OHL Kitchener Rangers

Rangers Hold a 3-1 Series Lead Coming Home

Published on April 21, 2008 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Rangers take two in Soo. Hold a 3-1 series lead coming home.

Sault Ste. Marie, ON: The Kitchener Rangers continued their season long strong road play as they picked up a 7-3 win over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best of seven Rogers Western Conference Final.

The first period saw the team's trade power play goals. Justin Azevedo opened the scoring with his sixth goal of the playoffs on a quick snapshot over the shoulder of Soo net minder Kyle Gajewski. Josh Godfrey tied the score when his power play wrister beat a screened Josh Unice at 11:55. The Greyhounds held a 12-8 shooting advantage at the end of the first.

Mikkel Boedker gave the Rangers their second lead after his slapshot beat Gajewski low to the glove side at the 4:00 mark. Brandon MacLean, standing alone at the side of the net, converted a Wayne Simmonds feed to tie the game 2-2 at 5:16. Scott Timmins backhander from a scramble beat Gajewski to restore the Rangers lead. Matt Hailschuk, with the Rangers second power play goal of the night increased the Rangers lead to 4-2. Mike Duco closed out the scoring in the period when he intercepted a pass shorthanded and banged in his own rebound to send the Rangers to the locker room with a 5-2 lead. The Rangers outshot the Hounds 16-9 in the second period.

The Soo narrowed the gap to 5-3 when Brandon Biggers intercepted a Rangers clearing attempt and beat Unice with a hard wrist shot.

Boedker chased down a loose puck and fought off a Soo defender in the corner; found Nazem Kadri in front of the net who buried his sixth of the playoffs. The victory was sealed when Duco banged in a rebound for his second goal of the game at 18:49.

Josh Unice continued his strong play in the Rangers net improving his playoff record to 6-1.

Teams return to Kitchener for game five this Wednesday at 7:30pm. Tickets are available and unclaimed Season Tickets will go on sale Wednesday morning at 10:00 am.

Scoring 1. KIT Azevedo, (6) (Weber, Boedker), 4:38 (PP) 1. SSM Godfrey, (5) (Jeffrey, Simmonds), 11:55 (PP) 2. KIT Boedker, (7) , 4:00 2. SSM MacLean, (4) (Simmonds, Jeffrey), 5:16 2. KIT Timmins, (3) (Bortuzzo, Shutron), 8:20 2. KIT Halischuk, (11) (Azevedo, Weber), 12:45 (PP) 2. KIT Duco, (10) , 17:40 (SH) 3. SSM Biggers, (2) , 5:53 3. KIT Kadri, (6) (Boedker), 12:24 3. KIT Duco, (11) (Kadri, Azevedo), 18:49

Attendance: 4700

Three Stars 1. KIT - 89 Mikkel Boedker 2. KIT - 14 Mike Duco 3. KIT - 19 Nazem Kadri

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 21, 2008


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