Rangers eliminated from postseason after sweep by Bruins
The Parkland Rangers saw their playoff hopes dashed this past weekend as they dropped a pair of games to the Winnipeg Bruins at the CUP in Dauphin. Saturday night the Rangers fell 4-1 despite a goal from Tavyn Boychuk and 36 saves from Chase Glover. Sunday was more of the same as the Rangers struggled to generate goals despite firing 41 shots at the Bruins net. The two losses leave the Rangers mired in 11th place, three points adrift of the 10th placed Yellowhead Chiefs and six back of the Eastman Selects in 9th.
Saturday night was ‘last chance saloon’ for the Rangers as they knew only a run of five straight wins to end the season would get them a shot at the playoffs. It seemed an unlikely scenario as there were so many other moving parts involved, but Glover set out to give Parkland a chance. Right from the drop of the puck, it was clear that the hosts were in for a challenging night as the Bruins buzzed the Rangers net. Despite being outshot 20-8, Glover kept the Rangers in touch with 18 saves in the first period. Down 2-0 heading to the second frame Parkland revved up their game, firing 17 pucks at the Bruins cage and they were rewarded eight minutes in when Boychuk took a slick feed from Cash Clarkson and buried it to halve the deficit. Maddox Shindle picked up the secondary assist on the goal. With the Rangers probing for more, it was Bruins’ defenceman Boulanger who responded, beating Glover to restore the two-goal lead after a pair of periods had passed. The third period saw the Rangers muster just two shots on goal as the Bruins added an early goal to cruise to a 4-1 win.
Sunday was all about the goalies for both sides. The Rangers managed 41 shots on Leyton Medwick but never squeezed one past him, while Ethan Myre kept the Rangers in the game as long as possible with 28 saves of his own. In the end, the Bruins managed two shorthanded goals enroute to a 6-0 win that closed out the Rangers home schedule. Despite the losses, the Rangers can take comfort from the fact that they stayed in the hunt for most of the season and will be able to hold their heads high as they have toppled every team in the league except Brandon and Eastman at least once. They still have a road game in Brandon and a pair in Beausejour against the Selects to try and ‘run the table’ of MU18AAA teams this year.
Rangers ramblings: Boychuk, Clarkson, Legaarden and Ethan McMullan will all play for the MJHL’s Swan Valley Stampeders on Tuesday night at the CUP versus the Dauphin Kings. For Clarkson, Legaarden and McMullan it will be their first MJHL action of the season… The Rangers have played in front of the two largest crowds in the MU18AAA league this season, 1496 in Thompson and 1462 in Dauphin…
