Game Recap: Kitchener’s Offence Shines in Oshawa
Oshawa, Ont. – Kitchener’s stars shined as the shorthanded Generals struggled throughout an 11-3 win for Kitchener in Oshawa’s only home preseason game. Kitchener forwards Carson Rehkopf and Matthew Sop continue to have a dominant preseason having recorded at least one point in each of the four exhibition games. After a five-point (3G, 2A) performance from Rehkopf he now has 11 points. Sop now has nine points after producing two goals and two assists tonight.
Kitchener came ready to play scoring five unanswered goals in the first period, they finished the period outshooting Oshawa 21-7. To get things started Sop scored his first of two goals this period on the powerplay from the right faceoff circle. Trent Swick was key to this goal using his frame to screen the lethal wrist shot. Rehkopf and Hunter Brzustewicz were given assists on the goal. This goal extended Sop and Rehkopf’s streaks to four games each. Rehkopf did not stop there; on the next shot after he beat the Oshawa defender and roofed the puck from the goal line on a masterful solo effort 12:05 into the period. Rehkopf continued his dominant period scoring his second goal and third point of the game with 5:14 left in the first period. This was the Rangers’ second powerplay goal of the period as Brzustewicz and Sop set up Rehkopf at the top of the circle. The Rangers continued the offensive onslaught as Adrian Misaljevic scored his second of the preseason in front of the net on a pass from Sop. Kitchener scored their fifth goal of the period on a two-on-one as Sop faked a pass back to Tanner Lam and put the puck over the pad of sprawling Oshawa goalie Hayden Sabourin. Kitchener goaltender Jackson Parsons stopped seven of seven shots in the first period; Oshawa’s Sabourin stopped 16 of 21; the Rangers entered the second period on a powerplay.
The action got started quickly in period two as 45 seconds into the frame Rehkopf takes down Nikita Tarasevich on a breakaway. Parsons made the save for Kitchener to resume the powerplay. Simon Motew found the back of the net with 23 seconds left in the powerplay on a drop pass one-timer from Luca Romano with a secondary assist given to Tomas Hamara. This was the Rangers’ third powerplay goal of the game.
Oshawa swapped their goalie as planned 9:58 into the second period, Sabourin left the game making 22 of 28 saves. Noah Bender came in for the Generals making three of five saves asked of him to finish the period.
Kitchener continued to dominate as first-year Rangers player Luke Ellinas scored his first goal of the preseason. Ellinas was an off-season acquisition from the Barrie Colts by the Rangers for a 4th-round 2027 pick. The goal came from a deflection off a point shot by Andrew MacNiel with 7:47 remaining in the period. A secondary assist was awarded to Lam, his second assist of the game. Matheas Stark scored his second goal of the preseason to make it 8-0 Kitchener with 4:58 left in the second period. Shots were 33-14 in favour of the Rangers after 40 minutes of play. The third period started four-on-four.
Owen Edwards started the third period for Kitchener and immediately was put to the test as the Rangers took a penalty three seconds in creating a 4-on-3 penalty kill.
Romano, who was drafted in the first round by Kitchener after putting up 46 points in 36 games for the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, walked in from the point and put the puck top shelf for his second point of the night. Gabriel Runco was credited with an assist on the play. Rehkopf scored his hattrick goal on a between-the-legs pass from Cameron Mercer 7:07 into the third period, Justin Bottineau was awarded the secondary assist. Swick scored Kitchener’s 11th goal of the game on a pass from Rehkopf. This was Rehkopf’s 5th point of the night as Misaljevic was also awarded an assist. Oshawa scored their first goal of the game as Luke Torrance put the puck through Edwards’ legs from a pass from Owen Griffen. The secondary assist was given to Caeden Heins.
Oshawa scored twice more on a four-minute powerplay for high sticking assessed to Runco. The first was scored by Matthew Buckley assisted by Luca Marelli and Nikita Tarasevich. The second was scored by Torrance, his second of the game, assisted by Tyler Graham and Griffin. The final score of the game was 11-3 Kitchener. The Rangers outshot Oshawa 43-19.
Next Up: Kitchener plays a home-and-home series against the Mississauga Steelheads on September 21st in Mississauga and September 22nd at home. These are the last two preseason games before Kitchener starts the regular season at home on September 29th against Saginaw. Tickets can be purchased at The Aud Box Office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online here.
