Soo Greyhounds face urgent test as Rangers take 2-0 lead

The soo greyhounds head back to Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday night facing a steep hole in their second-round playoff series after dropping Game 2 at The Aud. The Kitchener Rangers won 8-5 in a wild, back-and-forth contest that gave them a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven set. Game 3 shifts to GFL Memorial Gardens, where the Rangers will try to tighten their grip while the soo greyhounds look to answer immediately in front of home ice.

Game 2 turned into a scoring surge

Sunday’s matchup in Kitchener had little breathing room once the puck dropped for the middle stretch. The Rangers opened with a 3-1 lead, but the Greyhounds clawed back and even took the lead in the third period before Kitchener finished with four unanswered goals in the final 11 minutes.

Sam O’Reilly led the Rangers with his first career OHL playoff hat-trick, and two of those goals came into an empty net. Dylan Edwards added two goals, including the eventual winner, while Avry Anstis and Christian Humphreys also scored for Kitchener. On the other side, the Greyhounds got goals from Marco Mignosa, Jeremy Martin, Quinn McKenzie and Tanner Lam in a game that featured 13 total goals.

Game 2 also featured a sharp power-play edge for Kitchener, which converted on both of its chances. That detail mattered when the Greyhounds were trying to hold a one-goal lead late in the game.

Soo Greyhounds react to a costly third period

Marco Mignosa did not hide how heavy the result felt for the soo greyhounds after the final buzzer. “It’s super frustrating, ” the forward said, calling the loss “devastating” after his team failed to protect two third-period leads.

Jeremy Martin called the defeat “a pretty disappointing loss, ” adding that the team had chances but needs to improve at closing out games. Coach John Dean focused on puck management and said the Greyhounds traded chances when they should have simplified their approach.

“Management of the puck is critical, ” Dean said. “Doing the right things in game two of round two of the playoffs is critical and we lost our way a bit there in the third period. ”

On the Kitchener side, coach Jussi Ahokas said the Rangers expect a heavy response on Tuesday. “It’s a good win, ” Ahokas said. “We did what we had to and now it’s 2-0. Have a short memory and on Tuesday we go again. We know it’s going to be a tough series. They’ll have a big push back in their home rink. ”

What changes for Game 3

The series now shifts north, where the Greyhounds need a fast reset and a more disciplined 60-minute performance. The Rangers dropped both of their visits to GFL Memorial Gardens during the regular season, but those games came before Kitchener finished adding pieces to its roster through trades.

That sets up a difficult but clear next step for the soo greyhounds: protect leads, limit turnovers and keep the game from becoming another track meet. If they cannot respond in Game 3 or Game 4, the series will head back to The Aud for Game 5 on Friday.

For now, the pressure is squarely on the soo greyhounds to change the tone quickly before Kitchener can turn a 2-0 advantage into a commanding series push.