Kitchener completes home-ice sweep of Guelph Storm
KITCHENER – The Guelph Storm surrendered the first two and the last two goals of the game as they were downed 4-1 by the Kitchener Rangers in OHL play Tuesday night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
The result gives Kitchener the win in the season series as they took five of the eight games, one in overtime. That included a sweep of all four games in Kitchener.
Kitchener Rangers 4 Guelph Storm 1
The Rangers led 2-0 at the end of the first period while the second was a scoreless affair.
Max Namestnikov cut the gap to a single goal when he scored for the Storm 29 seconds into the third period. Cooper Walker set up the goal.
However, the Rangers restored their two-goal lead midway through the third and added an empty-netter with 1:39 to go.
Danny Zhilkin, Reid Valade, Mitchell Martin and Matthew Sop scored a goal apiece for Kitchener while Zhilkin also had two assists against his former team while Francesco Arcuri also had two assists while single assists went to Francesco Pinelli, Simon Motew, Cameron Mercer and Hunter Brzustewicz.
The Storm outshot the Rangers 27-24, but were scoreless on five power plays while Kitchener didn’t score on its lone power play.
Patrick Leaver had 20 saves for the Storm while Marco Costantini had 26 for Kitchener.
The result leaves the Storm and Flint Firebirds tied for fifth in the Western Conference with identical 30-26-4-1 records. They each have seven games to play in their regular seasons.
Owen Sound Attack are two points behind in seventh at 29-25-4-1 with nine games to go while Kitchener is a point behind Owen Sound in eighth at 29-26-4-0, also with nine games to play.
Soo Greyhounds are 11 points behind Kitchener in ninth at 18-28-9-6 with seven games to go.
London Knights (41-16-2-0), Windsor Spitfires (38-16-4-2), Sarnia Sting (34-17-5-3) and Saginaw Spirit (32-24-2-2) have all clinched playoff berths while London has secured a first-place finish in the Midwest Division.
Next win by the Storm or loss by Soo secures a playoff berth for the Guelph squad.
The Storm’s next three games are all at the Sleeman Centre and are all against teams that have already secured playoff berths.
They’re to host Windsor Friday at 7:30 p.m., London next Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Sarnia March 17 at 7:30 p.m.
- Guelph Sports Journal
Kitchener completes home-ice sweep of Guelph Storm
KITCHENER – The Guelph Storm surrendered the first two and the last two goals of the game as they were downed 4-1 by the Kitchener Rangers in OHL play Tuesday night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
The result gives Kitchener the win in the season series as they took five of the eight games, one in overtime. That included a sweep of all four games in Kitchener.
Kitchener Rangers 4
Guelph Storm 1
The Rangers led 2-0 at the end of the first period while the second was a scoreless affair.
Max Namestnikov cut the gap to a single goal when he scored for the Storm 29 seconds into the third period. Cooper Walker set up the goal.
However, the Rangers restored their two-goal lead midway through the third and added an empty-netter with 1:39 to go.
Danny Zhilkin, Reid Valade, Mitchell Martin and Matthew Sop scored a goal apiece for Kitchener while Zhilkin also had two assists against his former team while Francesco Arcuri also had two assists while single assists went to Francesco Pinelli, Simon Motew, Cameron Mercer and Hunter Brzustewicz.
The Storm outshot the Rangers 27-24, but were scoreless on five power plays while Kitchener didn’t score on its lone power play.
Patrick Leaver had 20 saves for the Storm while Marco Costantini had 26 for Kitchener.
The result leaves the Storm and Flint Firebirds tied for fifth in the Western Conference with identical 30-26-4-1 records. They each have seven games to play in their regular seasons.
Owen Sound Attack are two points behind in seventh at 29-25-4-1 with nine games to go while Kitchener is a point behind Owen Sound in eighth at 29-26-4-0, also with nine games to play.
Soo Greyhounds are 11 points behind Kitchener in ninth at 18-28-9-6 with seven games to go.
London Knights (41-16-2-0), Windsor Spitfires (38-16-4-2), Sarnia Sting (34-17-5-3) and Saginaw Spirit (32-24-2-2) have all clinched playoff berths while London has secured a first-place finish in the Midwest Division.
Next win by the Storm or loss by Soo secures a playoff berth for the Guelph squad.
The Storm’s next three games are all at the Sleeman Centre and are all against teams that have already secured playoff berths.
They’re to host Windsor Friday at 7:30 p.m., London next Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Sarnia March 17 at 7:30 p.m.
- Guelph Sports Journal