Photo Credit: Freeze Frame Photos
The Soo Greyhounds and Kitchener Rangers delivered a high-scoring thriller in Game Two of their second-round playoff series on Sunday, April 12th in Kitchener, with the Rangers skating away with an 8-5 victory to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven matchup.
After dropping game one 3-1, the Greyhounds looked to even the series but found themselves in another early hole. At 16:31 of the first period, Sam O’Reilly opened the scoring for Kitchener with his sixth goal of the postseason, finishing a play set up by Jack Pridham to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead after one.
The second period exploded with offense from both sides. Just 4:39 in, Avry Anstis extended the Rangers’ lead to 2-0 with his first of the postseason. The Greyhounds answered quickly at 5:56, as Marco Mignosa got the Soo on the board with his fifth of the playoffs, assisted by Brady Smith.
Kitchener regained a two-goal cushion on the power play at 10:28, when Christian Humphreys scored his fifth of the postseason with assists from Jack Pridham and Cameron Reid to make it 3-1. The Greyhounds refused to go away, as Marco Mignosa struck again at 12:46 for his second of the game and sixth of the postseason, with assists from Chase Reid and Brady Martin.
The Soo completed the comeback at 14:25, when Jeremy Martin buried his third of the postseason off a setup from Jakub Winkelhofer and Marco Mignosa, tying the game 3-3 heading into the third.
The back-and-forth continued early in the third. Just 53 seconds in, Quinn McKenzie gave the Greyhounds their first lead of the game on the power play, scoring his third of the postseason with assists from Marco Mignosa and Lukas Fischer to make it 4-3.
Kitchener answered at 3:20 on the power play, as Dylan Edwards scored his third of the postseason, assisted by Cameron Reid and Christian Humphreys to even the game at 4-4. The Greyhounds struck back again at 5:13, when Jeremy Martin scored his second of the game and fourth of the postseason unassisted to restore a 5-4 Soo lead.
The Rangers responded once more at 8:16, with Tanner Lam scoring his second of the postseason off assists from Cameron Reid and Cameron Arquette to tie the game 5-5.
Kitchener then took control late in the period. At 13:40, Dylan Edwards netted his second of the game and fourth of the postseason, with assists from Jack Pridham and Jared Woolley to give the Rangers a 6-5 lead.
With the Greyhounds pressing late, the Rangers sealed the win with a pair of empty-net goals. Sam O’Reilly completed the hat trick at 18:17 with his seventh of the postseason, assisted by Jared Woolley, before adding his fourth of the game at 19:26—his eighth of the playoffs—with Carson Campbell picking up the assist, securing the 8-5 final.
The series now shifts to Sault Ste. Marie for game three on Tuesday, April 14th at 7:07 p.m., where the Greyhounds will look to get back into the series, trailing 2-0.
