Rangers Advance with 4-2 Win
Tobias Rieder’s four-point night led the Kitchener Rangers to a 4-2 win over the Guelph Storm on Friday night. The German-born forward scored and added three assists in the victory and was named the contest’s first star. The Rangers win the best-of-seven series 4-1 and advance to the Western Conference Semifinals.
Both goaltenders were perfect through the opening 20 minutes, with John Gibson stopping eight shots for the Rangers and Guelph’s Garret Sparks making nine saves.
The Rangers opened the scoring early in the second period, finding the back of the net at the 1:38 mark. German forward Tobias Rieder’s backhand pass found rearguard Max Iafrate beside the Guelph net. He chipped the puck over Sparks for his first of the playoffs. The goal was also assisted by Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Joshua Leivo.
Kitchener added to its lead five minutes later, with a short-handed goal from Rieder. With four seconds remaining on the penalty kill, Ryan Murphy intercepted the puck at the Rangers blueline and sprung Rieder on a breakaway. The German import snapped a shot through Sparks to record his first of the playoffs.
Radek Faksa’s third goal in as many games lifted Kitchener to a 3-0 advantage with six minutes to play in the period. With the Rangers on the power play, Rieder moved to puck ahead to the Czech-born forward and he lifted a backhand shot over Sparks for his third of the playoffs. Leivo earned his second point of the night with an assist on the play.
The Rangers out-shot the Storm 21-13 in the middle frame.
Guelph got on the board with just over 12 minutes to play. Zac Leslie corralled the puck at the blueline and moved it to Brock McGinn. The third year winger slid it by the right pad of Gibson for his first of the series. Draft-eligible forward Jason Dickinson was also credited with a helper on the play.
McGinn would cut the Rangers’ lead to one at the 11:40 mark when he was awarded a penalty shot and fired under Gibson for his second of the game.
Leivo re-established Kitchener’s two-goal advantage with 93 seconds remaining on the clock, firing the puck into an empty net. The power play goal was assisted by Matt Puempel and Rieder, his fourth point of the evening.
The Storm led shots on goal 18-13 in the final frame, but the Rangers finished the game with a 43-39 overall advantage. Gibson made 37 saves to pick up his fourth win of the playoffs.
Kitchener wins the best-of-seven series 4-1 and advances to the Western Conference Semifinals.
Scoring
2. KIT M. Iafrate, (1) (T. Rieder, J. Leivo), 1:38
2. KIT T. Rieder, (1) (R. Murphy), 6:32 (SH)
2. KIT R. Faksa, (3) (T. Rieder, J. Leivo), 13:59 (PP)
3. GUE B. McGinn, (1) (Z. Leslie, J. Dickinson), 7:42
3. GUE B. McGinn, (2) (unassisted), 11:30 (PS)
3. KIT J. Leivo, (2) (M. Puempel, T. Rieder), 18:27 (EN/PP)
Attendance: 7042
Three Stars
1. KIT – 9 Tobias Rieder
2. GUE – 21 Brock McGinn
3. KIT – 94 Radek Faksa
