We were in it, then we made a couple of mistakes and it's in the back of our net ... they deserved to win tonight."
Scoring woes continued.
Outside of the big dogs Charlie Paquette, Lev Katzin, Max Naestnikov and Jett Luchanko, the Storm just isn't getting production from anyone. Even that group struggled Friday.
"We have chances. I can go over our last five games and we've been out-chancing teams," Stillman said. "The difference is getting a timely goal: to get back into the game, to make it 2-2 or if we're ahead by one getting that goal to make it a two-goal lead and put it over that edge and put a team away.
Stillman said it's tough when you're relying on the same group every night to provide the goals. Others need to provide that secondary scoring, a problem all year long..
"It's tough. Our top players have scored. Charlie Paquette has done a great job every night ... other guys are getting the opportunities and missing them. They squeeze the stick and they hesitate. We need other guys too step up."
Guelph did hit the iron three times, but couldn't find the back of the net when they were presented with quality chances.
"Can you teach it? If you work hard, you work on habits and getting into spots. Eventually then you'll score goals."
Sarnia led 1-0 after one period and 2-0 after two.
Things took a positive turn early in the third when the crowd and the Storm bench got an energy boost thanks to Charlie Paquette making it a one-goal game with his 31st goal of the season just 3:39 into the period.
But a defenceman caught out of position led to a two-on-one for Sarnia that restored the two-goal differential just 24 seconds later.
A big rebound and a soft back check made it 4-1 shortly thereafter.
Liam Beamish had the hat trick to lead the Sting, who outshot Guelph 38-35 on the night.
Colin Ellsworth handled the Guelph netminding chores.