Game Preview: Rangers head up North to face the top of the West Division

Game Preview: Rangers head up North to face the top of the West Division

Sault Ste. Marie, ON – The Kitchener Rangers are heading up north to Sault Ste. Marie to take on the Greyhounds for their third clash of the season followed by a trip to Saginaw. The Rangers are looking to get back into the win column after two losses against the London Knights this past weekend. Puck drop is set for 7:07 pm at The GFL Memorial Gardens.

• TV: Rogers Channel 20 (Kitchener)
• Video Stream: OHL Live on CHL TV
• Radio: 570 AM CKGL
• Live Stats
• Live Tweets

HEAD-TO-HEAD

This Season:

The two teams are gearing up for their third of four encounters of the season, marking the first face-off in the Soo. Kitchener’s first meeting against the Greyhounds was on November 12 at The Aud where the Rangers claimed a 5-3 victory. Most recently, the Greyhounds travelled to Kitchener leaving with a 6-3, third-period comeback win. Rangers skaters Adrian Misaljevic and Trent Swick both contributed with one goal and two assists each, while Tanner Lam netted one goal and Hunter Brzustewicz (Vancouver Canucks) provided two assists. Among the current Greyhounds, Justin Cloutier, Julian Fantino, and Kirill Kudryavtsev (Vegas Golden Knights) each notched one goal, with Tate Vader scoring his first and only OHL goal. Jack Beck (Calgary Flames draft pick) tallied two assists, and Brady Martin, Travis Hayes, Matthew Virgilio, Marco Mignosa, and Andrew Gibson (Detroit Red Wings) each recorded an assist.

Over the Years:

Kitchener and the Soo have met 23 times dating back to the 2017-18 season, the Rangers’ overall record during this time is 8-14-1-0 and when playing in the Soo, their record stands at 3-8-0-0. There is an eight-goal differential between the teams, as the Greyhounds have netted 95 goals compared to the Rangers’ 87 in these 23 games. The 2009-10 season stands as the best campaign for the Rangers, as they went undefeated in all four games against the Greyhounds.

Team Statistics:

Kitchener

Overall Power Play: 4^th in the OHL at 25%

Away Power Play: 7^th in the OHL at 24.4%

Overall Penalty Kill: 8^th in the OHL at 80.8%

Away Penalty Kill: 15^th in the OHL at 75.3%

Soo

Overall Power Play: 8^th in the OHL at 21.3%

Home Power Play: 11^th in the OHL at 19.7%

Overall Penalty Kill: 5^th in the OHL at 81.9%

Home Penalty Kill: 14^th in the OHL at 75.5%

SCOUTING THE RANGERS (30-13-2-0)

3^rd in the Western Conference, 5^th in the OHL/ 8^th in Week 16 of the CHL Power Rankings

Last Time Out:                                                                                                                  

On Saturday, the Rangers were in London for an intense matchup against the Knights, resulting in a 10-3 loss. The game finished with a total of 113 penalty minutes, 52 of which were given to Rangers. This game stands out as the sole instance this season where the Rangers allowed nine or more goals. Luca Romano scored the Rangers’ opening goal, assisted by Justin Bottineau and Adrian Misaljevic. Matthew Andonovski (Ottawa Senators) scored his third goal in four games, and Eduard Šalé (Seattle Kraken) notched his inaugural goal for the Rangers in the game.

Rangers to Watch:

• Kitchener native Matthew Sop is the Rangers second leading scorer with 26 goals and is third in points with 63. Overall, in the league, the overaged centerman sits seventh for points and goals.
• Adrian Misaljevic has played in all 45 games this season with the Rangers and has recorded 22 goals and 24 assists for 46 points which is good for the fifth most points on the team. Misaljevic is tied for the most first goals in the league with seven.
• Tanner Lam leads all Rangers first year players in points and is sixth in the OHL for rookies in points with 25 (9G, 16A). Lam is fourth in true rookie (2007 birth year) scoring in the league. The first year player has suited up in all 45 games for the Rangers playing in key situations for the club.

Between the Pipes:

• Jackson Parsons has played in 32 games this season, achieving an 18-10-1-0 record. The netminder holds a 2.98 goals-against average, which is currently tied for fourth place in the OHL, and he holds a .899 save percentage. In the opening game of the home-and-home series against London on Friday night, Parsons stood tall facing 32 shots and allowed three, resulting in a .917 save percentage.

SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS (28-12-2-1)

4^th in the Western Conference, 6^th in the OHL

Last Time Out:

On Sunday, the Greyhounds secured a 6-2 victory when they hosted the Erie Otters. This win put the Greyhounds on a three-game win streak, with previous victories over Windsor and Sarnia. Caeden Carlisle and Marco Mignosa each contributed with one goal, while Justin Cloutier scored two goals and Gavin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks) added two goals and an assist. Jack Beck (Calgary Flames draft pick), Jacob Frasca, and Kirill Kudryatsev (Vegas Golden Knights) provided two assists apiece while Matthew Virgilio and Jordan D’Intino each contributed one assist.

Greyhounds to Watch:

• Jack Beck (Calgary Flames draft pick) leads the Greyhounds in points with 17 goals and 40 assists. Beck is sitting fifth in the league for assists (40) and second in power play assists (20). The left winger is currently on a three-game point streak with one goal and five assists in those games.
• Newly acquired forward Gavin Hayes (Chicago Blackhawks) was acquired from the Flint Firebirds on January 7^th, 2024. Hayes has the second most points for the Greyhounds with a 19-17-36 stat line in 27 games played and has only gone pointless in five of those games. He has 12 points over the last six games (5G, 7A).
• Kirill Kudryavtsev (Vegas Golden Knights) is currently leading the Greyhounds blueline with four goals and 29 assists for 33 points, this puts Kudryavtsev 15^th in points for defencemen in the league.

Between the Pipes:

• Charlie Schenkel has played in 30 games for the Greyhounds having a 19-9-2-0 record. Schenkel has a 3.08 goals against average and a .887 save percentage. This backstopper has won eight of his last 10 games he has suited up in. He played in both games against the Rangers in the most recent game having an .885 save percentage facing 26 shots and allowing three goals.

BROADCAST COVERAGE

Friday’s contestant vs the Soo Greyhounds will be televised live throughout Kitchener and the Waterloo Region on Rogers TV, cable channel 20, and can be watched across the province of Ontario on the Super Sports Pak on channel 470 for cable subscribers. The game will be streamed live online on OHL Live on CHL TV. Additionally, fans can listen to Friday night’s action on the radio on CityNews 570 AM CKGL.

UP NEXT:

The Kitchener Rangers will travel to Saginaw on Saturday to take on the 2024 Memorial Cup Hosts, the Saginaw Spirit. Puck drop is set for 7:05 pm at The Dow Event Center. The Rangers’ next home game is on Tuesday against their division rivals the London Knights. Puck drop is set for 7 pm at The Aud. You won’t want to miss any of the action, grab your tickets to the action at The Aud Box Office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online here.

For inquiries, contact:

Lindsay Eastwood
Manager of Communications and Team Services
Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
613-793-0168
[email protected]

Photo Credit: Tiffany Luke / Kitchener Rangers