Kitchener Rangers eliminated by Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in Game 7 of the Western Conference final
SAULT STE. MARIE — All Kitchener wanted was a chance.
And the Rangers had a glorious one after pushing the Ontario Hockey League’s top rated team to the limit in Game 7 of the western conference final.
But the Blueshirts won’t be moving on to their first league final in a decade.
The club’s season ended with gut wrenching 4-3 loss to the Sault Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in double overtime Monday night at the Essar Centre. It was a thrilling finish.
The home side was up 3-2 and looked to have the game in the bag when the Rangers pulled goalie Mario Culina for an extra attacker and tied the game off Logan Stanley’s blast with 51.8 seconds to go in regulation.
That set up a frantic overtime but, despite the back and forth action, nothing was settled.
Soo forward Jack Kopacka finally ended the marathon four minutes into double overtime.
The Rangers immediately huddled around Culina and then looked on in disbelief before shaking hands with the ‘Hounds at centre ice.
It was an emotional series. The Blueshirts entered Monday’s game without one of their key players.
About five hours before puck drop, the OHL announced that winger Givani Smith was suspended for two games for flipping the bird toward the Soo bench after Sunday’s 4-3 overtime victory at the Aud.
But the Rangers pulled together in his absence.
The Soo caught Kitchener on a line change late in the first period and forward Boris Katchouk took advantage.
The Waterloo native snuck by the Rangers’ defence and snapped his 14th post-season marker past keeper Mario Culina for a 1-0 lead.
Fourth line winger Jonathan Yantsis got the visitors on the board in the second when his soft backhander eluded ‘Hounds keeper Jonathan Villalta.
Katchouk notched his second of the game before Swedish centre Rickard Hugg potted a power play marker to send the game into third period locked 2-2.
Katchouk picked up his third point by setting up Morgan Frost with 8:19 to go in the third period and the Soo looked to have the game wrapped up before Stanley scored to set up overtime.
The Greyhounds will now face the Hamilton Bulldogs in the OHL final beginning Thursday back at the Essar Centre.
It’s the team’s first appearance in the big dance since 1993 when they lost to the Peterborough Petes.
The Rangers beat the Guelph Storm in six games and then upset the Sarnia Sting in six to set up a date with the Greyhounds, where they were underdogs yet again.
In Game 1, the club was on the power play and eyeing overtime when the Soo scored the winning goal with 0.2 seconds left in the game.
There was more heartache in Game 2 when one of Kitchener’s goals was called back on an offside in a 4-2 loss.
The next day, the OHL admitted it made a mistake and that the goal was good.
The Rangers rallied at home to even the series. Goalie Mario Culina was brilliant in a 3-0 victory in Game 3 before a convincing 7-4 romp in Game 4.
They dropped Game 5 up in the Soo but avoided elimination with a dramatic 4-3 overtime victory at the Aud on Sunday night to send the series the full distance.
The Greyhounds was just too deadly at home where they have lost just two games in regulation all season.