Rangers on roll, win fourth straight
‘Everybody is playing their role, everyone is clicking. It’s a lot of fun. Our confidence is pretty high.’
KITCHENER — Jay McKee has no complaints.
The Kitchener Rangers coach is watching his boys in red, white and blue play their best hockey of the season.
“I think right now there is not one guy that I can say I’m disappointed with regarding their work ethic on both sides of the puck,” he said. “You don’t see that a lot as a coach. Usually there are some guys you are trying to light a fire under.” Yes, these are good times at the Aud. The Blueshirts capped a perfect weekend with a 4-1 win over the visiting Peterborough Petes Sunday evening on East Avenue.
The victory was the team’s fourth straight and eighth in the past nine games. During that stretch, the Rangers have earned 17 of a possible 18 points.
The run has the club just five points back of the Sarnia Sting for first overall in the Ontario Hockey League.
The winning is impressive, but it’s how they’re doing it that has McKee and his staff beaming with pride.
The contributions are coming from up and down the lineup. All four lines are scoring, team defence is ubiquitous and both goalies — Luke Richardson and Chris McGonigle — have been difference-makers.
“It’s a good competitive environment,” said McKee. “Every line is pushing for each other. They’re playing for each other and they’re getting the best of each other.”
The Rangers looked a bit sluggish early on Sunday and for good reason.
The club was cramming in its third game in as many days, after outlasting Guelph 7-5 Friday at home, and rallying to beat the Colts 3-1 in Barrie Saturday night.
Peterborough defenceman Declan Chisholm scored on the team’s first shot of the game at 1:11 in the first period.
But Kitchener rallied on an Adam Liska tip — his third marker in the past four games — for a 1-1 tie at the first intermission.
The second period was really a thing of beauty. The Rangers outshot the Petes 15-6; but, more impressively, had the puck pinned inside Peterborough’s end for most of the frame.
The effort paid off when Riley Damiani tipped his seventh of the season, from the slot, in the waning minutes for a 2-1 advantage.
Blueliner Logan Stanley snapped an insurance goal just 21 seconds into the third, to put the game away, while captain Connor Bunnaman deposited his team-high 14th into an empty net.
“This team is unreal right now,” said Bunnaman.
“Everybody is playing their role and everyone is clicking,” Bunnaman said.
“It’s a lot of fun. Our confidence is pretty high.”
Luke Richardson made 26 saves for his third consecutive victory and now boasts a record of 8-5-1-0.
The Rangers (15-6-2-0) head north for a three-game road swing this week beginning in North Bay on Thursday, before heading to Sault Ste. Marie Friday and Sudbury on Sunday.