CHL on Sportsnet: Guelph at Kitchener – Game 4
The Kitchener Rangers will fight to stay alive Thursday in Game 4 of their quarter-final series vs. the rival Guelph Storm on Sportsnet 360 at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT.
The Storm carry a three-game advantage in the series following a 6-3 victory in Game 3 in which Montreal Canadiens prospect Nick Suzuki capped the night with a three-point effort, including two goals and one assist, while Arizona Coyotes draft-pick Nate Schnarr added one goal and two assists of his own. Meanwhile, Anthony Popovich got the job done in the blue paint as he turned aside 37 shots by the Rangers.
The victory came following consecutive home-ice wins, including a 7-0 decision in Game 2 that saw Popovich put together a 22-save performance for his first career OHL playoff shutout. At the forward ranks, Schnarr has collected two goals and seven assists for nine points through three games to sit tied for first in OHL postseason scoring.
For the Rangers, the squad hopes to rekindle their regular season magic when they upset the Storm in four of eight meetups. Contributing to the Rangers’ regular-season success was its league-leading 29% power-play efficiency, though the man advantage has come up dry in the playoffs, failing to capitalize on nine opportunities.
Through three games, the Rangers have mustered only five goals, with right-wing Jonathan Yantsis leading the squad with a pair of tallies. Centre Greg Meireles, whose 97 points led Kitchener in regular-season scoring, has notched one point through three playoff appearances. Between the pipes, it has been a busy series for netminder Luke Richardson, who has faced 101 shots, including 38 in Game 3.
A win for the Storm would mark the team’s first playoff series win in four years, while also turning the tables on last year’s quarter-final exit when they were eliminated by the Rangers in six games. Kitchener last lost in the opening round of the OHL playoffs in 2017 when they fell in five games to the Owen Sound Attack.
Catch all the action in Game 4 between the Storm and Rangers on Thursday at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT on Sportsnet 360.