This time the Grande Prairie Storm didn't need overtime. After winning their past two home games against the Whitecourt Wolverines in OT, the clubs met Saturday night in Whitecourt…and following a slow start, the Storm used a lethal powerplay to bounce back and hammer the Wolverines 8-4.
After falling behind 2-0 less than seven minutes into the first period, the Storm snipers came to life. Mike Forsyth, Gus Correale and Jeremy Barriault would all score before the period was out, with the final two goals coming on the powerplay.
Whitecourt would tie things up at 3-3 early in the second with a powerplay goal of their own, but it was all Storm after that. Grande Prairie would score the next five goals of the game before the Wolverines finally found the net in the final minute of the game. Sam Lawson, Marc-Etienne Drapeau, Devin Case, Ryan Baskerville and Correale, with his second of the night, were the marksmen on those five straight tallies.
Overall, the Storm powerplay was an amazing 5-for-9 on the evening. The penalty killers may have been even more impressive, killing off 12 of 13 Wolverine powerplays.
So, the Storm have now won five in a row to improve the club's record to 11-5-2 on the year. The victory vaults Grande Prairie ahead of Sherwood Park into fourth spot in the AJHL North. Maybe more importantly, they are now just four points behind the first place Wolverines, with three games in hand.
Storm return home to the Canada Games Arena to play the Spruce Grove Saints on Tuesday night. Gametime is 7:30.
-Story supplied by Don Whiteford of www.peacecountrysports.com.