GAME PREVIEW; Mar. 10/17 – KIT @ SSM

Unbeaten in seven regulation contests (6-0-1-0), the Soo Greyhounds return to home ice TONIGHT (7:07 PM) against the Kitchener Rangers.
It will be the second meeting in less than a week between the pair of Western Conference clubs after the Hounds posted a 2-1 road victory last Sunday afternoon at the Memorial Auditorium.
(RELATED;  Video Highlights)

The Greyhounds are coming off a 6-3 home ice victory over Sarnia on Wednesday evening.  BOBBY MACINTYRE’s 24th goal of the season at the 14:35 mark of the second period proved as the game-winner before he later added the insurance marker in the third.
He was later named the game’s Red Star First Star.

For Kitchener tonight is their first game of the week.  They haven’t played since meeting the Hounds on Sunday but moving forward will head into Flint tomorrow night

Kitchener Rangers (34-25-2-2, 72 points)
@ Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (44-15-3-1, 92 points)

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HEAD-TO-HEAD
Tonight is the fourth and final meeting of the regular season between the Hounds and Rangers.

Let’s take a look at the first three meetings of the season;

W 2-1, Mar. 5 @ KIT
Zach Senyshyn (2:04) even strength, and Joseph Garreffa (19:54) on the powerplay, had the first period goals in a tie 1-1 game;  Hounds outshot Kitchener 18-8 in the scoreless second period;  With overtime looming, Senyshyn put home a feed from Morgan Frost for the game-winner with 2:09 to go in regulation time;  Matthew Villalta made 27 saves on 28 shots faced
(Boxscore)

L 1-4, Feb. 17 @ SSM
After skating through a scoreless opening period, Barrett Hayton put the Hounds on the board 5:56 into the second period with his 7th goal of the year;  Just over a minute later Kitchener pulled even and then after taking the lead the visitors would score the only goals of the third period en-route to four unanswered goals and the victory;  Hounds outshot Kitchener 39-22;  Both teams were 0-for-3 on the powerplay
(Boxscore)

OTW 6-5, Jan. 6 @ KIT
Hounds trailed 2-1 after the first and sat tied 2-2 after forty minutes before wild third period;  Teams traded off goals as the Hounds held leads of 3-2 (Senyshyn), 4-3 (Gettinger), 5-4 (Katchouk) before the games was forced to overtime;  There just 11 seconds in Boris Katchouk ended the game with his 19th game of the season;  Hounds outshot Kitchener 32-23;  Rangers were 3-for-5 on PP
(Boxscore)

HOME AND AWAY
The Soo Greyhounds are now ten games above .500 inside the Essar Centre with a record of 19-9-2-1.  Since a November 11th home ice loss to Saginaw back on November 11th the club has put together a 17-4-1-1 record in the Lock City.

Kitchener is 4-5-0-1 in their last 10 on the road and an even .500 at 14-14-1-1 overall.

50 ASSISTS FROM THE POINT
For the first time in 18 seasons, the Soo Greyhounds have a defenceman who has hit the 50 assist plateau.

Not since Daniel Passero (98/99) has someone hit that mark with the club.

CONOR TIMMINS did just that thanks to a helper on a MORGAN FROST goal at the 13:25 mark of the first period this past Wednesday Night.
Timmins heads into action tonight with 6 goals and 51 assists, 57 points, and 6th on team scoring.

PLAYING IN THE SOO FOR THE FINAL TIME (IN THE REGULAR SEASON)
The Rangers feature three overage players (’96 birth year) who tonight will skate in Sault Ste. Marie for the final time in a regular season.

Forward Darby Llewellyn along with defencemen Dylan Di Perna and Frank Hora are in their final season in the Ontario Hockey League.
Llewellyn and Di Perna are in their fifth season of major junior hockey while Hora is skating in his 4th season.

WITH FIVE TO GO
Both the Hounds and Rangers are amidst battles in their respective positions in the Western Conference.

Having played 63 games each, the Hounds sit in 1st in the Conference, while the Rangers are in 6th.
The Hounds hold a 6-point lead over the Windsor Spitfires meanwhile Kitchener is 2 points ahead of the Flint Firebirds.

To view the complete conference standings CLICK HERE.

TOP 3 IN SCORING
GREYHOUNDS
• Bobby MacIntyre (25-48-73);  4 SHG;  7 GWG
• Zach Senyshyn (41-20-61);  244 SOG;  10 GWG
• Morgan Frost (18-40-58);  20 PP Pts

RANGERS
• Adam Mascherin (34-60-94);  261 SOG;  42 PP Pts
• Joseph Garreffa (24-33-57);  3 GWG
• Connor Bunnaman (31-15-46);  20 PP Pts

OHL BOXSCORE
For all the stats throughout the game check out the OHL boxscore HERE.

ENJOY THE ACTION LIVE!
GREAT seats for tonight’s game remain at the Essar Centre Box Office (beginning at 10:30 AM Friday), online at www.essarcentre.ca or by phone at 1.866.775.9422.

RADIO/TV
The Rock 101 pre-game show with Gerry Liscumb Jr. begins starting at 6:37 PM.  You can hear the action by tuning your FM dial to 101.3 or listen online HERE.

ShawTV will bring the live action as well starting at 7:00 PM.

MUIO’S PREDICTOR CHALLENGE
Don’t forget to take part in tonight’s “Muio’s Predictor Challenge”.

Tweet us who you predict to score the Hounds first goal for a chance to win a $10 Muio’s Restaurant gift card.  #muios

Photo by James Egan Photography