By Dave Pollard, Guelphstorm.com exclusive

In a lot of ways, Taylor Beck’s final season of junior hockey has mirrored that of the Guelph Storm.

Good, but not nearly what was expected by the team’s fan base.

Coming into the 2010-11 Ontario Hockey League season, expectations for Beck — and by association, the Storm — were sky high.

The 19-year-old from Niagara Falls was coming off a 39-goal, 93-point season that ended with him winning the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as the league’s top-scoring right winger and being named a second-team all-star.

The sky was the limit. It seemed as though winning the OHL scoring title was a distinct possibility for Beck and a spot on the Canadian team playing in the world juniors looked as though it was almost a certainty.

But things haven’t necessarily gone the way Beck, or the Storm for that matter, expected this season.

“It’s been up and down,” Beck said. “My season depends on how the team is doing. I want to win more than ever, especially in my last year. It seems like, hopefully, things are coming together as of late. Hopefully it’s at the right time that we’re all coming together.”

Before he was forced to sit out three games for a spearing incident against the Kitchener Rangers, Beck’s game certainly looked to be back in order.

Although he went through a bit of a dry spell, by his standards anyway, in December, which coincided with the Storm making changes to the front office — Mike Kelly was brought in as general manager and Scott Walker took over for Jason Brooks as coach — Beck has still managed 33 goals and 38 assists in 49 games. He’s slightly off the pace he set last season but not by much.

Beck’s confidence in the offensive zone certainly hasn’t been shaken and he’s talking about making a run at the scoring crown.

“I think there was a 10-game span where I was maybe a point a game,” he admitted. “I definitely want to get back up there. I wanted to lead the league in points coming into the year. It’s going to take some hard work. Hopefully I get a chance at it. If I keep doing the things I’m doing now, you never know. Maybe a guy gets injured or slows down, gets that dry spell that I got. It’s all a numbers game, you never know what’s going to happen.”

The only numbers Walker is concerned about, though, can be found in the win column of the standings.

He knows that a solid work ethic, which Beck has always had and continues to exhibit even though he’s signed a contract with the Nashville Predators, will allow the 6-foot-2, 203-pounder to excell.

“I don’t even care about his points,” Walker said. “Yeah, it’s great for him and good for us but to be honest he’s one of those guys who have come to me and talked about working extra hard. He’s been asking me about things he should be doing and working on. We’re going down to Cambridge now, doing some extra training, and he’s the first one asking to go. That’s what you need. I mean, there are other guys doing that but he’s there, making sure he’s in the group doing extra training.

“It’s nice when they get rewarded for doing it, they see the benefits and want to do more and more. I have nothing but great things to say about him. He’s a great offensive player and we’re playing that go, go, go (style).”

Beck, one-third of the Storm’s big three — Michael Latta and Peter Holland are the others — and as skilled as any player in the league, was thought to be a sure-fire candidate to be invited to Team Canada’s selection camp in December. Heck, many figured Latta and Holland would probably be there, too.

But something happened during the Storm’s December swoon and none of the three were invited to try out.

“The team was struggling at the time so, to be honest I don’t know if I was expecting much,” Beck said. “I wasn’t playing my best hockey. From there on out I think I’ve been playing a lot better, doing the little things right. Whenever you get that kind of chance (and it doesn’t work out) ... it’s definitely disappointing. Hopefully we can use that as motivation, all three of us. Now we know what we have to do.”

Walker hasn’t seen a change in Beck’s demeanor on or off the ice during his two months as coach of the Storm, so he’s unsure of the impact not being invited to the Canadian camp had on his player.

“I wasn’t here when that happened and I don’t dwell on the past so I have no idea why it happened (not getting invited to Team Canada),” Walker said. “We’ve never really talked about it. I’m just happy he’s playing hard for us. Does he use it as motivation? I hope so. I use things to fuel my fire. But sometimes when you try to prove people wrong it’s not worth your energy. You play the game the right way and prove to the people who like you and love you that they’re right.”

Regardless of whether Beck can get back in the chase for the scoring title as the Storm tries to solidify a playoff berth down the stretch, big things are expected of him.

And that starts with the coaching staff.

“He’s not just a huge important part on the ice,” Walker said. “On the bench and in the dressing room, he’s huge. A lot of the other guys and the young guys feed off of him. He’s been a treat. They’ve all come a long way in that aspect. From working out, to playing offensive, to playing defensive, I’ve got to give him the credit. He’s put the work in.”