Rangers’ rally comes up short
SAULT STE. MARIE — Anthony Dumont-Bouchard’s winning streak is over.
The Kitchener Rangers goalie suffered his first loss of the season as the Blueshirts dropped a 3-2 decision to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Friday night at the Essar Centre.
The loss was Dumont-Bouchard’s first in six games and ended an impressive five-game winning run to start the season.
Kitchener outshot the hosts 10-9 in the first period but it was the Soo that struck first.
Forward Morgan Frost snuck past the Rangers defence and slipped a backhand shot through Dumont-Bouchard’s pads just 90 seconds into the game.
The Rangers responded with pressure and were rewarded with two first period power plays but did not convert.
Kitchener centre Greg Meireles had a glorious chance on a short-handed breakaway in the last minute of the frame but was robbed by the glove hand of Greyhounds goalie Matthew Villalta.
A sloppy second period was winding down when Rangers captain Connor Bunnaman went short side on Villalta for his first of the season to send the game to the third period knotted 1-1.
Barrett Hayton broke the tie with his fourth of the campaign about five minutes in before teammate Hayden Verbeek cashed in on a two-on-one break while short-handed midway through the period.
Meireles’ power play marker Sault Ste. Marie 3, Kitchener 2 First period 1. Sault Ste. Marie, Frost 3 (Timmins, Carroll) 1:30 Penalties: Vallati, Kit (high sticking) 9:42, Frost, Soo (slashing) 12:31, Howdeshell, Kit (holding stick) 15:57, Liska, Kit (hooking) 18:12 Second period 2. Kitchener, Bunnaman 1 (Meireles) 4:45 Penalties: J. Carroll, Soo (interference) 3:28, McHugh, Kit (slashing) 7:31, Damiani, Kit (delay of game) 16:03 Third period 3. Sault Ste. Marie, Hayton 4 (Kopacka, DeMeo) 4:29 4. Sault Ste. Marie, Verbeek 4 (Hollowell) 10:41 (sh) 5. Kitchener, Meireles 2 (Mascherin, Bunnaman) 15:37 (pp) Penalties: Hall, Kit (cross checking) 7:59, Frost, Soo (hooking) 8:46, Hayton, Soo (interference) 14:01, Bench minor, Kit (too many men) 19:04 Goalies: Dumont-Bouchard, Kit (L5-1-0-0), Villalta, Soo (W6-0-1-0) Shots on goal Kit: 10-9-10=29 Soo: 9-7-9=25 Referees: Quincy Evans, Patrick Battista Linesmen: Josh Houslander, Scott Reed Attendance: 3,788
late in the frame appeared to be offside but the goal stood after being reviewed. Bunnaman and Adam Mascherin picked up assists on the Ottawa native’s second of the season.
“I thought our compete (level) was high for most of the night,” Rangers coach Jay McKee said. “We were trying to get all four lines involved. I can’t be mad at the guys. It was a good hockey game.”
The Rangers went 1-for-5 with the man advantage and killed off all five Soo power plays.
The Greyhounds extended their winning streak to six games and sit first overall in the OHL with a record of 7-1-1-0 while Kitchener dropped to 5-3-1-0.
The Rangers take on the Saginaw Spirit (1-4-1-0) at the Dow Event Center Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and wrap up their weekend road swing with a tilt in Flint Sunday at 4 p.m.