It was a furious third period and a thrilling finish, but you don't get points for looking good for one period.
Held to just 10 shots over the first two periods, the Guelph Storm took over the game in the third, but it wasn't enough as they fell to the OHL's top team, the Kitchener Rangers, 3-2 before 4,600 at the Sleeman Centre.
"We waited a little bit too long to play with that sense of desperation. I think we've got to have have that going at the start of the game," said Storm captain Braeden Bowman. "Too little, too late and we've had that happen a couple of times this year.
He said the Storm wasn't going to lean on the fact they are missing four defencemen from the lineup right now.
"They (Kitchener) were missing a couple of key guys too. No excuses no matter what. It's next man up ... You earn everything you get and we've just got to try earning those things from the drop of the puck."
The Storm fell behind 3-1 after the opening 20 minutes, the eventual game-winning goal coming with just eight seconds left in the period and seven seconds after Guelph lost a face-off cleanly in its own end.
Leo Serlin had the Storm goal.
After a scoreless second, the Storm took the game to the Rangers and it was goaltender Jackson Parsons turn to shine. Not overly busy on the night, but making three or four huge saves in the third.
Bowman picked the top corner with Guelph on a six-on-three manpower advantage (two Kitchener penalties and a pulled goalie) with 1:49 left in the third, setting up a wild finish. But the Rangers prevailed.
Storm coach Chad Wiseman said desperation and urgency shouldn't just come when you're fighting for your lives.
"We came out in the third and we were hungry ... fighting for our lives, and that was the difference. We've got to find a way to start like that. We haven't been doing that lately," Wiseman said.
"It's how you prepare and it's how you start a game ... you've got to find a way to come out and start on time."
Then there's the Storm power play.
A scoring machine in the first few weeks of the season, Guelph went one-for-four on the power play Sunday, making it two-for-25 over the last six games.
"It hurts when you're missing your quarterback (Michael Buchinger is away trying to make Team Canada). It stings. But it's an opportunity for other guys to step up and play those minutes.
"We're looking right now for somebody to step up and get the job done and if they can they'll get the opportunity to play more minutes."
Emergency call-up Adam Shillinglaw will stick with the team until at least Wednesday, when the Storm plays in Owen Sound, and after that his status with the team will depend on the status of the injured Zack Sandhu and the Team Canada status of Michael Buchinger. Shillinglaw had two assists in his three weekend games.
Guelph plays in Owen Sound Wednesday then wraps up the first half with home games Friday and Saturday against Peterborough and Sault Ste. Marie.
