FIRST OF THREE - Soo Greyhounds' Kevin Conway (29) raises his arm in celebration as he scored the first of three goals he netted Sunday night against the Kitchener Rangers.  Rangers goalie Wendell Young looks up in disgust as the puck enters the net, while the Greyhounds Steve Graves (left) and the Rangers Scott Stevens (3) and Dave Shaw (27) look on.  The Greyhounds beat the Rangers 5-3.

     SAULT STE. MARIE – Skill and luck are inseparable partners in the creation of championship teams.
     Kitchener Rangers displayed the skill, but didn’t get the breaks on the weekend and now, instead of the Emms Division championship series being a runaway for the Rangers, the drama that was missing in Kitchener’s two snap victories at home has suddenly disappeared.
     Rangers got some more bad luck late in Sunday’s game and the Hounds again capitalized to score two goals in the last four minutes for a 5-3 triumph.  It was their first playoff victory over Kitchener in two seasons (10 games), ending the Rangers amazing 19-game unbeaten streak in OHL playoff action.
     Hounds, who struck for two goals in the final two minutes Friday for a 4-4 tie, have whilted the Rangers lead to 5-3 in the eight-point series which resumes in Kitchener Tuesday and returns to the Soo Friday.
     “You can’t help but think of what happened up here, but the guys just have to put it out of their minds and come out strong again Tuesday,” Kitchener coach Joe Crozier said.
     “From now on, it’ll be a new series.  Tonight’s win has given them (the Hounds) life.”
     The game was tied 3-3 in the final period and the Rangers appeared on their way to at least a tie, which would have put them in a position to end the series Tuesday.
     The Rangers were outshooting the Hounds 17-3 in the period when, out of nowhere, Kevin Conway swooped in on Ranger defenceman Dave Shaw in the Kitchener end, took the bouncing puck away from him and stuffed it past Wendell Young at 16:09 to send the 3,586 fans in to a frenzy.  Conway, a rookie forward who had only seven goals in 36 regular season games, then scored into an empty net at 19:07 for his third goal of the night and fifth in 11 playoff games.
     On the winning goal, Shaw couldn’t get his stick on the puck and it got tangled up in his skates when Conway finally poked it away on his second try and had a clear path to the net.
     “I should have had it (the puck) out of the end before he (Conway) was able to get it,” said the hard-luck Shaw, “I just panicked.”
     Soo coach Terry Crisp said, “the goal was just as much the result of Conway’s persistence as it was Shaw’s mistake.”
     “Give Kevin a lot of credit,” Crisp said.  “He gave a real second effort.  In fact, it was a third effort.  He just kept poking away.  I think he (Shaw) had a lot of trouble with the bouncing puck.”
     Crisp said he wasn’t sure if the Hounds would ever get untracked in the third period.  The Rangers stormed to the attack, got a goal from Dave Nicholls after only 39 seconds to tie it up 3-3 and buzzed around the Soo goal for most of the period.
     “They (the Rangers) kept coming and coming,” Crisp said.  “Thank goodness (goalie John) Vanbiesbrouck stood his ground.”
     Rangers also controlled the second period, outshooting the Hounds 18-10, but managing only one goal to cut Soo’s lead to 3-2.  Rangers, outshot 12-7 in the first period, had an overall edge of 45-28.
     Aside from Conway’s hat trick, Hugh Larkin and Wayne Groulx also scored for the Hounds.
     All-star winger Jeff Larmer connected for the eightth straight game for Kitchener boosting his goal total in the playoffs to 11.  Nicholls and Grant Martin had the other Ranger markers while Brian Bellows and defenceman Scott Stevens – named the No. 2 star – each had two assists.
     The game generally was mild-mannered expect for three fights, including two by Ranger forward Mike Moher, who scored decisions over Hugh Larkin and Gord Dineen.  Stevens and ex-Ranger Jim Pavese were involved in the other fight, which didn’t amount to much.