It's over

Wednesday night: Kanata 5, Gloucester 1. Kanata takes the series 6pts.-2pts.

A disappointing end to a great season. Every player has the right to be very proud.

Glucester 5, Kanata 3

Phew! Rangers live to play another day!

Absolutely beautiful game today, real Rangers hockey! Next game Wednesday, 7pm at Armstrong. GO RANGERS GO!

Kanata 4, Gloucester 2

Not good. We now find ourselves having to win three games in a row. All Kanata has to do tomorrow is tie us, and it's all over.

Even The Eternal Optimist (one of my personas) finds it difficult to feel good about the situation.

What the heck just happened?

Game 1 of the final, Rangers ahead 1-0 at the end of two periods. Final score: Kanata Blazers 5, Gloucester Rangers 1.

If it's any consolation, about a kilometre away, the Senators were experiencing something similar. We were playing at Sensplex, they at Scotiabank Place. They were up 4-1 after two periods, end up losing 5-4 in a shootout.

For us, it's only one game. Not time to panic, just to regroup, refocus and win.

RANGERS SWEEP THE VALLEY!

Last night at Earl Armstrong: Ottawa Valley Titans 3, Gloucester Rangers 3, so Gloucester wins the series five points to three!

It is the first time that the nucleus of the Valley team has lost a playoff series in four years.

This series could not have been any closer. Three of the four games ended in 3-3 ties. It turns out that the 4-2 Gloucester win in game 2 was the clincher. And while the Rangers only actually one of the four games, the three ties completed a series sweep, because it was a five-point series: the first time to get five points wins.

Full credit and respect to the Valley.

Next up: Rangers vs. Kanata Blazers; game 1 Tues., March 6, 7:15pm at Sensplex.

Rangers 3, Titans 3

Thursday night in Almonte, the Rangers' comeback fell short. A win would have catapulted us into the finals, but it was not to be.
The upside: We live to play another day, Saturday night in the closest thing to a home rink that we have -- Earl Armstrong Arena. That's where we'll finish 'em off.

Rangers 4, Titans 2

Great game. Our boys dug really deep and despite taking a whole bunch of penalties, held off the Titans to hand this particular team its first playoff loss in several years, if not ever.

It's not going to be easy, but the Rangers can wrap it up in Almonte on Thursday night.
GO, RANGERS, GO! ...and don't forget to call Trainer Bob right after the game: 613-789-0606 ext. 2246 :-)