By Logan Clow, Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune
The Grande Prairie Storm’s losing skid has come to an end.
After a 3-2 shootout loss against the Camrose Kodiaks on Friday, which extended the Storm’s losing streak to eight games, the squad responded with a 3-0 victory over the Olds Grizzlys on Saturday.
Friday, Ian McLellan scored a powerplay goal in the second period and defenceman Clive Rozdeba scored the game-tying goal in the third period. After the overtime frame, which saw the Kodiaks, the top team in the AJHL South division, outshoot the Storm 5-2, Trevor Costello scored the lone shootout goal to lead the Kodiaks to victory.
Storm forwards Ben Assad, Karl El-Mir and Jarred Toole were unable to capitalize in the shootout. Logan Thompson had the loss in net with 40 saves.
The Storm held their former leading goal scorer Jade McMullen off the scoresheet on Saturday in Olds. Storm forward Karl El-Mir, who was acquired on the Jan. 10 trade deadline from the Salmon Arm Silverbacks for futures, scored his first pair of goals in a Grande Prairie uniform to lead the team to the 3-0 victory. The 18-year-old now has two goals and two assists in three games with the Storm.
Forward Jarred Toole sealed the Storm’s victory Saturday with an empty-net goal late in the third period. Goaltender Liam McLeod, who had lost his previous four starts, picked up his first shutout of the season with a 29-save performance.
The weekend split moves the Storm to 14-29-3 and trail the Drayton Valley Thunder, who hold the final playoff spot and have two games at hand, by five points.
The Storm and Thunder meet at Revolution Arena on Jan. 23-24.