Guelph Storm downs the Saginaw Spirit 5-1 Sunday to force a Game 7 Monday night in Saginaw

Guelph Storm players Nick Suzuki, from left, Isaac Ratcliffe, Sean Durzi and Dmitri Samorukov celebrate Durzi's goal Sunday at the Sleeman Centre. Tony Saxon/GuelphToday

1 / 1 Guelph Storm players Nick Suzuki, from left, Isaac Ratcliffe, Sean Durzi and Dmitri Samorukov celebrate Durzi's goal Sunday at the Sleeman Centre. Tony Saxon/GuelphToday

Six times the Guelph Storm has faced elimination in the playoffs and six times they have won the game that could have ended their season.

The latest came Sunday afternoon at the Sleeman Centre, a 5-1 win over the Saginaw Spirit in Game 6 of the Western Conference final.

Now it all comes down to one game Monday night in Saginaw.

"We live for another day," said Guelph Storm coach George Burnett.

"We're a step away, but both teams are in the same circumstances going into tomorrow night: a little momentum, a couple of bounces, a couple of saves, a big-time goal or a big-time performance by somebody might change the momentum for somebody," Burnett said.

"It's one game now, it's going to be exciting," said Spirit coach Chris Lazary. "It's a brand new day tomorrow. The sun's going to rise. You've got to find a way to rip the heart out of your chest and win the game"

It hasn't just been the fact that Guelph has won the past two games with their back to the season-ending wall, it's how they've done it, holding the Spirit to just one goal over the two games and a combined 39 shots over the two meetings.

The defining moment Sunday came courtesy of the stick, and brain, of Guelph's Nick Suzuki.

With Guelph up 2-0 in the second period, Suzuki found himself on a one-on-one rush against Saginaw's Owen Tippett, a forward caught playing defence.

Suzuki used the spin-o-rama then roofed a backhand under the crossbar past a stunned Tristan Lennox in the Spirit net.

It was an amazing goal and one that pretty much sealed the deal for the home squad, playing in front of a crowd of 4,692.

"I saw that it was a forward for their team so I wanted to try and get around him. It was kind of an on-the-fly move, but it worked out well," Suzuki said of the highlight-reel goal.

A Montreal Canadiens draft pick, Suzuki said he didn't know that Montreal general manager Marc Bergevin was at Sunday's game.

"I didn't know until after the game, Cam Hillis told me. Hopefully he liked the game," Suzuki said.

Pavel Gogolev, who started the playoffs on the fourth line, continued his improved play, scoring a pair of goals Sunday as the Storm broke open a 1-0 game with a pair of unanswered goals in the second period.

Isaac Ratcliffe and Sean Durzi had Guelph's other two goals.

Saginaw broke Anthony Popovich's bid for a second-straight shutout with 2:32 left in the third.

Saginaw's coach lamented his team's lack of scoring chances the past two games.

"We've got to hit the net. You can't just have pucks flying around everywhere, you've got to hit the net," Lazary said.

Saginaw will get some help for Game 7, with overage defenceman Justin Murray back after serving his four-game suspension.