Mario super for Rangers versus Storm

The Super Mario mushroom sound effect playing through the Memorial Auditorium when introducing Mario Culina couldn’t have been more fitting.

He made 41 stops in just his fourth career playoff game, Kole Sherwood scored the game-winner and the Kitchener Rangers stopped the Guelph Storm 2-1 Sunday at the Aud to take a 2-0 series lead.

“I felt pretty good,” said Culina. “The guys did a good job. Most of the shots were from the outside, so it was easy for me.”

Only twice since coming to Kitchener has Culina curved away more shots. On February 2nd he stopped 42 shots in a win against Hamilton and another 44 the following game on February 6th vs Niagara.

Coming into this year’s post-season, the overager had only two playoff games under his belt – both losses.

His numbers have been great early in the quarter-final series, with a goals-against-average of 1.50 and a save percentage of .963 in two games against Guelph.

Culina says he can rely on the experience of winning the Memorial Cup last year with the Windsor Spitfires.

“I didn’t play, but I watched and was there, and I know what it was like,” said Culina, who backed-up Michael DiPietro. “It helps a lot. We can’t get too high and we can’t get too low. It’s a long series, and anything can happen.”

After a 7-2 drubbing Friday, Guelph rebounded well Sunday with a much better game.

The series shifts to the Royal City Tuesday and Wednesday. Puck-drop is at 7:00 p.m. both nights, with pre-game on 570 News starting at 6:30 p.m.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today