Owen Sound Attack image
A chaotic third period in Kitchener, and the Rangers came out on top.
Luca Romano, Adrian Misaljevic and Luke Ellinas scored three straight power play goals in a six-minute span in the third period, as the Kitchener Rangers rallied from two down to beat the Owen Sound Attack 6-5 in Ontario Hockey League action Friday evening at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
The three unanswered goals from Kitchener came after the Attack had three of their own to start the third. Tristan Delise, Declan Waddick and Braedyn Rogers scored in the first 4:06 of the third to put the Attack ahead 5-3. But then penalty trouble hit.
“You feel for the kids because a lot of them it’s their first time actually being in that situation,” says Attack head coach Scott Wray, mentioning the two-goal lead his team let slip in London one week ago was a much different situation. “This you have a parade to the (penalty box). And that’s hard. Rightly or wrongly, you could argue the calls. But they were calls.”
“ … They’re learning and listening, it’s just the frustration of the panic setting in. You don’t know how to play in those situations until you’re actually in that situation. A lot of young guys are in situations now where they’re learning from,” Wray continues. “And one of my key points on the board today was ‘we gotta play with big-mo.’ And kids are coming to me, asking what’s big-mo? It’s big momentum. And in this place, like you saw tonight, once this team gets momentum, it’s crazy. And that’s just how it swung.”
Ben Cormier and Rafik Varosyan also scored for the Attack (7-13-2-3), who fell to 2-5-2-3 in one-goal games this season.
Andrew Vermeulen also scored for Kitchener (17-5-2-1), who made it back-to-back wins. Ellinas and Misaljevic each had a pair.
It was 3-2 after two for Kitchener and then the game took a turn: Six goals in the third period. Delisle scored just 39 seconds into the third, taking a pass from Landen Hookey from the behind the net then just quickly chipping it over the right shoulder of Jason Schaubel to tie the game 3-3.
Less than two minutes later the Attack took their first lead of the game. Waddick picked up the puck behind the net and wrapped around out front and fired it low, beating Schaubel five-hole to make it 4-3.
A minute and a half later it was 5-3 Attack. Rogers picked up the puck inside the blueline on a delayed penalty against the Rangers, and let a high shot go that found the back of the net. Three goals in the first 4:06 in the third period. The home crowd at the Aud stunned, as the Attack led by two.
But things would swing back Kitchener’s way in a hurry. After a hooking call against James Petrovski, Romano scored on the power play. He got to a puck near the crease off the rush, directing it past Carter George to make it a one goal game.
Then a hooking penalty for Antonio Tersigini, and just over three minutes later the Rangers tied it. Misaljevic scored his second of the night – another power play marker – to make it 5-5.
Petrovski was given another minor penalty shortly after, trying to play a puck down the ice from his own end across the zone – but it sailed on him and went directly over the glass. Delay of game, Rangers back to the power play.
And they scored again. Ellinas in tight managed to chip a puck just over George as he went down, putting the Rangers back in front 6-5. That was the sixth goal of the third period. It started with three straight for the Attack, followed by three straight power play goals for the Rangers.
Owen Sound had trailed the entire game until the third, and just kept hanging around.
Kitchener opened the scoring 1:35 after the opening faceoff. Misaljevic was gifted a breakaway after one of the referees Darcy Burchell lost his footing in the neutral zone and fell to the ice, right behind Attack defenceman David Bedkowski. Burchell’s fall took Bedkowski out, and Misaljevic was off and beat George with a shot to make it 1-0.
Burchell was injured and left the game. He was replaced by another referee – Jason Faist – in the second period.
Owen Sound answered at 7:22 of the first. Varosyan was sprung on a breakaway and deked, before tucking a forehand shot to tie it 1-1.
Kitchener would retake the lead late in the first. Cameron Reid after being knocked to the ice behind the Attack net managed to get a pass out front while on the ground, and found Ellinas who fired it in to make it 2-1 with 37 seconds left in the first.
Owen Sound tied it just over six minutes into the second. After an offensive zone faceoff win, Ben Cormier found the puck behind the net and tucked a quick wraparound past the left pad of Schaubel, 2-2.
But the Rangers would respond again, late in the second. Vermeulen getting a pass from Justin Bottineau in front, shot, goal. 3-2 Rangers.
Then the wild third period – see above – when the Attack took their first lead, made it 5-3, before three straight on the power play by Kitchener.
Schaubel made 26 saves in the win, while George stopped 36 taking the loss. Kitchener outshot Owen Sound 42-31 while going 3 for 5 on the power play; the Attack finished 0 for 2.
Next up for the Attack is a home game Saturday evening at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre against the Windsor Spitfires (18-6-2).
CORMIER INJURED
Attack forward Ben Cormier left the game in the second period and did not return in the third. He appeared to favour his hand after being knocked into the board. Attack head coach Scott Wray said after the game Cormier injured a finger and he’ll need to be checked out.
“That was tough for us, because he’s been such an integral part of our (penalty-kill). We had a great talk about a month ago … he wanted to define his role. He was struggling to find a role,” Wray says. “We talked at length. And he’s been unbelievable on our penalty-kill. He knows as soon as we’ve got one … he’s the first guy to go, every time.”
“He’s relished that role,” Wray continues. “And not having him to go out there, it hurts.”