Game Recap: Kitchener Attacks Owen Sound
Game Summary: The Rangers scored seven goals in the contest before Owen Sound got on the board in a 9-2 win. Kitchener’s special teams were a difference maker accounting for four goals and shutting down the OHL’s second-best powerplay all four times. With the win, the Rangers secured the season series winning five of the eight contests.
Six Rangers record three-point nights in the contest while eight record multi-point nights. Matthew Sop, Eduard Šalé, and Luke Ellinas led the way scoring twice and adding assists in the win. Carson Rehkopf and Filip Mešár each recorded a goal and two assists while Hunter Brzustewicz put up three assists. With a goal and an assist, Luca Romano extended his point streak to three games putting up six points on his streak.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period
OS 0, KIT 1
1:47 Luke Ellinas (14) – Luca Romano
Luke Ellinas got the Aud going early as he snuck into an offensive zone draw and put the puck into the back of the net. Luca Romano won the draw forward as Ellinas cut in, stealing the puck away from Owen Sound. With the puck, he was one-on-one with Corbin Votary and put it past his blocker side on the backhand.
OS 0, KIT 2
10:36 Matthew Sop (41) – Carson Rehkopf, Hunter Brzustewicz – PPG
Matthew Sop doubled the lead as he tapped the puck in on the power play. Owen Sound was assessed a four-minute double minor high sticking penalty to Colby Barlow at 8:01. On the man advantage, Carson Rehkopf took a wrist shot on net from the blocker side faceoff circle, but it was stopped. The puck dropped loose to Sop on top of the crease who knocked it in past Votary before he could recover.
OS 0, KIT 3
18:42 Matthew Sop (42) – Hunter Brzustewicz, Carson Rehkopf
Matthew Sop scored a goal very similar to his first to score Kitchener’s third unanswered goal of the game. Hunter Brzustewicz fired the puck on the net from the blocker side faceoff circle, initially stopped by Corbin Votary, however Sop put the rebound home into an empty net.
2nd Period
OS 0, KIT 4
0:58 Eduard Šalé (14) – Filip Mešár, Matthew Sop – PPG
Eduard Šalé scored Kitchener’s fourth goal of the game on the power play with a snipe top shelf. Kitchener was awarded a power play following a roughing penalty to Jackson Stewart at 19:53. With the man advantage, Šalé held the puck and walked down eventually sniping high glove for his fourth point against Owen Sound in their past two matches.
OS 0, KIT 5
18:27 Carson Rehkopf (51) – Filip Mešár, Eduard Šalé – PPG
Carson Rehkopf scored on the power play to add to the Blueshirts’ lead late in the second period. Sam Sedley was assessed a five-minute major and game misconduct leading to the power play marker. With the extra man, Filip Mešár hit the post causing the red light to shine. However, the puck bounced out to Carson Rehkopf who rifled it home anyway setting it off for good.
OS 0, KIT 6
18:51 Luke Ellinas (15) – Simon Motew, Adrian Misaljevic – PPG
Luke Ellinas capitalized on the same power play for his second marker of the game. Ellinas, Simon Motew, Adrian Misaljevic, and Trent Swick were all in tight as Corbin Votary and multiple Attack defenders laid out attempting to keep the puck out. Eventually, the puck came back out to Ellinas who finally put the puck home.
3rd Period
OS 0, KIT 7
3:28 Luca Romano (9) – Luke Ellinas
Luke Ellinas and Luca Romano set up a wonderful faceoff play. Ellinas won a faceoff back as Romano bolted in from the wing, making a nice move before scoring his second goal of the game glove side.
OS 1, KIT 7
4:36 Sam McCue (21) – Declan Waddick
Sam McCue ended the shutout bid off a fluke goal. As McCue went to shoot the puck Hunter Brzustewicz attempted to poke the puck away, resulting in a fluttering puck. It flipped up and over Jackson Parsons, who was out challenging McCue, and bounced in.
OS 2, KIT 7
6:30 Sam McCue (22) – Braedyn Rogers
Sam McCue scored his second goal of the game off a generous rebound. Braedyn Rogers shot the puck in from the point which Jackson Parsons saved. The rebound went directly down onto the stick of McCue who knocked it in.
OS 2, KIT 8
9:36 Eduard Šalé (15)
A miscue in the Rangers’ end by Owen Sound led to Eduard Šalé’s second goal of the game. The puck ended up loose with no one back in the neutral zone as Šalé raced to take possession of it. Simultaneously, Corbin Votary charged out of his net to try and knock it away. Šalé won the race and scored on the empty net for his third point on the night.
OS 2, KIT 9
17:02 Filip Mešár (19) – Adrian Misaljevic, Hunter Brzustewicz
Filip Mešár received the puck from Adrian Misaljevic as they entered the Attack zone. Mešár skated the puck down to the slot before putting the puck five-hole and into the back of the net.
The Stars:
First Star: Matthew Sop (2G, 1A)
Second Star: Luke Ellinas (2G, 1A)
Third Star: Eduard Šalé (2G, 1A)
The Goalies:
Corbin Votary got the start for Owen Sound. He made 35 stops on 44 shots in the loss moving his season record to 6-8-0-0. Jackson Parsons earned the win in net for Kitchener. He made 26 saves on 28 shots and improved his season record to 27-16-1-0.
The Numbers Game:
Shots: OS 28, KIT 44
Powerplay: OS 0-4, KIT 4-7
FO%: OS 43.5%, KIT 56.5%
Up Next: Kitchener has a home and home against their Highway 7 rival the Guelph Storm. The Rangers will play on the road first on Sunday before returning home Tuesday. These two matchups could be a preview of the first round of the playoffs. Kitchener is leading the season series 5-1 and will look to maintain that dominance. Grab your tickets to action at The Aud 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
