Game Recap: Comeback falls short as Rangers Drops Third Straight Game for First Time in this Season
Game Summary: Kitchener lost 4-2 in Sault Ste. Marie as their comeback effort was ended by a pair of goals by Gavin Hayes late in the third period. The Rangers were down two with just over half a period to go, however, Matthew Sop and Eduard Šalé both scored to tie the game. Hayes spoiled the comeback with a late even-strength goal and an empty netter to hand Kitchener their first losing streak of the season.
Sop led the Rangers in points, recording a goal and an assist in the contest and Šalé scored in his second straight game. The trade deadline pickup now has two goals since becoming a Ranger. The Rangers were missing six regulars in their lineup as they dressed seven first-year players.
Scoring Summary:
2nd Period
SOO 1, KIT 0
16:46 Marco Mignosa (20) – Jordan D’Intino, Bryce McConnell-Barker
Marco Mignosa scored the first goal of the game after 36:46 minutes of scoreless hockey. Jordan D’Intino brought the puck down to the faceoff circle and transitioned to skating backward. While backward he sent the puck to Mignosa in the slot. The puck jumped around in the slot but Mignosa came up with it and put the puck past a recovering Jackson Parsons.
SOO 2, KIT 0
18:18 Matthew Virgilio (3) – Christopher Brown, Kirill Kudryavtsev
Matthew Virgilio put the Greyhounds up two late in the second period. Christopher Brown carried the puck out from behind the Rangers’ net and spotted Virgilio cutting toward center ice just above the faceoff circles. With the pass, Virgilio one-timed the puck through traffic into the Kitchener net.
3rd Period
SOO 2, KIT 1
9:58 Matthew Sop (27) – Unassisted
Matthew Sop put Kitchener on the board capitalizing on a defensive turnover by the Greyhounds. Caeden Carlisle turned the puck over in his own end to Sop. The Rangers’ forward deked around him to go one-on-one with the Soo netminder Charlie Schenkel. Sop put the puck forehand to backhand around him and in.
SOO 2, KIT 2
16:35 Eduard Šalé (9) – Matthew Sop, Carson Campbell
Eduard Šalé tied the game up at two on a quick breakout leading to a goal. Carson Campbell fed a nice outlet pass to Matthew Sop. Sop carried it into the Soo zone into traffic and slipped a pass to Šalé. The Czech forward avoided a poke check by Charlie Schenkel and tucked the puck past him on the backhand.
SOO 3, KIT 2
18:14 Gavin Hayes (25) – Kirill Kudryavtsev, Jacob Frasca
On a breakaway, Hayes rifled the puck top shelf over the glove side shoulder of Jackson Parsons to give the Greyhounds the lead with 1:46 remaining in the game.
SOO 4, KIT 2
19:22 Gavin Hayes (26) – Kirill Kudryavtsev, Owen Allard – (Empty Net)
Gavin Hayes sealed the deal for the Greyhounds from his own end on an empty net goal off the defensive zone draw. Owen Allard won the draw to Kirill Kudryavtsev who sent it over to Hayes for his second of the night, putting the game out of reach for Kitchener.
The Stars:
First Star: Gavin Hayes (2G)
Second Star: Matthew Sop (1G, 1A)
Third Star: Kirill Kudryavtsev (3A)
The Goalies:
Charlie Schenkel got the win for the Soo Greyhounds. He recorded his 20th win of the year while giving up two goals on 28 shots. In net for the Rangers was Jackson Parsons who recorded a loss in the contest while making 24 saves on 27 shots.
The Numbers Game:
Shots: SOO 28, KIT 28
Powerplay: SOO 0-3, KIT 0-5
FO%: SOO 52.5%, KIT 47.5%
Up Next: Kitchener travels to Saginaw for a 7:05 puck drop tomorrow. They then return home for a Tuesday night game at the Aud where they will look to even the season series up with the London Knights. The last match between the two teams came on January 20th in London in a heated battle with 35 combined penalties between the two teams. This game will mark the third time these two teams will play in 11 days. Tickets for all Kitchener home games can be purchased at the box office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online here.
For inquiries, contact:
Lindsay Eastwood
Manager of Communications and Team Services
Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
613-793-0168
[email protected]
Photo Credit: Tiffany Luke / Kitchener Rangers
