Storm loses to Johnstown in overtime

Johnstown goalie Arturs Irbe blocks a point-blank shot by Jim Abbott, but Rick Judson (center) scored on the rebound.

The Storm isn t going anywhere but that s not the case for leading scorer Nick Parillo.

Moments after the Johnstown Chiefs recorded a 4-3 overtime victory over Toledo last night at the Sports Arena - a setback that left the Storm 15 points out of a playoff spot with only a month and a half left in the season - Parillo was busy packing his bags.

The winger - tied with captain Alexandre Jacques at 42 points - will join San Antonio of the American Hockey League tonight in Hartford. The Rampage is the top farm club of the NHL s Florida Panthers.

“A legitimate shot,” Parillo said. “They said five or six games. You can t ask for anything better than that. I d like to stay here and help the team out, but I guess that s why you play in this league, to get a shot.”

Larry Courville knows all about getting a chance. Despite playing parts of three campaigns with the NHL s Vancouver Canucks, he spent all of last season and much of this driving a truck in York, Pa.

If not for Johnstown public relations director Kevin McGeehan, who read a newspaper article on the Internet about a forward who was tearing up something called the Northeastern Hockey League on the weekends, Courville wouldn t have been in position to score the winner with just 1:19 left in the four-on-four overtime period.

“Kevin gave me the story and I did the homework,” Chiefs coach Toby O Brien said. “Larry just appreciates playing hockey again. What a great addition.”

Crashing the net after Storm goalie Doug Teskey somehow made a paddle save on a shot off the stick of Brent Kelly, Courville was rewarded when the disc bounced off the glass and landed in front of the net.

“[Teskey] made a great save,” said Courville, who has six goals and 11 points in 13 games. “I just waited for the puck to go down and was in the right spot at the right time and buried it.”

Centering a line with Derek Campbell and Landon Bathe, Peter Flache scored a pair of goals for Toledo. The latter, at 9:26 of the second period, gave the Storm a 3-2 edge.

Yet it was a defensive breakdown by Campbell that resulted in the goal that forced overtime. P.L. Courchesne slipped behind the left wing and slapped the puck past Teskey at 11:35 of the middle frame.

“They re all young guys learning the importance of defense and the importance of a defensive blunder that results in a goal against, maybe erases the two goals for that they scored,” Storm coach Nick Vitucci said. “But I was very happy. They re coming.”

Dayton comes to One Main Street tonight to face the Parillo-less Storm.

“Hey, I won t have to wear a half-shield now,” Parillo said of his promotion to the visor-less AHL. “I m pumped.”

NOTES: Kris Waltze didn t return after a first-period fight with Richard Paul. The Storm winger has the flu and spent the rest of the night in the dressing room. ... The ECHL yesterday slapped Peoria winger Ken Goetz with a nine-game suspension for throwing his helmet during last Sunday s game at the Sports Arena. On his way to the shower after picking up a game misconduct, Goetz flung his head protection, which went over the sideboard glass and hit a fan. The fan was not injured.