Excellent netminding by Taz Burman and Evan Weninger made a late Matt Alvaro strike, the only Flames marker in regulation, the key to securing a table point by sending the game to overtime then penalties where Storm took the extra offering and a 2-1 win over the visitors from Spectrum.
Storm had the only goal of the opening frame through Austin Farley at 5:59. That slim lead was still on the board through 2nd despite the Flames best chance to level with a 4 minute powerplay late in that middle set.
In the 3rd, the club’s traded powerplays and neither side could convert, but less than two and a half minutes from close, Alvaro finally found the mark to square it at a goal each ahead of Tyler Hinam and Zack Phillips penalties that were just enough against Steven McParland’s single.
Burman made 19 of 20 stops and Weninger turned away 39 of 40.
“We were around the net enough for sure to get more than we did,” explained Head Coach Paul Dixon, “but with not much time left it looked like we might go away empty handed so at least we did get a late one to progress the point tally even if just by one.”
“Both teams got good netminding and we just couldn’t score much 5 on 5, stretches of 4 on 4, or even on a double minor powerplay, despite all the shots.”
“As far as an overall game on the smaller ice pad which is not particularly suited to our style of play, or probably even theirs now with the kind of team they have, I thought we did a lot of things you want to do in close quarters to end up with a result . We were short of a win and that is disappointing, but not reflective of our overall strong game which we can be happy with.”
“We can’t do anything about it now so we have to turn our heads to Sheffield and Wednesday’s Cup final. It is a chance at a trophy and you don’t have many chances like this in your career. Nothing but our best effort is going to do. That is where our focus has to be now, and we are excited for the opportunity.”
