Andonovski scores OT winner for Rangers, Colts trail 2-0 in OHL Championship

Rangers players celebrate Matthew Andonovski's overtime-winning goal in Game 2 of the OHL Championship Series in Kitchener, Ont., on Fri., May 8, 2026. (Courtesy: TSN)

Matthew Andonovski scored the overtime-winning goal for the Kitchener Rangers as they defeated the Barrie Colts 4-3 in Game 2 of the OHL Championship Series in Kitchener, giving the Rangers a 2-0 series lead.

Colts Strike First

In the first game since Joe Salandra, Barrie forward, sustained a postseason-ending injury, his linemates opened the scoring.

Jaiden Newton took the feed on the rush from Calvin Crombie, who drifted into the corner and threw the puck toward the front of the net.

Brad Gardiner won the battle for the loose puck and slapped it by Christian Kirsch, Rangers goaltender, for his seventh of the playoffs to put the Colts ahead 1-0.

Two Goals in 70 Seconds

The Rangers got on the board just past the halfway point of the second frame.

Ben Hrebik, Colts goaltender, made an awkward-looking save on Luke Ellinas from a sharp angle, and Gabriel Chiarot jumped on the rebound to beat Hrebik and tie the game at 1-1.

But the Colts would have a quick response.

Ben Wilmott recovered a loose puck in the Barrie zone and quickly rushed up ice with Emil Hemming.

Hemming beat the back-checking Rangers to the net and finished a perfectly-placed saucer pass from Wilmott, burying his 13th of the playoffs to put Barrie back in front 2-1.

Rangers pull ahead

Just like in Game 1, the Rangers would score consecutive goals in the third.

In the first minute of the frame, Parker von Richter, Colts defenceman, pinched at the Kitchener blueline, allowing Carson Campbell and Sam O’Reilly to rush the other way on a two-on-one.

O’Reilly, named the OHL’s Most Outstanding Player just before the series began, fed it back to Campbell, who wristed it by a sprawling Hrebik, tying the game at 2-2.

Then in the final five minutes, Kashawn Aitcheson, Colts co-captain and OHL Defenceman of the Year, was penalized for roughing after shoving Ellinas into the Barrie crease during a Hrebik save.

On the ensuing Rangers power play, Christian Humphreys curled off the right-wing boards and beat Hrebik with a wicked wrister for his eighth of the playoffs, giving Kitchener a late 3-2 lead.

Aitcheson Redemption

Seconds later, the Colts caught a break.

After the Colts re-entered the Rangers zone offside, Chiarot clipped Mason Zebeski in the face with a high stick on the ensuing faceoff, sending Barrie on a four-minute power play to close out regulation.

With Hrebik pulled for the extra attacker and six-on-four advantage, the Colts pushed for the equalizer. But Kirsch and the four Rangers skaters resisted, blocking a flurry of Barrie shots.

Then, with less than five seconds left, Ben Wilmott’s shot was blocked and the puck bounced its way to Aitcheson. Barrie’s co-captain made no mistake, as he wristed it into the mostly-open net with Kirsch sprawled on the ice, tying the score at 3-3 and sending the back-and-forth game to overtime.

Andonovski Plays Hero

After nothing was solved in the first 18 minutes of the extra frame, the Rangers won a battle along the boards in the Barrie zone.

Luke Ellinas fed it to Cameron Reid at the point, and the Rangers captain quickly slid it across to Andonovski, his defence partner.

Andonovski cranked the one-timer past Hrebik for the overtime-winner, sending the Rangers to victory and a 2-0 series lead.

Series Shifts to Barrie

Game 3 is set for 6 p.m. Sunday evening at Sadlon Arena and Game 4 is just after 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Game 5, if necessary, is scheduled for Thursday just after 7 p.m. back in Kitchener.

With Friday’s win, the Rangers remained undefeated this postseason at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

Follow your Barrie Colts on CTV News as we provide extended coverage in our special series, “The road to the Memorial Cup,” brought to you by the Boots and Hearts Barn Burner Charity Hockey Game.