Kitchener at Windsor
WINDSOR, Ontario (Interstat) — The Kitchener Rangers and Windsor Spitfires meet Wednesday night for Game 4 of their Ontario Hockey League playoff series at WFCU Centre, with the Rangers holding a 2-1 series lead after three consecutive one-goal decisions.
The top-seeded Rangers (57-22-0) have won the last two meetings, including a 2-1 victory Sunday in Kitchener. The Spitfires (52-26-0) rebounded Monday with a 2-1 win at home to cut the series deficit. The two teams have alternated wins in their past seven head-to-head matchups dating to January, with five of those games decided by a single goal (Interstat) — including three that required overtime.
Kitchener center Sam O’Reilly enters as a central figure in the series. The draft-eligible forward has points in eight of his past nine games, including a goal and an assist in Sunday’s win. Over his last four playoff contests, O’Reilly has recorded three goals, four assists and 15 shots on goal. His most productive outing came April 17 against Soo, when he posted two goals and two assists on eight shots in a 5-1 victory.
Windsor defenseman Jonathan Brown has struggled to generate offense in the postseason. The blue-liner has recorded only one shot on goal in his last six games and has taken 12 penalty minutes over that span, including minors in the two most recent matchups against Kitchener. Brown did not register a point in any of those six contests. His last offensive contribution came March 28, when he had an assist in a 4-1 win over Guelph.
The Rangers have relied on balanced scoring throughout the playoffs. In Sunday’s victory, right wing Jack Pridham added a goal and an assist, and defenseman Matthew Andonovski contributed an assist. Kitchener has won seven of its last nine games overall, with the only losses coming in the series opener April 24 in overtime and a 4-2 defeat April 16 at Soo.
Windsor has alternated wins and losses over its last six games. The Spitfires swept a two-game series at Guelph on March 31 and April 2, outscoring the Storm 13-4. Left wing Liam Greentree scored the lone goal in Sunday’s loss and put seven shots on net.
The winner of Wednesday’s game will take control of the best-of-seven series. Game 5 is scheduled for Friday in Kitchener, with Game 6 set for Sunday in Windsor. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. EST.