Whalers Win Seventh In a Row, 6-1, in Kitchener

Audio courtesy of Pete Krupsky and www.plymouthwhalers.com.

KITCHENER - Usually, the crowds at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium are among the loudest and most intimidating in the Ontario Hockey League.

But on Friday night, most of the 6,498 who attended the Plymouth Whalers-Kitchener Rangers game were silent and started filing out of the Aud with 5:50 remaining. The exit started as a trickle and ended up a flood.  

The Plymouth Whalers had a lot to do with the early exit.

The Whalers controlled from start to finish in a 6-1 win over Kitchener for their seventh straight victory and 11th win in their last 12 games.  Plymouth (now 29-9-2-1, 61 points) moves into a tie with London (now 30-9-0-1, 61 points) for the top spot in the Western Conference.  London lost Friday night, 4-1, to Kingston.

Additional story - Josh Brown, Kitchener-Waterloo Record.

Plymouth's depth remains the template for most of the team's victories this season.  Rickard Rakell scored twice in the first period (18-19) as the game's first star, but - like in many Whaler victories - Rakell had plenty of help.  Mitchell Heard (21-22) scored twice as the game's second star, while Alex Aleardi (team leading 24th) and Andy Bathgate (14th) also scored for the Whalers.  Plymouth defenseman Dario Trutmann was named the game's third star and goaltender Scott Wedgewood was in control all evening, stopping 37-of-38 shots for his 15th win of the season.

Plymouth won battles for pucks all evening and cashed in on opportunities.  Rakell started the scoring at 5:18 of the first period, accpting a pass from Stefan Noesen and snapping a hard shot from the right circle past Rangers goaltender Franky Palazzese.

Audio - Rickard Rakell's first goal.

Later in the period, Rakell started and finished a play to give the Whalers a 2-0 lead at 16:05.  Rakell - stationed behind the Kitchener goal - found defenseman Beau Schmitz at the right point.  Schmitz's low shot appeared to be deflected by Rakell and Stefan Noesen both, but replays confirmed to goal was Rakell's second of the night.

Audio - Rickard Rakell's second goal.

Aleardi gave Plymouth a 3-0 lead, set up by Bathagte, who intercepted a Kitchener clearing pass at the left point and found Aleardi at the right circle.  Aleardi scored, top shelf, at 18:59.

Audio - Alex Aleardi goal.

Plymouth outshot Kitchener, 19-7, in the first period.

Rangers got one back on Ben Thomson's goal at 8:01 of the second period, but the Heard-J.T.Miller-Tom Wilson line went to work 1:23 later. The line caused a turnover in the Kitchener zone and Heard scored through traffic to give Plymouth a 4-1 lead.

Bathgate gave Plymouth a 5-1 lead at 12:06.  Aleardi started the play through center ice and found Devane on the left wing in the Kitchener zone.  Bathgate accepted Devane's pass and scored from the right circle.  Then Heard scored on a backhand at 18:47 to give Plymouth a 6-1 lead.

As the game wound down, the only fans cheering at the Aud were some 60 Plymouth family members and fans who attended the game.  They had plenty of reasons to cheer tonight.

Plymouth outshot Kitchener, 42-38.

The Whalers are home Saturday night, hosting Mississauga at 7:05 p.m. (6:45 p.m., 88.1F M WSDP).  Plymouth remains home Monday afternoon, hosting Windsor at 2:05 p.m. (1:45pm. 88.1FM WSDP).