It will come down to Game No. 68 – maybe even another after that.
Jack Pridham scored what stood as the game-winner with 6:20 remaining in the third period, as the Kitchener Rangers clipped the Owen Sound Attack 3-2 in Ontario Hockey League action Friday evening at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.
Christian Humphreys and Trent Swick also scored for Kitchener (47-14-4-2).
Landen Hookey and Pierce Mbuyi scored for the Attack (25-35-4-3), which missed out on any points and also got no help in other results out of town Friday.
The Soo Greyhounds (28-35-2-2) clinched a playoff berth with a 7-4 win over the Saginaw Spirit. And the Sarnia Sting (22-32-6-7) beat the Flint Firebirds 5-2.
The end result? The Attack can no longer finish higher than eighth, and they’re tied with Sarnia for that final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Owen Sound closes out its season on home ice Saturday night against the Guelph Storm (20-37-5-4). Sarnia’s final game is Sunday against Soo.
“I think if you would have asked us at the start of the year if we had a one game … do or die, I think they would have took it to make the playoffs,” says Attack head coach Scott Wray. “Obviously, if we win tomorrow and Sarnia wins Sunday … there’s another one game playoff.”
“But we have to put ourselves in that picture.”
Oh yeah, that: if the Attack and Sting remain tied in points when the OHL regular season wraps up Sunday – it would be a one-game tiebreaker to decide who gets the final playoff spot. It would be played Tuesday at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre in Owen Sound; the Attack get the right to host that potential game as they hold the regulation and overtime wins advantage over Sarnia.
That’s only if they’re tied after both teams close out their regular season schedules this weekend.
After a scoreless first, the Attack took a 1-0 lead over Kitchener 1:51 into the second. Mbuyi had the puck down low and got a pass to Hookey near the faceoff dot, right side, and the Attack captain fired a perfect shot over the glove of Jackson Parsons.
The Rangers thought they tied it with 53 seconds to go in the second period, but a would-be goal by Cameron Reid was called off after a review – the video showed the play was offside.
As play resumed, the Rangers were quickly awarded a power play – and then did tie the game in the final minute of the second. Humphreys put a shot through traffic from inside the blueline that found its way to the net – Matthew Koprowski never saw it. 1-1 after two.
Kitchener took its first lead 7:48 into the third. Pridham hustled after a puck deep in Owen Sound’s end and quickly flicked a pass to Swick in front, who released a shot instantly and beat Koprowski
But the Attack would push back. Less than five minutes later the game was tied 2-2, as Mbuyi had a puck bounce to him on the right side on the power play and he put a shot past Parsons.
It was the Attack rookie’s 29th goal, moving him to within one of tying Colby Barlow for the most in a true rookie – or age 16 – season in Owen Sound OHL history.
Kitchener retook the lead just over a minute and a half later. A lengthy shift in the offensive zone for the Rangers ended with Pridham getting pass at the side of the crease, and he put a shot from near the net just past the glove of Koprowski to make it 3-2.
Owen Sound had a late opportunity to work 6-on-4, as Kitchener took a too many men on the ice penalty with 27 seconds left. Their best chance came as a rebound from a shot kicked right out to Mbuyi inside the right faceoff dot – but Parsons lunged out aggressively to cut down the angle and made the save on the shot.
Parsons made 26 saves in the win, while Koprowski stopped 36 taking the loss. Kitchener outshot Owen Sound 39-28 while going 1 for 4 on the power play; the Attack finished 1 for 7.
Owen Sound’s final game of the OHL regular season is Saturday night at the Bayshore against the Guelph Storm. Game time is 7 p.m.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. A win, and the Attack guarantee at least a tiebreaker game against Sarnia on Tuesday. A loss, and the Attack will lose control of their own fate – and have to sit back, watch and hope Sarnia comes up empty against Soo in its final game Sunday.
SEASON SERIES, DONE
Friday was the eighth and final meeting between the Attack and Rangers of the season; Kitchener won six of the eight matchups. They were all close games. Seven of the eight meetings between the two Midwest foes this season were decided by one goal.
