KITCHENER - John Gibson stopped 38 shots and the Kitchener Rangers spotted the Plymouth Whalers a 1-0 first period lead, before coming back to secure a 5-1 victory over the Whalers before 5,386 on Wednesday at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
The Plymouth-Kitchener best-four-of-seven Ontario Hockey League Western Conference semifinal series is tied at two games each.
Game 5 is Saturday at 7:05 pm at (broadcast begins at 6:45 p.m., WSDP-FM, 88.1); Game 6 will be played Sunday in Kitchener at 7:05 p.m. (6:45 p.m., www.plymouthwhalers.com). If a seventh game is needed, it will be played next Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. at Compuware Arena (6:45 p.m., WSDP-FM, 88.1).
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Rickard Rakell scored the lone Plymouth goal, his second of the playoffs. Max Iafrate (2), Radek Faksa (2), Tobias Rieder (9), Eric Ming (1) and Michael Catenacci all scored for Kitchener.
After defeating Kitchener, 4-3, on Tuesday with a four-goal outburst in the third period, the Whalers picked up where they left off over the first 12:17 of the first period. Plymouth outshot Kitchener, 13-1, over that time frame, controlling play and making Gibson work. Rakell scored to give Plymouth a 1-0 lead at 12:17 of the period, accepting Tom Wilson's pass, skating to the lower rim of the right circle and snapping the shot past Gibson.
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But Kitchener came right back 1:16 later to tie the game at 1-1 on Iafrate's goal at 13:33. The Rangers won a draw in the Plymouth zone and Iafrate wristed a low shot that moved through traffic and past Plymouth goaltender Scott Wedgewood. Kitchener took their first lead of the game at 2-1 at 16:48 on when Cody Sol's point shot was knocked down, but the puck caromed to Faksa at the left circle and he scored with a quick shot.
Kitchener led, 2-1, after one period.
The Rangers played perhaps their best period of the series in the second period, controlling play at times and outshooting Plymouth, 19-9. Rieder scored on a Kitchener power play at 1:48 of the second period to give the Rangers a 3-1 lead, working the puck out from the left wing half wall in the Plymouth zone, skating to the right hashmark, and scoring with a back hand shot. Ming gave Kitchener a 4-1 lead at 12:00, following up a loose puck through traffic in front of Wedgewood and scoring.
Kitchener led, 4-1, after 40 minutes.
Plymouth made a push in the third period, outshooting Kitchener, 16-10, but Catenacci scored on the empty net at 18:39 after Wedgewood was pulled for the extra attacker.
Kitchener outshot Plymouth, 40-39.
MORE COVERAGE - Josh Brown, Kitchener-Waterloo Record.
