The Kitchener Rangers powered through the Flint Firebirds with a commanding 6-1 victory on Saturday, extending their playoff series lead to 2-0.
It didn’t take long for the Rangers to assert their dominance. Jack Pridham opened the scoring with two quick goals within 40 seconds midway through the first period. The Firebirds managed to cut the lead to 2-1 when Nathan Aspinall found the back of the net, but Kitchener quickly answered. Andrew Vermeulen netted his second goal of the playoffs before the first period ended, giving the Rangers a 3-1 advantage.
The Rangers’ momentum continued into the second period when Carson Campbell extended the lead to 4-1 at 15:21. Shortly after, Campbell was ejected from the game following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Despite the penalty, Kitchener’s offense remained relentless. Jacob Chromiak added an unorthodox goal, sending a dump pass from the center of the ice that hopped over Flint goalie Nathan Day and into the net.
With the game well in hand, Trent Swick sealed the deal with a sixth goal late in the third period. Tempers flared as both teams combined for eight misconducts in the final frame, bringing the total to 11 penalties (six for Kitchener, five for Flint).
Jack Pridham was named the game’s first star, finishing with a stellar four-point performance (two goals and two assists). Andrew Vermeulen, who scored once, earned the second star, while Jacob Chromiak, who tallied one goal and one assist, rounded out the third star honors.
The Rangers now travel to Michigan for Game 3 on Tuesday, followed by Game 4 on Thursday. If necessary, the series will return to the Kitchener Aud for Game 5 on Friday.
