The Owen Sound Attack continue to have some trouble with the Guelph Storm.
Jett Luchanko scored the game-winner with 1:28 to go in the third period after a miscue by the Attack behind the net, as the Guelph Storm clipped Owen Sound 4-3 in Ontario Hockey League action Friday night at the Sleeman Centre.
Chase Coughlan, Michael Buchinger and Max Namestnikov also scored for Guelph (10-15-2-1), which never trailed in the game.
Matthew Papais, Kaleb Lawrence and Julian Fantino supplied the offence for the Attack (16-9-1-1).
Guelph has now won three of the first four meetings this season with the Attack.
The game-winner came late in the third period on a dump-in to the Attack end handled by netminder Nick Chenard. He looked to consider freezing the puck, but then played it to Nolan Seed behind the net. Seed lost possession after being pressured by Matthew Poitras, who quickly fired a pass out front to Luchanko – who shot a low-shot that got through the five-hole on Chenard with 1:28 to play.
Colby Barlow’s franchise-record 10-game goal scoring streak also came to an end. He scored 13 goals during the 10-game run dating back to Nov. 12 against the Erie Otters.
Guelph had 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 leads in the game but the Attack kept hanging around.
Namestnikov got things going at 8:35 of the first period on a power play goal, firing a cross-seam pass from Poitras past the glove of Chenard to make it 1-0.
Owen Sound tied it with a power play marker of their own six minutes later. Seed skated off the right point and fired a shot towards the net that was deflected by Papais in front past Brayden Gillespie to tie the game 1-1.
Less than two minute later Guelph re-took the lead. Buchinger was the trailer on a rush up ice and received a pass in the high slot and fired a perfectly placed shot past the blocker of Chenard at 16:12.
The Attack scored another power play goal at 4:53 of the second to tie it up. Seed started the play with a low shot towards the net and Lawrence swooped in to find the rebound and quickly chip it past Gillespie.
Just over two minutes later, Guelph was back in front. After a Braeden Bowman rush off the left-wing towards the net was stopped, Coughlan picked up the loose puck behind the net and jammed the puck between Chenard’s skate and the post to make it 3-2.
Owen Sound struck back almost immediately. Just 32 seconds later Fantino found a bouncing puck on his stick in the slot area and fired a knuckling shot that beat Gillepsie to tie it 3-3.
Tensions boiled over near the end of the second period in what was a chippy game between the two Midwest Division foes. A scrum ensued out front of the Attack crease with 1.5 seconds on the clock. The Attack ended up getting assessed the extra penalty as roughing minors and unsportsmanlike conduct calls went both ways.
Gillespie made 29 saves in the win, while Chenard stopped 27 taking the loss. Owen Sound outshot Guelph 32-31 while going 2 for 4 on the power play; the Storm finished 1 for 3.
Owen Sound and Guelph renew rivalries Saturday night in the back end of the home-and-home at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
Game time is 7:30 p.m.