Late-Game Heroics Power Plymouth Whalers to Seventh Win in a Row

It's only November, but the Plymouth Whalers and Kitchener Rangers played a game Saturday night that was playoff-like in intensity.

Trailing 3-2 late in the third period, the Whalers snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat with a pair of goals five seconds apart and Plymouth defeated the Kitchener Rangers, 4-3, before 3,108 at .

The Whalers won their seventh straight game and remains in first place in the OHl's West Division with a record of 16-6-2-1, good for 35 points, one point ahead of Sarnia (15-4-1-3), who defeated Saginaw, 6-3, on Saturday. Plymouth remains tied with London for the top seed in the Western Conference race.  London (now 17-4-0-1, 35 points) defeated Owen Sound, 7-5, on Saturday.

Kitchener had a five-game winning streak snapped and is 14-7-0-1.

After first-star Beau Schmitz scored a pair of goals (5-6) in the second period, Stefan Noesen tied the game at 3-3 for the Whalers with a power play goal at 18:00 of the third period when his shot from the high slot caromed off a Ranger defender and went five-hole past Kitchener goaltender John Gibson.  Off the ensuing faceoff at center ice, Rickard Rakell moved into the Kitchener zone, worked around a Ranger defenseman and scored on a backhand shot from the left hash-mark to give Plymouth their first lead of the game at 18:05.

Rakell's goal prompted the crowd into arguably the loudest ovation heard at Compuware Arena since the playoffs last season.

The Rangers had a golden opportunity to tie the game in the final minute.  Plymouth's Mitchell Heard was sent off for delay of game at 18:58 and Schmitz was whistled for cross checking at 19:44.  When Kitchener head coach Steve Spott pulled Gibson, the Rangers had a six-on-three manpower advantage.  Their best chance didn't count as a shot on goal, as Matia Macantuoni hit the cross-bar with his attempt for the equalizer.

Earlier, the Rangers built a 3-1 lead on first period goals by Ben Thompson (fifth of the year at 5:10) and Michael Catenacci (fourth at 10:10) and a second period power play goal by Tobias Rieder (15th of the season at 7:15).

Plymouth kept coming at Gibson the entire 60 minutes, pelting the Rangers goaltender with 50 shots in the game and outshooting Kitchener, 14-10, in the decisive third period.

The Whalers comeback was set up on Kitchener penalties to Josh Sterk (holding at 16:34) and Julian Melchiori (crosschecking at 17:01).

In spite of each team playing their third game in three nights, the Whalers and Rangers played with energy and intensity.

"We knew coming in what the stakes were, with the winning streak we had and the streak they had," said Plymouth center Andy Bathgate.  "We knew going in it was going to be a tough game with no easy breaks.  It took us until the last minute (to get the lead), but it was fun and exciting.  I'm looking forward to more games like that this year.

"When you pound a guy for 50 shots like we did, eventually something is going to go in.  Noesen's a guy that always has a little bit of puck-luck.  We'll take it."

"It felt like a game seven tonight," said Schmitz.  "Both teams came to play.  The bounces weren't going our way at first, but we didn't give up.  We kept going and finally, the bounces did go our way.  We wanted the game and I thought we deserved it. I'm just proud of the team - we all played great.

"The past seven games we've grown so much as a team.  Everyone's coming together.  I'm excited to see what's ahead."

The Whalers remain home next week, hosting Saginaw on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. at Compuware Arena (6:50 p.m., 88.1 FM WSDP and www.plymouthwhalers.com) and Peterborough on Friday at 7:05 p.m.

The rest of the weekend:

FRIDAY: Plymouth 4 at London 1.

THURSDAY: Plymouth 5 at Windsor 4, overtime.