Exhausted Frontenacs sluggish in loss to rested Rangers

Suspended Kulemin serves his second of five games, Kitchener score four times in the second period.

It was not the night for the Kingston Frontenacs.

24 hours after a tough loss to Colts in Barrie, a banged-up Frontenacs squad had to go up against the top team in the OHL's western conference in the Kitchener Rangers Friday night at Slush Puppie Place.

Kitchener, on the other hand, was well rested having last played on Tuesday and it showed as they scored four times in the second period and dominated throughout the game in a 4-2 Rangers victory.

Frontenacs head coach Troy Mann says there were a number of factors that contributed to their loss.

The Frontenacs managed only 20 shots on Rangers netminder Jason Schaubel. 

When they did get chances, they couldn't find the back of the net. Perhaps the best chance was early in the third period when Nolan Snyder took a pass from Maleek McGowan on a two-on-one and wasn't able to put it by Schaubel with a wide open net.

Forward Tomas Pobezal says the team just weren't able to execute when they needed to.

The Frontenacs (24-25-2-2) trailed 4-0 in the third when Alex Misiak got Kingston on the board with his 10th goal of the season on the power play. Adam Kelly scored his first of the season later in the period to cut the deficit in half.

In addition to the injuries, the Frontenacs were without forward Alek Kulemin who was serving the second game of his five-game suspension for his high stick in last Sunday's game against Brantford.

Mann says his absense in the line up proved to be a hole that is becoming difficult to fill.

Matthew Minchak stopped 35 shots in the loss.

Mann wasn't too upset with the loss saying with everything that has happened, they'll just have to move on.

Christian Humphreys, Jack Pridham, Cameron Arquette, and Gabriel Chiarot scored for the Rangers (36-12-4-1). The line of Humphreys, Pridham, and Arquette combined for eight points.

The Frontenacs play the Bulldogs for the third time in their last six games on Family Day Monday at Slush Puppie Place. If you can't make it to the game, be sure to tune into Upper Canada Fuel and Burner Frontenacs Hockey on Kingston's New Country 98.9 with Jim Gilchrist on the call.

Story by Ken Hashizume