They tried, but this time the rally fell short.
Jacob Therrien scored on a 5-on-3 power play with 6:47 remaining in the third to bring the Owen Sound Attack within one, but that was as close as they would get as the Kitchener Rangers held on for a 4-3 win in Ontario Hockey League action Friday night at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
Christian Humphreys scored a pair for Kitchener (4-1), which never trailed in the game. Luca Romano and Cameron Arquette added goals.
Pierce Mbuyi scored twice for the Attack (4-1), which suffered its first loss of the season.
All three Attack goals in the game came on the power play. And Owen Sound had a chance to work with the man advantage in search of an equalizer with 31 seconds left in the game, after Jacob Xu was sent off for holding.
Carter George was also on the bench for an extra attacker. But Owen Sound never managed a shot on net in the 6-on-4 opportunity.
“We talked about it before the game, we just have to start on time in this rink. They feed off a lot of momentum in their crowd. And I just felt that we were a little sluggish getting of the bus,” Attack Head Coach Scott Wray says. “If we start on time, and we’re a little cleaner early in the game… it’s a tighter game early.”
Kitchener led 3-1 after the first period. Luca Romano was credited with the first goal, on an odd play where a shot came in on George and as he swiped at the puck with his glove he appeared to make contact and push back into his own net. 1-0 Kitchener just over four minutes into the game.
Owen Sound would answer. Mbuyi scored his first of the game at 13:58. The Attack had some pretty puck movement on the power play. Harry Nansi took a pass at the side of the goal and looked like he was going to step out front in shoot. Kirsch bit, Nansi passed off to Mbuyi near the right face-off dot, and he quickly buried a shot to tie the game.
The Rangers would get two late ones in the first. Humphreys scored his first of the night at 17:35. Then it was Arquette with 36 seconds left in the period, having a puck bounce to him in front of the net as George slid left. Arquette was there on the end of the bounce, putting it into the empty net to make it 3-1.
The Rangers would extend their lead past the midway mark of the second period. Humphreys took a shot from the slot and placed it perfectly over the glove of George to make it 4-1.
Then the Attack would battle back. With 3:10 to go in the second, Owen Sound on the power play, Nansi to Mbuyi again. The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect had the puck near the side of the net, and put it on the tape to Mbuyi who quickly shot low past Kirsch. Mbuyi’s second power play goal of the game cut Kitchener’s lead to 4-2.
After the Attack killed off a lengthy 5-on-3 for Kitchener early in the third, they would get their own two-man advantage as Weston Cameron and Andrew MacNiel both took penalties on one play – both on Therrien.
Then it was Therrien scoring on the 5-on-3 – a wrist shot from the left side that beat Kirsch high glove to bring the Attack within one with 6:47 remaining in the third.
That was as close as they would get.
Kirsch made 27 saves in the win, while George stopped 29 taking the loss. Kitchener outshot Owen Sound 33-30 while going 1 for 6 on the power play; the Attack finished 3 for 7.
Next up for the Attack is a home game Saturday afternoon against Saginaw Spirit at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre. It’s underway at 4 p.m. The pregame show on Bear Radio begins at 3:30 p.m.
ZURAWSKI OUT
Attack forward Cole Zurawski missed Friday’s game with an injury. Head Coach Scott Wray says he’s considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Zurawski was off to a solid start, with two goals and an assist in his first four games.
POWER PLAY AT IT AGAIN
Owen Sound scored all three of its goals Friday in Kitchener on the power play. They finished 3 for 7 in the game. In two meetings with Kitchener this season, the Attack power play is 7 for 14.
