With two minutes to go in the second period Friday night at the Sleeman Centre, the Guelph Storm was in cruise control.
Leading the Windsor Spitfires 5-1, they seemed to be in complete control over the worst team in the Western Conference.
Which Storm player to interview? Jett Luchanko who had four points? VIlmer Alriksson who came to life with a pair of goals? Rylan Singh and his first OHL goal? Decisions, decisions.
Then the wheels fell off.
The Spitfires added one before the middle frame was over then clawed their way back from two different three-goal deficits, eventually scoring three straight in the third to tie the game – including two with the goaltender on the bench to force overtime – then capped the remarkable comeback when Carson Woodall roofed a wrist shot at 3:47 of extra time.
Guelph's 5-1 lead turned into an 8-7 loss.
Bad penalties, selfish decisions, iffy goaltending and just some plain bad mistakes all contributed to what was a probably the low point of a season that has had a few.
What happened?
"I think we had a lot of players that made me-first decisions for the last 20 minutes of the game and probably to the last five or six minutes of the second," said a clearly exasperated coach Chad Wiseman.
"We built up a lead and played some great hockey, then guys wanted to get their cookies and take care of themselves. The result of being undisciplined and making me-first decisions instead of team-first decisions, that's the outcome that we get and that's the outcome that we probably deserved."
Guelph had a chance to win it in overtime, but Braeden Bowman and Chandler Romeo failed to connect on a two-on-one rush, which sent Windsor back the other way on its own two-on-one. Woodall held onto the puck and picked the top corner over Gillespie's glove.
"Hockey is a team-first game and if you don't play as a team, and you worry about yourself, then that's the result you're going to get most nights," Wiseman said.
Asked if it was a low point of the season, Wiseman didn't pause long before answering.
"That was one of the toughest periods to be behind the bench all year, it was frustrating," he said. "We just kept shooting ourselves in the foot, including five penalties in the third.
"Most of those bad decisions were older guys and veterans, absolutely."
Alriksson came into the game with just one goal in his last 13 games before scoring twice in a 65 second span of the second period. Zander Veccia and Brody Crane assisted on both goals.
Jett Luchanko also scored twice for Guelph, with Tommy Budnick and Jake Karabela had the others.
Windsor went 4-for-10 on the power play while Guelph went 1-for-6.
The Spitfires outshot Guelph 38-35 with neither Gillespie or Max Donoso at the other end having a night to write home about.
Guelph plays in Erie Saturday night. Next home game is Friday against Owen Sound.
