Game Recap: Gritty game in Flint gets the Rangers back in the Win column

Game Recap: Gritty game in Flint gets the Rangers back in the Win column

Game Summary: Kitchener avoids their first losing streak of the season with a gritty 3-1 win over Flint. The Rangers have yet to lose three or more consecutive games this season. While this game marks the first time this year that both teams goaltenders are stars of the game.

Adrian Misaljevic extended his point streak to twelve games after scoring the first goal of the game. Matthew Sop recorded a goal and an assist and Tanner Lam chipped in with two assists to solidify the win. The Rangers’ penalty kill was solid going a perfect five-for-five, Jackson Parsons was instrumental in the perfect penalty kill stopping the first 33 shots he faced before conceding the final shot of Flint’s night.

 

Scoring Summary:

1st Period

FLNT 0, KIT 1

10:41 Adrian Misaljevic (17) – Tanner Lam, Matthew Sop

Entering the zone on a breakaway, Sop got the Rangers first high-danger scoring chance of the game. Though stopped, the puck rang around the boards and a defender recovered. Lam then cut down the wall on the forecheck, won the puck battle, and passed the puck to Misaljevic. Misaljevic cut through two defenders and roofed a highlight reel backhand goal to open the scoring.

 

3rd Period

FLNT 0, KIT 2

10:35 Matthew Sop (15) – Tanner Lam

Sop blocked a clearing attempt by Blake Smith and held the puck in the offensive zone. He passed the puck to Lam, who recorded his second point of the night with an assist. Sop cut back towards the net and in the process, Lam sent back the puck to Sop who got Nathan Day to bite on a fake forehand shot. Day, now out of position was unable to recover as Sop brought the puck to his backhand and gave the Blueshirts some much-needed insurance late in the game.

 

FLNT 1, KIT 2

18:37 Zacharie Giroux (12) – Tristan Bertucci, Gavin Hayes

With 2:04 left to go in the game, Flint pulled their goalie. After sustained pressure, the puck was atop the zone when Bertucci attempted a Slapshot. Missing the attempt, the puck ended up on Zacharie Giroux’s stick with Parsons out of position from the original shot and he scored.

 

FLNT 1, KIT 3

19:40 Carson Rehkopf (26) – EN

Rehkopf ended the game just seconds later, finding the puck in the neutral zone and sending it to the back of the net from centre ice.

 

The Stars:

First Star: Jackson Parsons (33 Saves, 1GA)

Second Star: Matthew Sop (1G, 1A)

Third Star: Nathan Day (20 Saves, 2GA)

 

The Goalies:

Day stopped 20 of 22 shots in his 10th loss of the year, moving his record to 9-10. Parsons stood tall making 33 saves on 34 shots in his 12th win of the season. His record moves to 12-5 on the 2023-24 campaign.

 

The Numbers Game:

Shots: FLNT 34, KIT 22

Powerplay: FLNT 0-5, KIT 0-2

FO%: FLNT 52.7%, KIT 47.3%

 

Up Next: Kitchener wraps up their three-game road trip Wednesday in Erie before the East Avenue Blue return home for their 7 pm affair against the Niagara IceDogs on Friday at The Aud. Come check out the top scorers in the OHL, you can purchase tickets at The Aud box office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online here.