By Steven Ellis
A tight matchup on Sunday at the Herb Carnegie Centennial Centre saw the North York Rangers leave with a 2-1 loss over the Burlington Cougars.
The Rangers came into the game having played three games in the previous four days. The Rangers looked stellar during that time, taking a 2-1 record into their final game of the week despite having a tired squad.
The game was highlighted by a goaltender battle, with Colby Muise getting the job done for the Rangers and Justin Richer stopping everything that came his way. For the Rangers, the team tried many different line combinations in an attempt to find the back of the net, but Richer made his mark.
A lucky bounce on Burlington’s 11th shot of the night. At 13:08, Mitchell Morrison knocked in the puck off of a bouncing Noah Doyle shot, getting a lucky one to put the visiting team back in front.
The Rangers kept pressing. With 7:45 left in the game, Jesse Tucker had a great chance at the doorstep but found himself denied by Richer. The Rangers got exactly what they needed when Nick Campoli grabbed his 15th goal of the season late in the game. The Vegas Golden Knights prospect picked up the goal after a great play by Grayden Gottschalk kept the play alive, with Campoli knocking in the puck to tie the game up at one apiece with 12:57 complete in the third.
The Rangers fell unlucky in the second overtime. With the team down a man, former Ranger Matthew Galli knocked home the game-winner with just 43 seconds done in the extra frame, giving the Cougars the 2-1 victory on Sunday.
The Rangers will get a bit of a break before heading to Georgetown on Saturday, a 7:30 PM start at Alcott Arena. The Rangers will then meet up with Jack McBain and the Toronto Jr. Canadiens on Sunday, with the Rangers looking to continue their run to the playoffs down the stretch.
Photo from Steven Ellis/North York Rangers
