Game Recap: Erie Steals a Game in Kitchener
Game Summary: Carson Rehkopf and Matheas Stark scored a pair early, but Erie stormed back taking the lead and never trailed again in their 7-4 win in Kitchener. The Rangers hung around and battled back from behind twice before finally going down with 9:23 remaining in the game and were unable to even it up again. With the series tied at one, the Rangers will head to Erie for a pair of games on Tuesday and Thursday before returning home Friday for game five.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period
ER 0, KIT 1
1:44 Carson Rehkopf (2) – Filip Mešár, Eduard Šalé – PPG
Carson Rehkopf brought the Aud to their feet early scoring on the power play. Erie was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at 0:50 to Wesley Royston after the play which led to the power play. On the power play, Eduard Šalé sent the puck down to Filip Mešár in the slot who skated up before completing a no-look spin-o-rama pass down to Rehkopf. A screened Ethan Fraser didn’t have time to adjust to the pass as Rehkopf scored into the nearly empty net.
ER 0, KIT 2
2:27 Matheas Stark (1) – Tanner Lam
Matheas Stark doubled down for the Rangers, scoring 43 seconds after Carson Rehkopf. Ondrej Molnar turned the puck over for Erie in their end allowing Tanner Lam to send a seamless pass down to Stark by himself in front of Ethan Fraser. While one-on-one he scored low blocker to double Kitchener’s lead.
ER 1, KIT 2
5:14 Pano Fimis (1) – Sam Alfano, Nicholas Holomego
Pano Fimis brought Erie back within one scoring on a breakaway. Nicholas Holomego started the play by sending a hard pass to Sam Alfano at centre ice from the Erie zone. Alfano tipped the pass to Fimis who was at the Rangers blueline and skated it in. He found himself on a breakaway and buried it low glove.
2nd Period
ER 2, KIT 2
2:11 Malcolm Spence (1)
Malcolm Spence went end-to-end to even the game up at two. A miscue in Erie’s zone allowed Spence to pick the puck up and bring himself on a breakaway. As he skated in, he placed the puck on his forehand and scored blocker side.
ER 3, KIT 2
6:22 Sam Alfano (2) – Dylan Edwards
Sam Alfano tipped the puck up and over Jackson Parsons’s glove to give Erie their first lead of the series. Dylan Edwards picked the puck up at the Rangers’ blueline and fired a wrist shot on net from the point. Alfano crashed the net and got his stick on the puck, causing it to float over the glove and across the goal line.
ER 3, KIT 3
18:10 Carson Rehkopf (3) – Hunter Brzustewicz, Filip Mešár – PPG
Carson Rehkopf tied the game late in the second period scoring over the glove of Ethan Fraser. The play was four-on-four due to penalties to Sam Alfano and Eduard Šalé which opened space up for Rehkopf. Hunter Brzustewicz passed Rehkopf the puck just below the Erie blueline. Rehkopf walked into the glove side faceoff circle and sent a wrist shot top shelf.
3rd Period
ER 4, KIT 3
1:26 Carey Terrance (1) – Malcolm Spence
Carey Terrance found himself on a two-on-one and gave Erie the lead once again. Terrance took the puck from the neutral zone and skated down and into the Rangers’ end. Eventually he found himself on a two-on-one with Wesley Royston on Cameron Reid who was the lone Ranger back. Terrance opted to shoot rather than pass and put it in past the blocker side pad of Jackson Parsons.
ER 4, KIT 4
4:17 Matthew Sop (2) – Filip Mešár, Eduard Šalé – PPG
Matthew Sop scored on the power play to even the game back up at four. Erie took a too many men penalty at 3:38 leading to the power play goal. Eduard Šalé started the play by sending a pass down to Filip Mešár in the bumper position. Mešár immediately sent the puck down low to Matthew Sop in front of the net who wrapped it around the pad of Ethan Fraser and into the back of the net.
ER 5, KIT 4
10:37 Sam Alfano (3) – Pano Fimis
Sam Alfano put the Rangers down again scoring just after the halfway point of the third period. Pano Fimis sent a hard pass down to Alfano who was parked on top of the crease. He deflected the pass up and over Jackson Parsons to give his team the lead.
ER 6, KIT 4
16:24 Kaleb Smith (1) – Bruce McDonald
Erie extended their lead as Kaleb Smith scored on the breakaway beating Jackson Parsons on the blocker side. Bruce McDonald blocked a shot at the Erie blueline before backhanding a pass to Smith who took the puck through the neutral zone and found himself on a breakaway as he entered the Rangers zone. He rifled a wrist shot past Parsons’s pad and doubled their lead.
ER 7, KIT 4
18:06 Dylan Edwards (3) – ENG
Dylan Edwards put the game to rest scoring the empty net goal as he went end-to-end after picking up a bouncing puck at his blueline. He skated it down under pressure and knocked it in with a pair of Rangers closing in on him.
The Stars:
First Star: Sam Alfano (2G, 1A)
Second Star: Filip Mešár (2A)
Third Star: Pano Fimis (1G, 1A)
The Goalies:
Ethan Fraser and Jackson Parsons both recorded their second start of the series in the Sunday afternoon contest. Ethan Fraser made 24 saves on 28 shots in the win for Erie. Jackson Parsons made 18 saves on 24 shots in the loss.
The Numbers Game:
Shots: ER 25, KIT 28
Powerplay: ER 0-5, KIT 2-6
FO%: ER 50.7%, KIT 49.3%
Up Next: Kitchener will head to Erie on Tuesday to play the first of two games in Pennsylvania. The Rangers will return to The Aud for game five on Friday, April 5th at 7 pm. Tickets go on sale online on Monday, April 1st at 10 am. Secure your seats to the Rangers playoff action online here. The Box Office at The Aud Sponsored by White Way Plumbing is closed on Easter Monday and will resume regular hours (10am-1pm) on Tuesday, April 2nd 10am-1pm.
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
