Carson Rehkopf’s 49th goal of the season ended a game that had a Game 6 or even Game 7 feel as the Kitchener Rangers defeated the London Knights 4-3 in overtime in Kitchener on March 1.
The tone was set early as big Kitchener forward Mitch Martin instigated a fight with Max McCue of the London Knights just 2:26 into the game and the two overagers from Sudbury brought a sellout crowd to their feet.
The crowd responded again for a different reason a little over 10 minutes later as they reacted to what they felt was a missed penalty call on the Knights. Ranger forward Carson Rehkopf went down going to the London net and slid into Knights goalie Michael Simpson but neither referee made a call and London raced down the ice and seconds later found the back of the Kitchener net.
Ruslan Gazizov sent a beautiful pass from the right point to the edge of the Rangers crease where Jacob Julien got a stick on it and tipped it past Kitchener goalie Jackson Parsons for Julien’s 24th goal of the season and a 1-0 Knights lead through 20 minutes.
London went ahead 2-0 as Max McCue got a puck to the front of the Ranger net that Kasper Halttunen deflected in for his 29th goal on the year.
Luke Ellinas banged in a rebound to cut the London lead to 2-1 just under two and a half minutes later and then Carson Rehkopf tied the game with his 48th on a Kitchener power play at 14:34.
The Rangers went to another power play before the second period ended and Easton Cowan stripped away a puck in the Kitchener zone and scored his 30th goal of the season to put the Knights back in front by a goal and extend his point streak to 28 games.
Matt Andonovski tied the game 3-3 at 7:53 of the third period with a wrist shot from the middle of the blue line as he moved from the left point and got a shot through traffic.
Overtime lasted just 46 seconds as a London chance at one end of the ice went wide and created a chance for the Rangers the other way led to Carson Rehkopf getting in alone where he scored his second of the night to end the game.
Kitchener outshot the Knights 29-25.
The Saginaw Spirit defeated the Brantford Bulldogs 4-3 in overtime on Zayne Parekh’s second of the game and 30th of the season so London owns a three-point lead over the Spirit. Saginaw has one game in hand on the Knights.
Max McCue signs with Columbus
Overage forward Max McCue was thinking long and hard about where his hockey career was headed next.
“I was talking to some U Sports teams and then my agent called me and told me the Columbus Blue Jackets would like to sign you to a three-year deal and so I talked it over with my family and my agent and ultimately made the decision to sign.”
McCue joined the Knights as a 16-year old in 2019-20. In his OHL career he has put up 130 points and 234 penalty minutes and has grown into a leader in Lomdon.
“I’m obviously surrounded by a lot of good people here, the coaching staff, the players, trainers and equipment managers, so it was great to celebrate it with all of them as well.
Dickinson goes back to back
For the second month in a row, Sam Dickinson of the Knights has been named OHL defenceman of the month.
Dickinson is a top prospect for the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas and is currently riding an 11-game point streak. In February, Dickinson had four goals and 16 assists for 20 points in 12 games. The 17-year old from Toronto currently sits third in scoring among OHL defencemen and second in league plus-minus.
Up next
London will make their final visit to Flint to face the Firebirds in what still remains as a possible first-round playoff matchup.
The Knights are in a fight for first place with the Saginaw Spirit and the Soo Greyhounds while Flint can finish as high as fifth.
Anything is possible at the moment.
Coverage will start at 6:30 p.m., on 980 CFPL, at www.980cfpl.ca and on the Radioplayer Canada app.
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