Parkland Looking Ahead to First Road Trip
The Parkland Rangers hosted the high-flying Eastman Selects on Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend and experienced a roller coaster of results and emotions. A tough-to-swallow 4-3 overtime loss on Saturday was followed by a bitter 10-1 setback on Sunday as the first-place Selects flexed their offensive muscles.
Credit Union Place in Dauphin was the place to be on Saturday night when the Rangers played host to Eastman. The Rangers came out of the gate quickly as Cash Clarkson ripped one through the five-hole on Selects goalie Daniel Banman just over six minutes into the game. Linden Smigelsky picked up the lone assist on Clarkson’s first of the year. The Selects would tie it up eight minutes later on a power play with Easton Gaffray beating Rangers goalie Chase Glover. A penalty-filled opening frame ended in a 1-1 stalemate. Less than a minute into the second period, Cade Legaarden banged home a loose puck to restore the Rangers lead with Tavyn Boychuk and Maddox Shindle helping out on the power play tally. The lead was short-lived however as Eastman would even things up on an odd-man rush just over two minutes later. Despite some back and forth action, the period ended in a 2-2 score, leaving it all to play for in the final frame. Midway through the third, Quentin Fisk would redirect a Sam Swanton pass over Banman’s shoulder to give the Rangers their third lead of the night. Hayden Seib picked up the other assist on the power play goal. Glover was fantastic over the final ten minutes as Eastman pressed for the equalizer but all his heroics were undone in the final two minutes when Job Peters got loose for breakaway and levelled the score at three. Regulation time ended with the score still knotted, leaving the Selects Grayson Slaney to play the hero as he scored on a slick rush in the 3-on-3 overtime session to give Eastman a 4-3 win. Glover made 45 saves on the night in an outstanding performance that earned the Rangers their first point of the season.
Sunday was a forgettable afternoon all around for the team in blue as the Selects had seven different goal scorers in the 10-1 rout. Fisk netted the only goal for Parkland, who failed to capitalize on their five power play opportunities. Ethan Myhre got the nod in goal and was replaced midway through the game by Glover, with the two combining to make 44 saves. The loss leaves the Rangers at 0-2-1 on the season. Next, the team travels to Winnipeg to face the defending champion Winnipeg Wild on Saturday afternoon, before heading to Teulon to square off with the Interlake Lightning on Sunday.
Ranger Ramblings: The Rangers will host the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday, October 20 in the annual Cancer Care game at CUP in Dauphin. There will be several prizes up for grabs and all health care workers will be offered free admission. Puck drop is set for 7:30 pm… Quentin Fisk’s snipe on Sunday gave him goals in back to back games… The Rangers will visit Activate Games on Saturday evening after their matinee showdown with the Wild… Former Ranger star Jayce Legaarden is off to a fast start with the Winkler Flyers (MJHL), scoring the shootout winner in Portage on Friday night as the Flyers remain unbeaten…