Sometimes the numbers do lie.
The Guelph Storm wasn't going to get too caught up in the numbers Sunday afternoon at the Sleeman Centre. Despite having only 18 shots on net in regulation – 10 in the first 40 minutes – the Storm stuck to the game plan against the London Knights.
It paid off, as Guelph tied the game on a goalmouth scramble with 68 seconds left in regulation, then won it 1:47 into overtime when a Jake Karabela shot found its way under the pad of London goaltender Brett Brochu, Giving Guelph the 4-3 victory.
"That's playoff hockey. Everything down the line's playoff hockey. You've got to prepare for the playoffs and I think that was a good example of it," Karabela said.
"We didn't have a lot of shots, but i think we controlled the puck very well in the offensive end and played well in our own end the first two periods ... solid, solid play," Karabela said.
Guelph held a 2-1 lead until midway through the third period when London scored twice in a span of 46 seconds.
First it was a Logan Mailloux shot from the blueline that Storm netminder Patrick Leaver never saw, then George Diaco put them in front when a London rush up ice saw Leaver make a nice pad save, but a couple of Storm backcheckers overskated the big rebound, allowing Diaco to slot one home.
A goalmouth scramble with the goalie pulled saw the puck squirt to Cooper Walker for the tying goal.
The game winner started with Michael Bushinger spotting Karabela with space up the right wing. He gained the London zone, passed to Max Namestnikov, who then slid one towards the net where Karabela kicked it up onto his stick before sliding it home.
Braeden Bowman and Chandler Romeo had the other Storm goals, Buchinger and Namestnikov each had two assists.
"I like the way we played. We didn't get a lot of shots, but we spent some good time in the offensive zone possessing the puck. We kept the game in front of us, handled the puck well, and probably deserved the result we got tonight. We played a good hockey game," Storm coach Chad Wiseman said.
Wiseman said the team spoke before the game how it was about quality of chances, not quantity of chances.
"It's about spending time in the offensive zone, changing direction and wearing their defence down is more of our game plan than just throwing pucks at the net."
Guelph plays an 11 a.m. school day game in Mississauga Wednesday then continues on the road for three more before playing at home March 10 against Windsor.
