Guelph Storm’s Nick Ebert provides critical ingredient in Game 3 comeback

NORTH BAY, Ont. — Without Nick Ebert, the Guelph Storm would have woken up on Wednesday down 2-1 in the OHL final, pure and simple.

Guelph, which got two goals in the final 30 seconds to nip the North Bay Battalion 4-3, mounted an offensive in the third period thanks to a timely tweak from coach Scott Walker. The Storm skipper put Ebert up on his first pairing with Toronto Maple Leafs signing and captain Matt Finn in order to generate more offence. That all culminated during the cliffhanger climax, when Ebert delivered an open-ice check just inside the blueline to keep the play in North Bay's zone, then whipped a point shot that Zack Mitchell deflected in for the tying goal. Nineteen seconds later, the Storm got the win.

"I think they wanted to play me a bit more, and it worked out to be very good for us," said Ebert, an unsigned Los Angeles Kings 2012 draft choice. "We worked well together. I don't know if we'll do it next game, but all of us can play with anyone.

"I was feeling good," said Ebert, who came to Guelph in the December blockbuster trade that also involved Kerby Rychel."My legs felt great, I was jumping into the play and I had a good two-way game. Hopefully I can continue to do that."

'Best game in a long time'

One X-factor at this stage of the playoffs is having smooth puck-handling defencemen who can defray opponents' pressure in the offensive zone, foster a smooth transition to the attack, and keep pucks inside the line. Ebert's capacity in all three zones seemed fairly evident on Tuesday, as the Storm, at least for one night, fulfilled forecasts that they would be able to break down the Battalion's taut defensive system eventually. They scored three goals in the final 20 minutes, and likely would have had the win sealed much sooner if not for Battalion goalie Jake Smith, who made 40 saves.

"He's such a great skater," Walker said of Ebert. "I thought that's been his best game in a long time, not just the third. He can skate himself out of trouble and get away from the [North Bay] forecheck. I thought he did a great job."

'Nothing is set in stone'

Ebert's turn in the OHL, of course, has been as much careen as career. Every priority selection draft class includes one 'next [insert Hall of Fame rushing defenceman],' and Ebert filled the role ahead of the 2010 proceedings after a very promising season as a 15-year-old with the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks. The Livingston, N.J., native came to the Spitfires via a trade with Mississauga, which originally drafted him. In his second season, he carried an oversized load for the typical 17-year-old on a Spits team adapting to life after OHL player of the year Ryan Ellis. His draft stock plunged to the point where he was still available when the Kings took him No. 211 overall.

"It was a tough year, but I never gave up, never let it get to me," is how Ebert recalls that 2011-12 season when his draft stock ebbed. "I have good confidence in myself, I know what I can do. Keep working and hopefully I can get rewarded in the near future.

As players are fond of saying, one cannot change the past. Ebert has tightened up his work in the defensive zone and used his wheels well at each end of the rink, counting 53 points across 65 regular-season games and 13 more in 18 post-season fixtures. He was also the OHL's plus/minus runner-up after Finn. Plus/minus is hardly a tell-all stat, but it does serve the narrative here, about a player who's learned the hard way.

The Kings have until June 1 to sign Ebert or put him back in the draft pool. Contributing to a championship effort guarantees nothing at the next level, but it's all Ebert can have control over.

"I think I'm setting myself up, I think I'm going down the right road to earning a contract but nothing is set in stone. I just got to keep working.

"It was tough to leave Windsor but I couldn't have been happier to come to Guelph, a first-place team," he adds. "Now we're here and we're closer to completing our goal. It's so exciting."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.