Rangers’ Richardson rules between the pipes
WINDSOR — Luke Richardson is a man of few words.
But the Kitchener Rangers goalie is sure making some noise on the ice. His play in between the pipes this season has simply been screaming good.
“You can’t ask for anything more from him,” said Blueshirts boss Jay McKee. “He’s poised and calm.”
And he’s dominating the Ontario Hockey League.
Through three games — all wins — the Rangers’ backstopper has allowed just four goals on 91 shots which makes for a league leading 1.33 goals against average and .956 save percentage.
“I’m feeling good in the net overall,” said Richardson. “I’m seeing pucks well.”
His eagle eyes were back at work Saturday in Windsor as he held down the fort yet again to help the visiting Rangers defeat the hometown Spits 4-1.
Greg Meireles broke a 1-1 tie in the second period when his third of the season slipped by Windsor netminder Kari Piiroinen one second after a Kitchener power
play had ended. The Rangers nursed the slim lead until the waning minutes and the Spitfires were forced to yank their goalie to try to even things up.
Kitchener’s Rickard Hugg derailed that dream with a pair of markers into the yawning net.
Chase Campbell scored his second in as many games for the Rangers while Will Cuylle was the sole Spitfire to stymie Richardson, who finished with 33 stops.
“Richie was the man again,” said McKee.
“Without him in net we probably don’t have this result.”
You can take the “probably” out of that quote.
Richardson was on point from the moment he stoned Igor Larionov on a breakaway in the first period to when he cooled off a crease crashing Cole Purboo in the third frame.
“He’s seeing through traffic and making saves look easy,” said McKee. “The confidence is high and he’s maturing. In every league goalies develop a little later in age and he’s just coming along really well.”
Richardson has been biding his time.
The Blueshirts were hoping the Barrie native would break out last year but brought in Mario Culina at the midway mark and the veteran ended up taking the starting gig.
This season, they gave Richardson the keys to the cage. And, so far, he’s making them look good for the vote of confidence.
“It’s nice to know that,” he said. “But you can’t change the way you come to the rink. You still have to play like someone is pushing you.”
Green goalie Lucas Pfeil is in the picture too. He’ll see his first start next weekend when the team plays three games in three days. But it’s clear, especially with the way Richardson has started, who the main man in net is going to be this season.
“I just want to show that I’m a better goalie than I was the last few years and that I can be consistently good,” he said.
Kitchener hosts the Saginaw Spirit of Michigan, at the Aud at 7:30 p.m.