Hounds drop battle of league powers

It was a battle between two Ontario Hockey League giants minus a few key pieces to the puzzle.

With each team missing players to Team Canada and sick bay, the Soo Greyhounds and Kitchener Rangers locked horns on Friday night in Kitchener.

Kitchener broke open a 2-1 game in the third period with three goals to skate to a 5-1 victory over the Hounds.

Anthony Peluso scored his first goal in a Greyhound uniform.

Nazem Kadri scored twice to lead Kitchener, who led 2-1 after periods one and two, with singles going to Robert Bortuzzo, Mike Duco and Phil Varone.

Kyle Gajewski faced 37 shots in goal for the Greyhounds in the loss while the Rangers' Josh Unice faced 25 shots.

The Hounds played without Wayne Simmonds and Josh Godfrey, who became members of Team Canada on Thursday, and co-captain Dustin Jeffrey, who remains sidelined with a shoulder injury.

The Rangers, meanwhile, were without the services of Matt Halischuk, a member of Team Canada, and Nick Spaling, who was sent home from the junior camp after testing for mono.

With the loss, the Greyhounds fall nine points behind the Rangers for first place in the western conference and three behind the Windsor Spitfires, who were 1-0 overtime losers to Guelph on Friday, for the west division lead.

The Hounds continue their three-game road trip on Saturday in Mississauga at 4 p.m.

*** GAME SUMMARY:

Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 1 at Kitchener Rangers 5 Kitchener Memorial Auditorium

1st Period 1. Kitchener, N. Kadri (9) (S. Tarasuk, M. Mascioli) 0:41 2. Sault Ste. Marie, A. Peluso (4) (B. Biggers, D. King) 4:43 3. Kitchener, R. Bortuzzo (1) (N. Kadri, P. Varone) 14:05 PP

Penalties - C. Odam Ssm (checking from behind) 2:17, M. Lyall Ssm (cross checking) 9:47, J. Muzzin Ssm (holding) 12:27, S. Timmins Kit (hooking) 14:42, A. Peluso Ssm (unsportsmanlike cnd.) 18:56, B. Mashinter Kit (unsportsmanlike cnd.) 18:56

2nd Period No Scoring

Penalties - M. Boedker Kit (slashing) 0:29, A. Peluso Ssm (fighting) 3:04, B. Mashinter Kit (fighting) 3:04, M. Quesnele Ssm (tripping) 4:37, M. Mascioli Kit (high sticking) 4:37, J. Lalonde Ssm (cross checking) 5:16, J. Livingston Ssm (checking to the head) 7:30

3rd Period 4. Kitchener, N. Kadri (10) (S. Tarasuk) 5:03 PP 5. Kitchener, M. Duco (11) (R. Bortuzzo, S. Tarasuk) 12:20 PP 6. Kitchener, P. Varone (5) (T. Battani, B. Mashinter) 14:21

Penalties - M. Quesnele Ssm (holding) 0:47, T. Cuthbert Ssm (hooking) 1:33, S. Tregunna Kit (holding) 2:41, J. Lalonde Ssm (checking from behind, roughing) 3:32, A. Dzielski Kit (roughing) 3:32, J. Carrick Ssm (fighting) 5:28, M. Mascioli Kit (fighting) 5:28, M. Quesnele Ssm (hooking) 10:43, D. Clarkson Kit (hooking, 10-minute misconduct) 15:34, M. Barbieri Kit (checking to the head) 16:46, M. Duco Kit (high sticking) 17:03

SSM Shots: 5-13-7 TOTAL: 25 KIT Shots: 12-16-9 TOTAL: 37

Power Play Conversion Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 0-6. Kitchener Rangers 3-9.

Goaltenders Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds Gajewski 20-8-0-1 Min: 60:00 SV: 32 GA: 5 [L] Kitchener Rangers Unice 18-2-1-1 Min: 60:00 SV: 24 GA: 1 [W]

Start : 7:37 PM End : 9:52 PM Attendance : 6026

Referee I: Marty Kirwan (15) Referee II: Sean McQuigge (18) LINESMAN I: Kendrick Nicholson (91) LINESMAN II: Jason Faist (58)

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