There may be 22 games remaining in the regular season, but the Guelph Storm is going to have to start winning games like Sunday's if they hope to make the playoffs.
Playing a beat-up and tired Ottawa 67's squad, the Storm let a point slip through their hands Sunday at the Sleeman Centre, losing in the shootout of a 4-3 final.
Guelph sits dead last in the Western Conference, six points out of a playoff spot.
"We're happy with the point, but where we are, we need two points every night," Storm coach Cory Stillman said after the game as players were busy lining up for photos with their billet families.
"We're playing teams that we need to get points and we need to win," Stillman said. "We get on a streak and we'd be in the playoffs. But again, back-to-back games where we've scored early but been unable to maintain that momentum."
Ottawa sits eighth in the Eastern Conference. On Friday Guelph lost at home to Sarnia, who are seventh in the Western Conference. Tuesday they travel to play fifth-place Erie and Friday host ninth-place North Bay.
These are the stretches you are supposed to make up ground, not lose it.
"We need some secondary scoring and we're not getting it now," Stillman said. "We need four lines to be successful."
Thrilling finish aside, Sunday's game was a bit of a snoozer.
Guelph trailed 2-1 after one and it was tied 2-2 after two.
Luca Pinielli put Ottawa up 3-2 with 7:36 left in regulation when he found a tiny opening in the top corner from a bad angle, perhaps the lone mistake a rock-solid (again) Colin Ellsworth made in the Storm net. He made 35 saves in regulation.
But Pinielli went from hero to goat when he delivered an ill-advised check to the head of Storm defenceman Quinn Beauchesne along the boards. Pinelli got a five-minute major and game misconduct.
Jett Luchanko tied it up on the ensuing power play, his second goal of the game. Lev Katzin had the other Guelph goal.
Guelph killed off a penalty in overtime and took a 2-1 lead in the shootout. But 67's goaltender Jaeden Nelson shut the door after that and Ottawa beat Ellsworth twice to take the game, the deciding shootout goal coming from Shaan Kingwell.
"At least our power play came on to tie the game and we killed a penalty in overtime.
Tuesday's game in Erie is an 11 a.m. school day game. Next home game is Friday when North Bay visits. Saturday they host Saginaw.