Game Recap: Rangers Never Looked Back in 6-1 Win Over Sudbury
Game Summary: Trent Swick got Kitchener going and they never lost the lead ultimately winning 6-1 over Sudbury at home. Jackson Parsons shut down the second highest scoring team giving up only one goal in the contest. With the win, the Rangers have won three straight games and will attempt to make it four tomorrow afternoon in Peterborough.
Matthew Sop led the Rangers’ offense with three points while Carson Rehkopf scored twice in the contest. Rehkopf and Swick are each on five-game point streaks. Hunter Brzustewicz also got in on the party scoring one goal and one assist for his third game in a row.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period
SBY 0, KIT 1
8:46 Trent Swick (22) – Filip Mešár, Eduard Šalé
Kitchener struck first off the stick of Trent Swick who found the loose puck in front of the net. The puck was loose as Filip Mešár drove the net, taking a hit to make the play in tight. Swick picked up the loose puck and put it over Jakub Vondras’ left pad for the first goal of the game.
SBY 0, KIT 2
18:45 Carson Rehkopf (42) – Matthew Sop, Filip Mešár
Matthew Sop received the puck from Filip Mešár as he was driving the net and used his crafty stick handling to set up Carson Rehkopf with an easy goal. Mešár brought the puck over the blueline and cut to his right. Driving down the right side was Sop who Mešár slipped the puck to launching him one-on-one with Jakub Vondras. On the one-on-one he deked around Vondras but the puck ended up on Rehkopf’s stick and he finished the job on the empty net.
SBY 1, KIT 2
19:51 Kocha Delic (19) – Matthew Mania, David Goyette – PPG
Just five seconds into Sudbury’s powerplay Kocha Delic cut the Blueshirts’ lead in half. Sudbury was awarded a powerplay at 19:46 as Luke Ellinas was called for high sticking. On the power play, David Goyette won the faceoff back to Matthew Mania, who walked the line and tucked a pass down to Delic in the high slot. Delic put a wrist shot on net low blocker that snuck in for their first goal of the game.
2nd Period
SBY 1, KIT 3
0:27 Carson Rehkopf (43) – Hunter Brzustewicz
Carson Rehkopf struck again to reestablish Kitchener’s two-goal lead early in the second period. The puck came loose from behind the Sudbury net and worked its way up to Hunter Brzustewicz near the blueline. Brzustewicz saw Rehkopf alone in front of the net and ripped a pass to him before Jakub Vondras could adjust. Rehkopf took advantage of the empty net and tapped it in for his second of the game.
SBY 1, KIT 4
5:26 Hunter Brzustewicz (11) – Antonino Pugliese, Cameron Mercer
Hunter Brzustewicz ended Jakub Vondras’ night as he rifled home the puck from the point. Cameron Mercer won the draw to right winger Antonino Pugliese. Pugliese was tied up but managed to kick the puck back to Brzustewicz who quickly sent a snapshot on net. Justin Bottineau screened the goalie allowing the puck to sneak past.
3rd Period
SBY 1, KIT 5
14:22 Luke Ellinas (9) – Matthew Sop
Luke Ellinas one-timed the puck into the back of the net to put Kitchener up by four over Sudbury. Andre Anania failed to clear the zone and sent the puck back to the point to Matthew Sop. Sop faked a slapshot, opting to pass to Luke Ellinas between the faceoff circles. Ellinas wasted no time immediately putting a slapshot past goaltender Marcus Vandenberg.
SBY 1, KIT 6
15:19 Matthew Sop (34) – SHG, ENG
Matthew Sop picked off a pass in the Kitchener zone attempted by Kocha Delic. Once he controlled the puck, he sent it down into the empty Sudbury net from behind his blueline to seal the game.
The Stars:
First Star: Matthew Sop (1G, 2A)
Second Star: Carson Rehkopf (2G)
Third Star: Hunter Brzustewicz (1G, 1A)
The Goalies:
Jakub Vondras got the start for Sudbury, although he was pulled after playing the first 25:26 of the game while giving up four goals on 13 shots. Vondras received the loss moving his season record to 18-8-2-1. In relief came former Ranger Marcus Vandenberg who made 20 saves on 21 shots. Jackson Parsons recorded his second win of the weekend improving his season record to 22-14-1-0. He held the OHL’s second-highest-scoring team to just one goal on 24 shots.
The Numbers Game:
Shots: SBY 24, KIT 35
Powerplay: SBY 1-5, KIT 0-4
FO%: SBY 48.9%, KIT 51.1%
Up Next: Kitchener will travel to Peterborough tomorrow for an afternoon matchup against the Petes. The Rangers will then return home Friday to take on the Sarnia Sting for the fourth time of the season. Kitchener has won all three games against Sarnia, scoring six goals in each of the past two. Don’t miss the action and grab your tickets 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
