BAILEY SCORES GAME WINNER IN 6-5 VICTORY
Justin Bailey scored twice, including the game-winner, helping the Kitchener Rangers to a 6-5 win over the Sarnia Sting on Friday night. Nick Magyar led the offence with a goal and three assists, while homegrown defenceman Logan Schmidt scored his first career Ontario Hockey League goal in the win.
The Rangers jumped in front early, scoring just 35 seconds into the opening frame. Nick Magyar carried the puck over the Sting blueline, firing a shot that was turned aside by netminder Taylor Dupuis. Veteran winger Brent Pedersen picked up the rebound and his sharp angle shot bounced off the shoulder of Dupuis and into the net for his 10th goal of the season.
Sarnia evened the score near the nine minute mark, with team-scoring leader Nikolay Goldobin feeding Jimmy McDowell in the slot. The overage rearguard slipped a shot between the pads of Rangers starter Jordan DeKort for his eighth of the season.
Kitchener quickly restored their one-goal advantage, scoring less than a minute later to go ahead 2-1. Buffalo Sabres prospect Justin Bailey chased the puck into the corner, carrying it behind the Sting net and hammering the wraparound shot under Dupuis for his 15th of the year. Rookie Mason Kohn picked up his third point in four games with an assist on the play. The second helper was credited to rearguard Max Iafrate.
The Sting mounted a quick comeback with a goal 22 seconds later off the stick of Patrick White. His third of the season was assisted by Vladislav Kodola and Brandon Lindberg.
The teams continued to swap first period tallies, with the Rangers jumping back in front with less than six minutes to play. Rookie centre Ryan MacInnis took advantage of heavy pressure at the Sarnia net, jumping on his own rebound and lifting it into the top corner of the net, over a sprawling Dupuis. Magyar earned his second assist of the night on the goal, which put Kitchener up 3-2.
Nickolas Latta’s 23rd tally of the season, scored with 2:09 remaining in the frame, sent the game into intermission tied at three goals apiece. The fourth year centre jumped on the odd-man rush, shooting a high shot by DeKort with assists from Bryan Moore and Goldobin.
The late goal prompted a change in the Rangers’ net as Matthew Greenfield entered the game in relief of DeKort, who stopped 9 of 12 shots in nearly 18 minutes of work.
The Sting out-shot Kitchener 16-12 in the first period.
A short-handed marker scored by Daniel Nikandrov lifted Sarnia to its first lead of the game in the opening minute of the middle frame. The veteran forward broke into the Rangers zone with speed, firing a quick shot by Greenfield to record his sixth goal of the year. Tyler Hore assisted on the play.
The Rangers leveled the score at 4-4 early in the period, after Magyar swung wide around a Sarnia defender and beat Dupuis with a low shot to pick up his 11th goal of the year and his third point of the contest. Pedersen’s assist on the play was his second point of the night.
The Sting capitalized on a power play opportunity to jump back in front less than two minutes later. Third-year winger Davis Brown picked up a cross ice pass from Nikita Korostelev, firing it over the diving glove hand of Greenfield. Hore earned his second helper of the game on Brown’s career-best eighth of the year.
The Rangers led shots on goal 20 – 10 in the second period.
Kitchener native Logan Schmidt’s first career Ontario Hockey League goal pulled the Rangers even at 5-5 with less than six minutes to play. With the Rangers on the power play, the rookie defenceman launched a long point shot past a screened Dupuis, into the top glove-side corner of the Sting net. Assists on the play were credited to MacInnis and Magyar, their second and fourth points of the night, respectively. Magyar now leads all Rangers scorers with 29 points this season.
Bailey scored his second of the game with 24.5 seconds remaining on the clock, lifting Kitchener to a 6-5 win. The sophomore winger jumped on a rebound in front of the Sarnia net, shovelling it by Dupuis for his 16th of the year, with assists from Matia Marcantuoni and Curtis Meighan.
The Rangers out-shot the Sting 15-10 in the final period, finishing with a 51-32 overall advantage on the shot clock. Greenfield stopped 18 of 20 shots he faced in the relief effort.
With the victory, the Rangers take a 2-1 lead in the four game season series.
Scoring
1. KIT B. Pedersen, (10) (N. Magyar), 0:35
1. SAR J. McDowell, (8) (N. Goldobin), 9:09
1. KIT J. Bailey, (15) (M. Kohn, M. Iafrate), 9:56
1. SAR P. White, (3) (V. Kodola, B. Lindberg), 10:18
1. KIT R. MacInnis, (9) (N. Magyar), 14:13
1. SAR N. Latta, (23) (B. Moore, N. Goldobin), 17:51
2. SAR D. Nikandrov, (6) (T. Hore), 0:46 (SH)
2. KIT N. Magyar, (11) (B. Pedersen), 4:22
2. SAR D. Brown, (8) (N. Korostelev, T. Hore), 6:18 (PP)
3. KIT L. Schmidt, (1) (R. MacInnis, N. Magyar), 14:31 (PP)
3. KIT J. Bailey, (16) (M. Marcantuoni, C. Meighan), 19:26
Attendance: 7127
Three Stars
1. KIT – 20 Nick Magyar
2. KIT – 95 Justin Bailey
3. SAR – 27 Nikolay Goldobin
The Rangers hit the road Saturday, January 4 for a 7:00 pm meeting with the Sudbury Wolves. The team returns to the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on Friday, January 10 to host the Niagara IceDogs at 7:30pm. Tickets to Rangers home games are available by phone at 519-578-1570 or 1-800-265-8977, via the internet at www.centre-square.com or in person at the Centre In the Square Box Office or the Kitchener Auditorium Box Office.
