Game Recap: Rangers Prevail Against Storm 4-3
Game Summary: Kitchener got themselves back in the win column beating the Guelph Storm 4-3 on home ice on Tuesday night. This marks the Rangers’ fifth win out of six against the Storm this season.
Hunter Brzustewicz scored the game-winning goal and tallied an assist to earn the third star of the game while rookie forward Tanner Lam was named number one star for the first time with a goal on the night.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period
GUE 1, KIT 0
7:26 Gavin Grunder (5) – Parker Snelgrove
After the Rangers failed to clear in the defensive zone, Gavin Grunder capitalized on a bobbling puck, last touched by linemate Parker Snelgrove, to score his fifth goal of the season to put the Storm in front 7:26 into the opening frame.
GUE 1, KIT 1
11:57 Cameron Mercer (6) – Hunter Brzustewicz, Justin Bottineau
The Rangers responded with the equalizer not long after Guelph scored when Cameron Mercer got his hands on a tip. Antonino Pugliese led the rush into the offensive zone and cycled the puck down low. Justin Bottineau then set up defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz for a shot from the point that was deflected in front by Cameron Mercer.
2nd Period
GUE 1, KIT 1
3rd Period
GUE 1, KIT 2
2:17 Eduard Šalé (10) – Trent Swick, Max Dirracolo
After a scoreless second period and the game knotted at one apiece, Eduard Šalé scored his first goal at The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium and his tenth of the season. With space in the neutral zone, Max Dirracolo turned the puck quickly up ice, sending a stretch pass to left winger Trent Swick. With a nifty move at the blueline, Swick tapped the puck forward onto the stick of Šalé who ripped it home, breaking the tie and giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead 2:17 into the third period.
GUE 1, KIT 3
8:14 Tanner Lam (10) – Luca Romano, Lucas Ellinas
Entering the offensive zone, Tanner Lam showed poise in taking the reins, setting up his tenth goal of the season. Once circling the net, Lam found teammate Luke Ellinas who fired the puck on net. After a bounce off the back of Luca Romano, the puck made its way onto Lam’s stick, rewarding his offense and giving the Rangers a two-goal cushion at the 8:14 mark.
GUE 2, KIT 3
9:32 Brody Crane (8) – Rylan Singh, Jett Luchanko
Faced with a two-goal deficit, the Storm found a response just over a minute after the Rangers had scored their third of the game. Possessing the puck in the offensive zone, Jett Luchanko beat a Rangers defender and dropped a pass back to Rylan Singh who found Brody Crane cross-ice for his eighth goal of the season, cutting the lead to one.
GUE 2, KIT 4
15:13 Hunter Brzustewicz (9) – Filip Mešár, Carson Rehkopf
With 1:03 remaining on the power play, Hunter Brzustewicz capitalized on a set play with a shot from the point. After a won draw by Carson Rehkopf, Brzustewicz commanded the power play unit on the blueline. He dished a pass back to Rehkopf on the near side wall before he passed it to Mešár in the high slot who set up Brzustewicz for his shot that would restore the Rangers’ two-goal lead at 15:13.
GUE 3, KIT 4
16:13 Braeden Bowman (27) – Gavin Grundner, Ryan McGuire – PPG
Braeden Bowman tried to weather the storm in the final minutes with Guelph’s third goal of the game. On the faceoff in the Rangers zone, Ryan McGuire tied up Matthew Sop and Gavin Grundner retrieved the puck from the faceoff dot and dished it to Bowman. Bowman then walked in and scored on Jackson Parsons glove side.
The Stars:
First Star: Tanner Lam (1G)
Second Star: Gavin Grundner (1G 1A)
Third Star: Hunter Brzustewicz (1G 1A)
The Goalies:
Damian Slavik got the call tonight for Guelph playing in his second straight game as he stopped 23 of 27 shots he faced in the loss, moving his record to 6-3-3-0On the other end, Jackson Parsons stood tall in his third straight appearance tonight stopping 18 of 21 shots and earning his 20th win of the season, improving his overall record to 20-14-1-0.
The Numbers Game:
Shots: GUE 21, KIT 27
Powerplay: OTT 1-5, KIT 1-4
FO%: GUE 53%, KIT 47%
Up Next: Kitchener will play games two and three of their three-game homestand this week. The Rangers host the Mississauga Steelheads on Friday followed by a Sunday matinee against the Sudbury Wolves, both of which are coming to Kitchener for the first and only time this season. Both teams pose themselves as serious competition with the Wolves currently in first in the Eastern Conference and the Steelheads two points out of fourth. Tickets for all Kitchener home games can be purchased 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