Ross Krieger’s patient finish with under eight minutes remaining the third period proved to be the difference as the North York Rangers outlasted the Mississauga Chargers 4-2 Sunday afternoon.
Jett Alexander was solid in making 27 stops for his third win in four starts since coming over to the Rangers from Georgetown, while Julian Sime made 42 saves in the Mississauga net.
Louis Kereakou opened the scoring 5:32 into the first period when he neatly one-timed home a centring feed from Kyle Clarke.
Noah Kalsner-Lowe tied it under two minutes later, and it took until the 5:32-mark of the final frame for the scoring to continue when Kegan Blasby whipped home a nicely worked power-goal from the right face-off dot bon a passing play between him, Krieger and Nick Campoli.
Chris Karabassis tied it up again, but Krieger beautifully and patiently put home the game-winner at 12:16 of the third period, grabbing a rebound from an Adam Giacomin point shot out of the air, and wiring it over a sprawling Sime.
Nick Zanette tapped in an easy one with under five minutes left in regulation after Blasby’s wrist shot trickled through Sime and stopped on the Mississauga goal line.
Krieger, Blasby, and Nick Campoli, the former of whom was reinserted into the lineup Sunday afternoon, had multi-point afternoons, while Chargers forward Max Routledge added two assists to lead Mississauga.
The Rangers sit only one point behind the Toronto Patriots for fifth place in the Southwest Conference, and will travel to St. Mike’s Arena Friday night for a rivalry battle with the St. Mike’s Buzzers. Puck drops at Bathurst and St. Clair in Toronto at 7:30 p.m.
