Rangers sweep home-and-home with Otters

By CHRIS POPE

The Kitchener Rangers remain reliable early in the season.

They ousted the Erie Otters 5-3 Friday night at The Aud in the back-half of a home-and-home. Before the game started, the organization held a moment of silence to honour those affected in the Las Vegas shooting.

After both anthems were sung, the Blueshirts dominated the majority of the game, and took a 4-0 lead into the third, before giving up three goals in just 3:48.

“The mood on the bench was, ‘here comes a bag-skate if we lose this one’,” said Jake Henderson after earning a goal and an assist in the win.

“It’s a team that never gives up. They’ve built a winning culture over the last couple years there,” said Jay McKee who came to Kitchener from Erie. “I hope my players learned a lesson. No game in this league is ever sealed. We need to have a little bit more composure.”

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Joseph Garreffa calmed everyone on the bench when he earned a breakaway insurance goal with just over three minutes to play.

“They had the flow going but when Joe got the puck and scores, momentum switched,” said Henderson, who’s now tied in team scoring with Adam Mascherin and Logan Stanley. “We were thinking, ‘we’re back in this, we can get this done’.”

Henderson already has six points this year, compared to 23 last season. While some may be surprised, the overage forward they call “Hendo” has a simple answer to his early season success.

“When I get in the hot tub before games, it gets my body lose and I feel good,” smiles Henderson. “I guess the hot tub is working.”

The Rangers – and Henderson’s pre-game ritual – are in Guelph this afternoon to face the Storm. You can listen to the game on 570 News beginning at 3:30 p.m.

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