Déjà vu all over again for Rangers

Yogi Berra said it best.

For the second straight game, the Kitchener Rangers trailed the Owen Sound Attack 3-2 heading into the third period.

Just like Wednesday, the Attack scored early in the third to take a two-goal lead.

“I actually got a quick flashback to being in Owen Sound,” said Rangers head coach Jay McKee. “It’s not how you want to start a period.”

For the second straight game, the Rangers clawed back and dropped the Owen Sound Attack 5-4.

Just like Wednesday, Kole Sherwood scored the game-winning goal and Joseph Garreffa earned four assists.

“You don’t get these assists without great plays from my teammates,” said Garreffa, who now has 101 points in his Ontario Hockey League career. “It’s a team thing more than anything.”

The only difference from Wednesday at the Bayshore was the Rangers’ comeback needed overtime Friday night at the Memorial Auditorium.

“I’m not pleased with a lot of the play,” said McKee. “Good teams find ways to win, but good teams also find the right way to play from start to finish. We want to get back to rolling four lines every night. It was a good win, but we were off.”

Sherwood’s game-winner in the extra frame was his second of the game, while Adam Mascherin and Logan Stanley each added a goal and an assist.

Garreffa moves into second in team scoring – behind Mascherin – with 28 points. Three of his four helpers were the primary assists in the third period.

“We’re very lucky to have him,” said McKee of the forward turned defenceman. “We knew he had the ability to provide offence from back there. It’s amazing, with his size he can still defend well. He’s going to make his mistakes, and there’s going to be times he gets out muscled, but he has a huge heart and he leaves everything out there.”

“He’s invaluable to this team.”

McKee pointed to analytics Wednesday night when questioned about the decision to move Garreffa to the blue line. He had 25 goals last year in the OHL as a 17-year-old.

Many players may not have taken the move to defence so well, with the expectation of a point reduction, but not Garreffa.

“If I told him he was going to be the backup goalie, he’d throw on the gear and sit on the bench with a smile on his face if he thought it was going to give us the best chance to win,” said McKee. “He’s a great personality. He’s one of those kids you really, really, really want to see succeed in life.”

The Rangers are on the road Sunday in Erie.