Andrew Crescenzi scored two third period goals to lift the Kitchener Rangers to a 6-5 win over the Plymouth Whalers on Saturday night. Michael Catenacci scored and added two assists for Kitchener and Jack Moylan made 33 saves in his first Ontario Hockey League start.

The Rangers were quick out of the gate with a goal in the opening minute of the contest. Michael Catenacci stripped Colin MacDonald of the puck and fired a shot past Matt Mahalak. The captain’s 21st of the season was unassisted and extends his point scoring streak to 11 games.

Fellow overager Cody Sol extended Kitchener’s lead to two, jumping on a short-handed rush, taking a pass from Tobias Rieder and snapping the puck through the legs of Mahalak. The goal was the veteran blueliner’s nineteenth of the season and the Rangers’ 16th short-handed goal of the year.

The Rangers added a third goal with just 62 seconds left in the frame. Catenacci set things up with a backhand pass that ended on the stick of Ben Thomson, who slid it past Mahalak for his second in as many games. The third-year power forward has nine goals this season. Rieder picked up his second point of the evening on the play, stretching his recent point streak to 12 consecutive games.

Rangers netminder Jack Moylan made his first career start Saturday and stopped all eight shots he faced in the opening period. Plymouth made a goaltending change in the intermission, sending Scott Wedgewood out to start the second after Mahalak allowed three goals on eight shots.

The Whalers took charge in the middle frame. Alex Aleardi got his team on the board, taking advantage of an open shooting lane and firing high blocker-side over the shoulder of Moylan. The former Ranger leads Plymouth with 28 goals this season. Assisting on the play were J.T Miller and Beau Schmitz.

Six minutes later, rookie Danny Vanderwiel cut the Rangers’ lead to one with his third goal in two games. Michael Whaley and Jamie Devane picked up the assists on the freshman’s fourth of the year.

Team scoring leader Stefan Noesen completed the comeback with five minutes remaining in the period. Aleardi carried the puck into the Rangers’ zone with speed and connected with the third-year winger, who fired his 23rd of the season past Moylan. Rickard Rakell was also credited with a helper on the play.

Plymouth added one more before the end of the frame. MacDonald launched a long shot that was redirected in the slot by J.T Miller. The first-year centre’s 21st of the year came with just 48 seconds remaining in the period. Dario Trutmann also assisted on the play.

The Whalers out-shot the Rangers 16-15 in the second.

Blueliner Ryan Murphy evened the score at 4-all with an unassisted effort at the eight minute mark of the final period. The veteran Ranger carried the puck end-to-end and potted his ninth of the year and fourth point in three games. Murphy has points in 11 of the club’s last 12 games and was recognized this week as the OHL’s top defenseman for the month of January.

Back-to-back goals from Andrew Crescenzi put the Rangers ahead by two. First the third year centre picked up the puck in the corner, drove towards the net and beat Wedgewood for his 16th of the season. Eric Ming picked up his second point of the weekend with an assist on the play.

Then less than one minute later, with the Rangers on the power play, Crescenzi struck again. The play began with Murphy holding the puck in at the blueline and quickly moving it ahead to Rieder. The German winger forwarded it to Catenacci, who found Crescenzi alone at the open side of the net. Catenacci has recorded 10 points in his last three outings and set a new personal best with 53 this season.

The Whalers cut the lead to one with seven minutes to play. Moylan made the save on Garrett Meurs, but Noesen tracked down the puck and tapped it in for his second of the night.

The Rangers led shots-on-goal 21-14 in the final period of play, finishing with a 44-38 overall advantage. Moylan made 33 saves in his first career win.

The victory was Kitchener’s first of the season over the Whalers. Plymouth leads the season series 2-1.

With their third straight win, the Rangers improve their record to 36-15-1-0 and pull even with Plymouth for second place in the Western Conference. The Whalers fall to 35-15-2-1.
 
Scoring
1. KIT M. Catenacci, (21) (unassisted), 0:56
1. KIT C. Sol, (12) (T. Rieder), 14:23 (SH)
1. KIT B. Thomson, (9) (M. Catenacci, T. Rieder), 18:58
2. PLY A. Aleardi, (28) (J. Miller, B. Schmitz), 3:43
2. PLY D. Vanderwiel, (4) (M. Whaley, J. Devane), 9:43
2. PLY S. Noesen, (23) (A. Aleardi, R. Rakell), 14:49
2. PLY J. Miller, (21) (C. MacDonald, D. Trutmann), 19:12
3. KIT R. Murphy, (9) (unassisted), 8:01
3. KIT A. Crescenzi, (16) (E. Ming), 9:27
3. KIT A. Crescenzi, (17) (M. Catenacci, T. Rieder), 10:20 (PP)
3. PLY S. Noesen, (24) (G. Meurs), 13:06

Three Stars
1. KIT – 10 Michael Catenacci
2. KIT – 20 Andrew Crescenzi
3. PLY – 11 Stefan Noesen

Attendance: 3.030


The Rangers’ road trip continues Sunday, February 12 in London, where they take on the Knights at 2pm. Their next home game is Friday, February 17, when they host the Barrie Colts at 7:30pm. Tickets may be purchased by phone at 519-578-1570 or 1-800-265-8977, via the internet or in person at The Aud Box Office or Centre in the Square Box Office.