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OHL Guelph Storm

Rangers Handle Storm 4-1

February 26, 2016 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Guelph Storm News Release


The Guelph Storm dropped a 4-1 decision to the Kitchener Rangers in the last meeting of the season between the two teams Friday night at the Sleeman Centre.

In eight total games played this season against the Storm, the Rangers won seven to claim the title of Highway 7 champions for the 2015-16 season.

Liam Stevens scored his second goal in as many games against Kitchener for Guelph's lone goal.

Michael Giugovaz, who has started 19 of the Storm's previous 22 games, made 31 saves in the defeat while his counterpart Dawson Carty turned aside 30 shots for the win.

A hungry Guelph team took the ice to start the game and took a 1-0 lead only 3:28 into the contest.

A Givani Smith hit in the neutral zone caused a Rangers turnover and forced an odd-man break into the Kitchener zone. Smith dished the puck to Stevens who wristed the puck under the blocker of Carty for his second tally in as many games.

With 3:10 remaining in the first period, Ryan MacInnis collected a loose puck off rebound where he was all alone to the left side of the Storm net where he easily roofed the puck over a sprawled-out Giugovaz to even the score, 1-1.

After trailing for the majority of the opening frame, Kitchener would take a 2-1 lead into the intermission thanks to Jeremy Bracco, who tucked the puck around Giugovaz's left pad with 27 seconds remaining. Bracco finished the game with a goal and two assists to lead all players.

A physical, fast-paced first period ended with the Rangers holding a 16-13 shot advantage.

A scoreless second period was the beginning of a tightly structured, close-checking game that was the theme for the next 39 minutes of the game.

Still trailing 2-1 with a mere three minutes remaining in the game, Guelph was awarded a power play when Connor Hall sent the puck over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty.

Kitchener's penalty killing unit successfully killed of the power play before Storm captain C.J. Garcia got called for a slashing penalty with 1:28 to go.

On the Rangers power play with 1:05 left in regulation, MacInnis sealed the deal when he redirected a Hall pass and beat Giugovaz from the right side of the net.

Nick Magyar added an empty-net goal at 19:59 of the third period as Kitchener won 4-1.

Final shots were 34-33 for the Rangers.

The Storm are back in action tomorrow night when they head to St. Catharines for a road game against the Niagara IceDogs. Puck drop is slated for 7:00 p.m.

Check out the Guelph Storm Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 26, 2016


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