Until midway through the third period, the Sudbury Wolves were beating the Guelph Storm by a score of 4-1 and looked on track to win the game. Unfortunately, that wouldn't last.
Then, Guelph Storm star centre Matt Poitras happened. Poitras led the comeback with a pair of assists (he had three on the game) that helped Guelph tie it up and send the game to overtime, and then potted the winning goal in OT, and on a breakaway no less.
Nick DeGrazia put the Wolves up 1-0 late in the first period with a wrist shot that beat Storm netminder Bayden Gillespie on the blocker side. It was DeGrazia's 20th for the season, while Keiron Walton picked up the assist.
Isaac Enright tied things for Guelph up late in the second when Poitras spotted him cruising in from the blue line, hit him with a perfect pass, then Enright rifled one into the top corner past Brassard.
The Wolves put on an impressive offensive demonstration early in the third, scoring three goals inside 6:07.
At 3:05, Nathan Villeneuve scored his seventh of the season (assisted Evan Konyen and Nick DeGrazia) to give the Wolves a 2-1 lead. Then at 3:35, Kieron Walton scored (also his seventh of the season) with help from Chase Coughlin and Nicholas Yearwood. Less than three minutes after that Ethan Larmond notched his ninth goal (assisted by DeGrazia and Nolan Collins) to make it 4-1 for the Wolves.
Then, the Storm went on their own tear. Guelph's Michael Buchinger scored at 8:37 to cut the Wolves lead in half. Then, five minutes later Gavin Grundner scored to pull the Storm to within one of Sudbury. Five minutes after that, Jake Karabela found the back of the net to tie things up at 4-4.
Poitras scored for Guelph unassisted 4:29 seconds into the fourth period to seal the deal for the Storm.
Guelph was without winger Max Nemestnikov on Sunday, who is on a two-game suspension. The Storm's Jett Luchanko and Valentin Zhugin were also out with injuries. Sudbury was without its top two forwards Quentin Musty and David Goyette.
The loss drops the Wolves' record to 18-20-4-2, which puts them eighth in the OHL's Eastern Conference and 15th overall. Guelph improved its record to 20-20-4-1, which has them sitting seventh in the Western Conference and 14th overall.
-with files from Tony Saxon of GuelphToday.com.
