When the Guelph Storm traded veteran goaltender Brayden Gillespie just before the deadline, it did two things to rookie goaltender Colin Ellsworth: guaranteed him some much-needed playing time which in turn gave a big boost to his confidence.
Ellsworth, a December birth date who entered the season as the youngest player in the OHL, continued his strong play Friday with a 27-save performance against the Sarnia Sting in a 4-3 loss that went right down to the buzzer.
"I miss BG (Gillespie) a lot, he taught me a lot of things, but obviously I like playing," said Ellsworth.
"It's good for me and Jovo (Zach Jovanovski) to share the net, get experience and develop together."
Ellsworth has certainly stepped up his game, with a brilliant 38-save win in Oshawa last weekend and Friday's solid effort.
"Getting more games helps you in those situations where you let in a couple of goals and you have to fight back," he said. "It's good I'm getting more games."
After allowing the three first period goals, Ellsworth came back with a 14-save second period, including at least three that were gold star stops. He kept the game deadlocked before a wrist shot from the point was tipped by a player in front, supplying what proved to be the winning goal with 5:41 left in the third period.
"It was tipped. A high tip and it went a little lower than I was thinking," Ellsworth said of the winner, which was set up when the Storm failed to clear its own zone on a seemingly straightforward clearing play along the boards seconds earlier.
Guelph came close to tying it, faltering on a power play then just missing on some tight chances with the goalie pulled, but Sarnia goaltender Nick Surzycia was up to the task as well, making several big stops in the dying minutes.
The Storm got goals from Charlie Paquette, Lev Katzin and Ryan McGuire, the first two on the power play. Jake Karabela had a pair of assists.
They are playing this weekend's two games rebranded as the Royal City Jockstraps, an homage to the city being the birthplace of the protective device.
"We made some mistakes and it ends up in the back of the net," Storm coach Cory Stillman said of the loss.
"Give (Sarnia) credit. They work hard. They play well five on five," Stillman said. "We had some chances on the power play and our special teams has to be the difference and it wasn't."
Guelph went two-for-eight on the power play.
Stillman also had words of praise for his young goaltender.
"He's getting better. He's a 16-year-old goaltender that didn't play much in the first half but you're going to see him play more in the second. He made some big saves when we needed him to.
"But I think it's a case of us getting outworked at times and not keeping momentum in the hockey game."
Guelph will host the Ottawa 67's Sunday at 2 p.m.