Late Push Not Enough for Rangers on Opening Night
September 30, 2022 – Ontario Hockey League (OHL) – Kitchener Rangers News Release
Kitchener, Ont. – Despite being tied 1-1 near the mid-way point of the contest, and the Rangers scoring the last two goals of the game, the club finished with a 6-3 deficit to the Sarnia Sting in front 6,025 fans on Opening Night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Friday.
After a scoreless first period, Easton Wainwright was first to strike for Sarnia at 6:49. A loose puck scramble off the draw led to Wainwright alone infront of the goal. He made no mistake with a mid-high wrist shot beating Jackson Parsons blocker side. The Rangers tied it just 2:00 later when Tomas Hamara (Ottawa Senators) retrieved a loose puck on the right-wing wall in the neutral zone and headmanned it to Matthew Sop, creating a 2-on-1. Sop found Adam Zidlicky at the left circle who buried farside at 8:49.
The period ended with two straight goals by Sarnia at 17:52 (Tyson Doucette) and 18:47 (Angus MacDonell) to extend their lead to 3-1. First, a shot from the point was deflected found its way over the line, then, a quick turnover led to a 2-on-0 in front of the net which a cross-crease pass was put five-hole past Parsons. Shots after 20 minutes were in favour of Sarnia 22-11.
Sarnia would score three more goals to extend their lead to 6-1. Ty Voit (Toronto Maple Leafs), Nolan Burke, and Marcus Limpar-Lantz each scored their firsts of the season within 4:10 of each other.
Kitchener struck twice more within the last 1:26 of the game. Captain Francesco Pinelli (Los Angeles Kings) scored his first of the year from a tight angle, banking the puck off the Sarnia netminders skate and in to make it 6-2. Then, Tomas Hamara (Ottawa Senators) would score another goal late in the period (19:32) on the power-play to cut the lead in half from the right circle, gloveside.
The finals shots ended in favour of the Sting 33-20. The Rangers finished the game 1-for-3 on the power-play and were a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty-kill. All three stars of the game were credited to Sarnia.
Next up: The Rangers hit the road Saturday for game two of the regular season as the Blueshirts face-off against the Owen Sound Attack. Puck drop is set for 7:30pm at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre in Owen Sound. The game will be televised in Kitchener and the Waterloo Region on Rogers TV, cable channel 20, and will be broadcast on the radio on CityNews 570 AM CKGL.
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