Outshoot your opponent 37-29, dominate the third period and most nights you're going to come out with at least one point.
But that wasn't the case Friday for the Guelph Storm, who kicked off a three-in-three weekend with a 7-2 loss to the Flint Firebirds.
Both teams came into the night on four-game losing streaks. So a 1-0 Flint lead after 20 minutes was the kind of score you might expect to see.
Then came what would be a disastrous second period for the Storm.
With plenty of chances but nothing to show in the offensive zone, thanks in part to Flint goaltender Nathan Day, it seemed everything was going in at the other end. Flint scored five times in that second period on just nine shots. It was a meltdown that included a rare yanking of starting netminder Brayden Gillespie, who allowed four goals before getting the hook.
Crazy bounces. A screened goaltender. Bad pinches. What could go wrong, did go wrong.
"If we did make a mistake it ended up in the back of our net," said Storm coach Cory Stillman.
"I wouldn't say we were in control of the game ever. But there were shifts that we were starting to control. We had some shots, but as soon as we got out of positions or as soon as they blocked a shot, it was back in our zone ... they got some bounces tonight and we didn't work hard to get them."
Gillespie exited with Guelph trailing 4-1. His replacement Colin Ellsworth was beaten on the first two shots sent his way.
Guelph played a very solid third period, outshooting Flint 18-4, but had just one goal to show for their effort. But as Stillman put it, "it was a little late."
Vilmer Alriksson and Jake Karabela had the Storm goals.
"To be honest I thought we had a lot of good(offensive)-zone time" in that second period, said Karabela. "They just blocked a lot of shots, we didn't capitalize on our chances and they capitalized on theirs."
"Our chances got tipped, blocked, maybe just a bounce away. Then all of a sudden it goes back the other way and they got one. But we have to stay strong, this is a younger group ... its game one of three and how we finish this game is what we take into (Saturday) and Sunday.
Adding to the misery of the night was losing Ryan McGuire, one of the team's better forwards this season, when he was given a five-minute head checking major for a hit on Kaden Pitre.
The already-shorthanded Storm could lose McGuire to suspension for the hit.
Guelph played without Quinn Beauchesne, Will Haley, Jimmy Sutherland and Steven Johnston. Jackson Young, a 19-year-old free agent who was at the Storm's training camp, was called up from junior C Allistion Hornets as an emergency fill-in last night.
Johnston is ill and Sutherland has been assigned to junior A Elmira Sugar Kings. He will be playing with them and up and down with the Storm.
Guelph plays in Barrie Saturday night then hosts the Brampton Steelheads on Sunday in a 4 p.m. start.
