Ryan Murphy’s Three Point Night Leads Rangers Past Attack 5-3
The Kitchener Rangers defeated the Attack 5-3 in Owen Sound Saturday night. The Rangers won both games of the weekend home-and-home series against their divisional rivals.
Kitchener got off to a quick start in the first period. After a flurry of activity in front of the Owen Sound net, Brandon Francisco scored his first goal as a Ranger at 8:16. Francisco, who joined the team via trade from Sarnia in the off-season, was assisted by Ryan Murphy and Andrew Crescenzi.
The Rangers struck again just over a minute later when Julian Melchiori found Tobias Rieder on a great cross-ice pass, and the German forward beat Attack starter Scott Stajcer to make it 2-0. Rieder’s goal extended his point-scoring streak to five games.
Kitchener out-shot Owen Sound 16-12 in the opening period.
The Rangers extended their lead to three with a short-handed goal early in the first. Thomson stripped Stajcer of the puck and found the back of the net for his second of the season.
Less than 30 seconds later the Attack would respond. Daniel Catenacci beat Kitchener netminder Franky Palazzese with a shot from the high slot to make it 3-1. Artur Gavrus assisted on the play.
Kitchener scored on an extended 5-on-3 power play midway through the second. Ryan Murphy faked the shot to get Stajcer moving and got the puck to Michael Catenacci, who buried it on the open side for his second of the season.
Owen Sound got one back on the power play. Daniel Catenacci added his second of the night on another feed from Gavrus. Also assisting on Catenacci’s eighth of the season was Matt Petgrave.
Petgrave was sent off on a slashing minor less than 30 second later and the Rangers would capitalize on the man advantage. Crescenzi tipped in a shot from Melchiori to re-establish Kitchener’s three-goal lead. It was the fifth-year veteran’s third goal of the weekend, with Murphy picking up his third helper of the game on the play.
The Attack took the lead in shots on goal in the second, with a 15-12 advantage in the period.
The third frame was scoreless until the final, when Ben Fanelli was sent to the penalty box for hooking. Mike Halmo tipped in Petgrave’s point shot with 41 seconds to play to close the gap to two. The power play marker was Halmo’s fifth goal of the year.
Owen Sound continued to out-shoot Kitchener, with a 15-3 advantage in the final frame, but Palazzese looked sharp all night, stopping 39 of the 42 pucks he faced and picking up his first win as a Ranger. Stajcer stopped 26 of 31 in his second start since being returned to the Attack earlier in the week by the New York Rangers of the NHL.
With the win, Kitchener improves its record to 5-3-0-0 this season, while Owen Sound’s third loss in a row drops them to 5-7-0-0.
Scoring
1. KIT Francisco, (1) (Murphy, Crescenzi), 8:16
1. KIT Rieder, (6) (Melchiori), 9:30
2. KIT Thomson, (2) (unassisted), 1:29 (SH)
2. OS Catenacci, (7) (Gavrus), 1:56
2. KIT Catenacci, (2) (Murphy), 9:36 (PP)
2. OS Catenacci, (8) (Gavrus, Petgrave), 18:02 (PP)
2. KIT Crescenzi, (4) (Melchiori, Murphy), 18:45 (PP)
3. OS Halmo, (5) (Petgrave, Catenacci), 19:19 (PP)
Three Stars
1 – KIT #24 Ryan Murphy
2 – OS #7 Daniel Catenacci
3 – KIT #20 Andrew Crescenzi
Attendance: 3211
The Rangers visit Windsor on Thursday, October 20th for a 7:05pm game against the Spitfires. They return to home ice on Friday, October 21st at 7:30pm when they play host to the Sarnia Sting. Tickets may be purchased by phone at 519-578-1570 or 1-800-265-8977, via the internet or in person at The Aud Box Office or Centre in the Square Box Office.
