Rangers get new life with shutout win

KITCHENER — The Kitchener Rangers always felt they were in the series, they just had nothing to show for it.

That changed Monday when the Blueshirts blanked the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 3-0 to get back in the Ontario Hockey League western conference final.

And the victory, which has the Rangers trailing 2-1 in the bestof-seven showdown, has breathed new life into the club.

“It raises our confidence,” said Rangers defenceman Kyle Gentles. “I think we’ve been there with them the whole time. It was finally good to end up on the winning side.”

It was Kitchener’s first win against the Soo in seven attempts this season. Take away empty net goals and five of the six losses to the ‘Hounds have been by one marker, including the first two games of the west final at the Essar Centre.

“When you lose two games as close as we did, especially on the road, that’s real tough mentally,” said Rangers winger Adam Mascherin. “You kind of think about it the whole drive home. To get one and know that they are human just like we are and to know that we can play with them is definitely a big confidence booster.”

Monday’s shutout win was a first for the Soo as the ‘Hounds hadn’t been blanked in more than a year.

“We were down 2-0 (in the series) and most teams would just roll over because they’re playing the Soo who is the top team in Canada and think they’re done,” said Gentles. “I think that after Monday’s win it’s just proof that we actually can beat them. We always knew we could but we just needed to see it for ourselves.”

The scene returns to the Aud Wednesday for Game 4.

And the Rangers will be in tough since Sault Ste. Marie has only lost back-to-back three times this season.

“They’re going to come out with a swagger,” said Gentles. “They’re a good team. We’re going to need to weather that and push back in front of our home crowd.”

Win Wednesday and the series is tied 2-2, lose and the Rangers head back to the Soo Friday down 3-1. Either way, Mascherin isn’t worried. He treats every game as a must-win affair.

“People say it would be an upset for us to win the series,” he said. “We only finished one spot behind them and we were in the CHL top 10, too. We’re a good team. People underestimate us. I don’t think it’s far fetched to think we can win another game. It’s anybody’s series at this point.”

At least Wednesday’s tilt will be in the friendly confines of the Aud.

“We have great support here with our fans,” said Rangers coach Jay McKee. “They’re great throughout the season and they take it to a new level in the playoffs. We certainly get energized off playing in front of our home fans.”