Rangers blanked for first time this season

For the first time this year, the Kitchener Rangers failed to get on the scoreboard.

The Owen Sound Attack scored on their first shot, on the power play, shorthanded and four-on-four and spanked the Rangers 7-0 at the Bayshore.

“When they scored their first goal on the first shot, I noticed a bit of deflation from our guys, the energy dropped a bit, and then we got into penalty trouble,” said head coach Jay McKee. “Our first few shifts, our legs were moving, we had some zone time and I thought we had a lot of jump.”

It’s the second game in as many nights the Blueshirts surrendered a goal on the opening shot. Friday night, they fell behind 4-0 after the first to the Mississauga Steelheads, and followed it up by going into the first intermission down 3-0 to the Attack.

It tests your mental strength, and that’s something we’re going to address,” pointed out McKee. “I’ve never seen any team go straight forward all year long without some ups and downs.”

The most recent “down” comes days after the Rangers found themselves seventh in the CHL’s Top-10 for the second time. The first time, the team’s next three games all resulted in losses during their northern road swing.

“When the ranking came out, there was something put on our board about ignoring that, we’re going to stick with what we’re doing. I hope it’s a coincidence,” said McKee.

Attack goaltender Olivier Lafreniere stopped 28 saves in his first win for Owen Sound since coming over in a trade from the Ottawa 67’s, but left with 31 seconds left with what seemed like a lower-body injury.

It’s the first time all year the Attack have earned a shutout.

The Rangers had their chances though. They went an abysmal 0-for-7 on the power play; a part of the game they’re excelled in recently.

“We’re going to be better and it starts with us as a coaching staff; breaking the games down and finding out how to be better,” said McKee.

“We know we should be avoiding games like this.”