Rangers top trio continues stellar point production in road win over Firebirds
It hasn’t taken long for Logan Brown to become comfortable in his new digs.
And likewise, it hasn’t taken long for his new teammates to reap the benefits of playing alongside him.
Brown scored his first goal as a member of the Blueshirts then added another goal and assist for a three-point night as the Rangers (33-14-2-0) skated to a 5-3 victory over the Flint Firebirds (13-29-3-1) in front of 2,986 fans at the Dort Federal Event Center on Saturday night.
As mentioned, things continued to click for the entire top line of the Rangers, as Adam Mascherin also tallied a pair of goals along with an assist while former Firebird Kole Sherwood finished the night with his second straight four-point night.
The Mascherin-Brown-Sherwood line tonight put together a total of 10 points, and have now tallied 21 points in their two games this weekend since Brown figured into the mix.
Luke Richardson (20-10-1-0) earned his milestone 20th win of the season. Standing tall for the Rangers after the two teams were tied 2-2 after 20 minutes of play, he was diligent in spite of the fact he would see lengthy breaks between action over the final 40 minutes. The Firebirds managed only seven shots in each the second and third periods.
Garrett Forrest (10-19-3-0) took the loss in goal for the hosts, allowing five goals on 40 Rangers shots.
Nick McHugh was the other goal scorer for the Rangers, who have now won a season-high six straight games.
Kitchener took a 1-0 lead just over five minutes into the game on Brown’s first goal as a member of the Rangers, assisted by Sherwood and Michael Vukojevic, at 5:33 of the first period.
Minutes later the Firebirds would square things up as Nikita Alexandrov tallied just his second of the season, from Ty Dellandrea and Maurizio Colella at 8:00.
The first lead of the night for Flint came at 12:44 as Riley McCourt registered his third of the season – and first as a Firebird – from Jack Phibbs and Ryan Littlejohn to make it 2-1 Firebirds.
Before the period was out the stalemate would return, as Mascherin notched his first of the game, from Rickard Hugg and Sherwood, at 14:41 to send the game to the first intermission tied 2-2.
Shots on goal through the first period of play were tied, 9-9.
The lone goal of the second period belonged to the Rangers, as McHugh tapped in an initial Eric Guest shot that was resting in the blue paint for his ninth of the season, giving Kitchener a 3-2 edge at 8:23.
After 40 minutes of play the Rangers outshot the Firebirds, 24-16.
In the third period the Rangers top line once again flexed its muscle, as a pretty tic-tac-toe finished with Mascherin tallying his 33rd of the season, assisted by Sherwood and Brown, at 8:17.
With just under seven minutes to play in the final frame, Joseph Garreffa and Richardson collided behind the Rangers net when Richardson attempted to play the puck. It, in turn, took an odd bounce back out to the side of the net where it was pounced on by Dellandrea who buried his 18th of the season, shorthanded and unassisted, cutting the Kitchener lead to 4-3 at 13:37.
Brown rounded out the game’s scoring with his second goal of the game as the top line continued to be effective when it counts for head coach Jay McKee’s club, as Mascherin and Sherwood earned assists on the 5-3 goal which came at 18:24.
Final shots on goal heavily favoured Kitchener 40-23, including 16-7 in the third period and a combined 31-14 for the visitors during the final 40 minutes.
The Rangers were 0-for-3 on the power play, while the Firebirds were 0-for-2 with the man advantage but managed a shorthanded goal.
Logan Brown (KIT) (3), Adam Mascherin (KIT) (2), and Kole Sherwood (KIT) (1) were selected as the Three Stars of the Game.
Kole Sherwood, Adam Mascherin, and Logan Stanley each wore an “A” and skated as alternates to Rangers’ captain Connor Bunnaman.
The Rangers are back in action next Friday, February 2 when they host the Hamilton Bulldogs for the lone time this season at 7:30pm at The Aud.
Regular season tickets to all Kitchener Rangers home games are $23.00 each for adults, $19.00 for children 12 and under including HST, and are available in person or by calling the Activa Box Office at The Aud, from Centre in the Square (519) 578-1570 -or- 1-800-265-8977, or by purchasing online.
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