Christian Humphreys of the Kitchener Rangers. Photo by Natalie Shaver/OHL Images
Christian Humphreys scored with 5:22 to go in the third to break a 2-2 deadlock and lift the Kitchener Rangers to a 3-2 win over the Owen Sound Attack in Ontario Hockey League action Friday night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
Humphreys broke up the right-wing and took advantage of a spill by Attack defenceman Noah Roberts, streaking towards the net and then roofing a shot over the glove of Trenten Bennett to put the Rangers ahead for good.
Andrew Vermeulen and Cameron Reid also scored for Kitchener (45-13-4-2), which had 1-0 and 2-1 leads erased by the Attack earlier in the game.
Caden Taylor and Masen Wray had the goals for the Attack (24-31-4-5).
“I thought for 40 minutes we were pretty good and then we respected them a little too much in the third, like the last time we were here,” says Attack Head Coach Scott Wray. “We (didn’t) push enough in the third … these are the ones that haunt you. Because you’re playing an opponent as good as they are and you’re right there.”
“You’re pretty disciplined. You’re disciplined in your structure,” Wray continues. “You feel for the boys, you want to get the two points.”
Vermeulen opened the scoring 13:06 into the first period, pouncing on a rebound in front of Bennett and putting it home to make it 1-0.
The Attack answered with 2:14 to go in the first. Pierce Mbuyi had the puck in front and sent a backdoor pass to Taylor, who put the puck in to tie the game 1-1.
But the Rangers would retake the lead in the final seconds of the first. Harry Nansi had the puck inside the Kitchener blueline and tried a pass back to a defender, but the Rangers would knock it away and break up ice. Reid fired a shot that squeaked through Bennett and made it 2-1 Kitchener with 13 seconds to in the first.
The Attack were the better team in the second. Wray tied the game just under five minutes in, deflecting a Braedyn Rogers point shot past Christian Kirsch to make it 2-2.
And Owen Sound kept coming in the middle frame, outshooting the Rangers 19-8 – but it would head to the third 2-2.
Kirsch made 34 saves in the win, while Bennett stopped 30 taking the loss. The Attack outshot the Rangers 36-33 while going 0 for 3 on the power play; Kitchener finished 0 for 2.
The Attack are right back in action Saturday night, when they play a key home against against Guelph Storm (27-31-2-3).
Guelph also lost Friday, so Owen Sound remains two points back of the Storm for sixth in the Western Conference. Guelph holds a game in hand.
The eighth-place Saginaw Spirit are two points back of the Attack, and were idle Friday night. They now also hold a game in hand on Owen Sound.