By Tracey Richardson

The Owen Sound Attack opened their season Wednesday night with plenty of power against the visiting Kitchener Rangers.

The power came in the form of four power play goals in a 6-1 clobbering that also included a shorthanded marker.

Goaltender Jack Flinn narrowly missed recording a shutout, with the spoiler trickling in with less than a minute to go in the game. For his efforts, Flinn was named first star of the game and got a face full of shaving cream from his teammates afterwards.

Attack coach Greg Ireland said he's comfortable with his trio of goalies, which also includes Jack Hope and Michael McNiven, but that Flinn was rewarded for his consistency between the pipes since last February.

"It wasn't really so much a knock on either of the other guys, but it was just a reward and we have a nice little competition (to play net), and I like that," Ireland said.

The Rangers played an undisciplined game, earning 14 penalties compared to the Attack's 11.

"We talked about coming out here and playing with some energy and discipline, and play the way we talked about before the season started, and I thought for the most part we did a real good job," said Ireland.

Owen Sound dominated much of the game, outshooting Kitchener 36 to 31. It had been two-and-a-half weeks since the Attack had played in a game situation.

"What we tried to do (to prepare) was really keep the intensity up. With the older guys away (at NHL camps), our goal going into those two weeks with the older guys going away was to compete and battle, hard conditioning, and then we could teach systems to get some of the first and second year guys up a little bit to close the gap to what the older guys already knew. Now that we get the team together and we get to teach, they're a little more connected and there's not as big a gap in the learning curve."

Finnish rookie winger Petrus Palmu found plenty of open ice as he made some dazzling moves, and scored his first Ontario Hockey League goal. The 17-year-old, playing in North America for the first time, likes open ice and is adjusting to the smaller, NHL-sized rinks.

"(The game) was a little bit faster (than I thought) and a little bit harder playing in a small rink, but I felt very good on the ice. . . I like a big rink or a small rink, it doesn't matter for me."
BETWEEN THE LINES: Daniel Milne had a three-point game, including a goal...Holden Cook scored twice, including a short-handed marker...Zach Nastasiuk and Damir Sharipzyanov also scored...several rookies saw game action, including Keenan Reynolds, Jarett Meyer, Kevin Hancock and Jonah Gadjovich...the Attack head down Highway 6 to play the Rangers on Friday, then return home to face the London Knights Saturday night.