Knights continue to own Rangers
Kitchener hasn’t beaten London since December 2015
KITCHENER — Enough is enough.
The Kitchener Rangers’ streak of futility against the London Knights was extended to a dozen games after a 5-2 loss Friday night at the Aud.
The Blueshirts haven’t solved their chief rivals in 13 months. It’s a stretch that spans parts of two seasons and includes four postseason matches that sent the Ranges packing in the playoffs.
“I don’t think you can necessarily look internal and ask why we can’t beat them,” said Rangers coach Jay McKee. “You have to give them credit. It’s just a well built team.”
It looked like the ownership was going to end Friday.
The Rangers won the five-on-five game and had things even at two apiece heading into the third period. With the home crowd behind them it finally seemed like the tide had turned.
Alas, London’s Dante Salituro made good on a two-on-one break to give the visitors their first lead of the game and Kitchener couldn’t recover.
The Rangers haven’t defeated the Knights since a 3-2 win at the Aud on Dec. 29, 2015. Half of the players iced that night aren’t even on Kitchener’s roster anymore.
Leading scorer Adam Mascherin was one of them and feels the streak is misleading.
“I don’t think the scores from any time we’ve played are indicative of how the game has gone,” he said. That was the case Friday. Joseph Garreffa was awarded a penalty shot late in the first period when London goalie Tyler Johnson threw his stick to make a save. The pint-sized forward delivered of string of dekes before depositing the puck high blocker side for a 1-0 lead.
London put their OHL best power play to work and tied the game twice in the second period on goals by Salituro and Cliff Pu before going ahead for good in the third. Pu and Alex Formenton added empty net markers in the waning minutes.
Kitchener was 0-for-5 with the man advantage and came up empty on a five-onthree during the final five minutes of play.
“We certainly have to find one (on the power play),” said McKee. “Special teams can win and lose you games and tonight it won it for them.”
Garreffa added a helper on Darby Llewellyn’s second period tally to finish with two points while goalie Luke Opilka made 35 saves.
“They are organized and have high end skill,” said Garreffa. “Their attention to detail … and their passing is always on point. Maybe that’s what gave them the edge.”
Kitchener must now shift its focus to Sunday when it hosts Sarnia at the Aud at 2 p.m. The seventh place Sting trail the sixth place Rangers by just four points in the OHL’s western conference.
“Probably at this point in the season there isn’t a bigger game than the next one,” said McKee. “We’re fighting for playoff positioning with them and they have been playing pretty good hockey so it’s going to be a good hard fought battle.”
Rangers forward Nick McHugh missed Friday’s game with a concussion suffered in this past Tuesday’s win over Niagara. The second year winger was rocked by a shoulder on an open-ice hit from Kyle Langdon. The IceDogs forward was subsequently suspended for eight games by the OHL.