Fighting chance

Garreffa’s first OHL hat trick helps Rangers beat the Otters for the first time this season

Kitchener’s Pat Pytlik giving UFC dream his

best shot

The Erie Otters enchantment is gone.

The Kitchener Rangers finally solved the Pennsylvania platoon with a convincing 8-4 victory Wednesday at the Erie Insurance Arena.

The Blueshirts had been bested twice this season by the ninth-place Otters and hadn’t tasted victory stateside in more than a year.

But all that changed thanks to a four-goal second period.

It looked like the usual Erie assault early on.

The Otters held the Rangers to one shot through the first 13 minutes of action but couldn’t solve goalie Luke Richardson.

Greg Meireles gave the visitors the lead at 14:26 on the team’s third shot on net when he roofed a pass from Joseph Garreffa over Erie goalie Daniel Murphy from the right faceoff circle.

Erie got into penalty trouble later in the period, which is dangerous against this year’s Rangers crew since they boast the best power play in the Ontario Hockey League.

That said, it was the Otters who cashed while Kitchener was up a man as Gera Poddubnyi converted a two-on-one break to tie the game 1-1.

Rangers defenceman Michael Vukojevic responded just 30 seconds later on the power play and the team rode the one goal lead into the first intermission.

Then the tone shifted. The Rangers buried four second period tallies and two more in the third. Garreffa led the way with his first career hat trick while captain Rickard Hugg added a pair. Rookie d-man Donovan Sebrango also scored.

Kitchener killer Petr Cajka, who has seven points in three games versus the Rangers this season, scored two goals for Erie. Jamie Drysdale also tallied.

It was a valuable two points for the Blueshirts, who now move back into sixth in the OHL’s western conference, nine points up on Erie and just one point back of fifth-place Owen Sound.

The eight goals scored was the most in a game by the Rangers this season.

Kitchener dressed 11 forwards up front due to injuries to Carter Tresoor (concussion) and Eric Guest (lower body). Defenceman Joseph Rupoli (concussion) is also on the sidelines.

Next up for the Rangers is a date against the Hamilton Bulldogs Friday at the Aud.