Rangers OT winners, Grads fall to open CJHL playoffs

Stepping up into the hole usually occupied by Stephen Blunden (who remains suspended for a hit-from-behind until Game 4), Webley scored a powerplay goal 4:15 into overtime, set up by Andrew Creppin and Nick Vidoni.

The goalies were named second and third stars in the contest behind Webley, with Ottawa’s Niels-Erik Ravn chosen as No. 2 and Gloucester’s Dylan Ellis No. 3.

Through one game, the predictions for the series by Rangers head coach Rick Dorval have rung true. “It’s going to be hard-nosed hockey,” he said after his club wrapped up a 35-21-6 regular season. “They have one hell of a good goalie in Ravn. ... We’ve got to put a lot of pucks on net – attack him and attack their defence.”

Dorval also had confidence that he’d get a good effort from Ellis, an out-of-league acquisition made by the Rangers at the trade deadline. “He’s been pretty solid, pretty consistent and we know what we’re getting,” Dorval explained. “If he can put it together for 60 minutes, he’s going to give us the goaltending we need to go a long way in the playoffs.”

Devin Cobbold opened the scoring for Gloucester with assists from Peter Mott and Zach Lokey before the game was three minutes old, while Maxime Pilon replied for Ottawa with the man advantage near the end of the second period.

GRADS DOWN 1-0

It wasn’t as successful a night for the Cumberland Grads, who fell 5-2 on the road in Pembroke in the first game of their best-of-seven league quarter-final series.

Fabian Walsh and Michael Borkowski both had two-point nights in a losing cause, while Greg Sartoretto also scored.

The Grads’ series continues at 7 p.m. on Thursday night at Navan Memorial Centre, while the Rangers and Jr. Sens are back at it tonight at Jim Peplinski for a 7:30 p.m. start.