Game Preview: Rangers Return to The Aud, Aiming to Rebound Against Attack
Kitchener, ON – The Kitchener Rangers return home to The Aud as the club gets set to host the Owen Sound Attack in a Friday night showdown, looking to get back in the win column. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
- TV: Rogers Channel 20 (Kitchener)
- Rogers Super Sports Pak Channel 470 (Ontario)
- Video Stream: OHL Live on CHL TV
- Radio: 570 NewsRadio Kitchener
Game Day Promotions:
Tonight’s game will be our annual Talk Today game presented by Syngenta and The Grain Farmers of Ontario. The key piece of the Talk Today program has been to educate players about mental health and suicide prevention. Each team is also linked to a CMHA mental health coach, who provides support and mental health resources to individuals in need. A CMHA Kitchener-run kiosk on the concourse where fans can learn more about mental health and the organization’s community-based services, a ceremonial puck drop, public service announcements about mental health and CMHA Waterloo-Wellington, and more.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Last Meeting:
The Rangers will pick up where they left off two weeks ago before their five-game road trip, set to face off against the Attack on home ice. The last meeting occurred on January 24th and resulted in a dominant 5-1 win for the Blueshirts on 80s night. Adrian Misaljevic left his mark on the game, recording a hat-trick in the opening 40 minutes to give Kitchener a 3-0 lead heading into the final frame. Owen Sound would get a goal back, but the Rangers would add two short-handed goals, including a Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks) penalty shot marker to solidify a 5-1 victory. Jason Schaubel earned his third consecutive win and seventh of the year, making 30 saves and posting an impressive .968 save percentage.
Over the Years:
Friday’s game is round five of eight between the two clubs this season, with Kitchener holding a 3-0-1-0 record through four previous matchups. Last season, the Blueshirts held the upper hand, going 5-3-0-0 against the Attack. Since 2019, Kitchener has gone a commanding 22-11-4-1 overall and 11-7-1-0 when playing at The Aud in games against Owen Sound.
SCOUTING THE RANGERS (35-11-3-1)
Third in the Western Conference, Fifth in the OHL
The East Avenue Blue dropped their second straight game on Tuesday in London against the Knights, falling 5-3 at Canada Life Place. To start the game, the Knights catapulted themselves to an early 1-0 lead under four minutes into the opening period. However, the Rangers would battle back in the second with goals from Luca Romano and Cameron Mercer before London would even the score headed to the third. In the final frame, Carson Campbell would score his second of the year, registering his second point of the night, but the Knights would bury three consecutive markers to win the game, 5-3. In net for the Blueshirts, Jackson Parsons turned aside 36 of 40 shots faced, posting a .900 save percentage.
Neither team would find the back of the net on the power play, with Kitchener going 0-for-3 and London 0-for-5. After 50 games played, the Rangers boast a 22.4% success rate on the man advantage. Conversely, on the penalty kill, the club is operating at an efficiency of 85%.
Rangers to Watch
In his last outing against the Attack, Adrian Misaljevic took control of the game from the first puck drop – recording a hat-trick in the opening 40 minutes. Misaljevic registered points in two straight contests following his three-goal game and is currently leading the team in goals (23) and tied for first in points (48). This season, Misaljevic has had the Attack’s number, recording at least a point in all four games. Over that stretch, he has six goals, two assists, and eight points.
Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights) has one goal, four assists, and five points in three games against Owen Sound this season. As of late, the forward is on a four-game point streak where he has scored six points, tallying at least a point in six of his last seven appearances. Swick has the second most goals for the Rangers this season (22) and is tied for the most points (48). In 45 games, the Golden Knights prospect has a 22-26-48 stat line, looking to continue his recent success against the Attack on Friday.
Another player to watch is sophomore forward Tanner Lam, who has seven points (1G, 6A) across his last five games. Against Owen Sound this year, Lam has been productive, outputting one goal and four assists for a five-point total in four games. Already with 10 goals, 28 assists, and 38 points through 49 games played (career-best), Lam is on pace for a 50-plus point season.
SCOUTING THE ATTACK (16-26-3-3)
Ninth in the Western Conference, 18th in the OHL
The Attack extended their win streak to two games on Sunday, defeating the Brampton Steelheads 5-3 at Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre. In the final game of a four-game homestand, the Attack started the game down a goal before scoring two of their own to gain the lead in the second. The Steelheads would respond, with the game knotted at 2-2 heading into the final frame. Then, Owen Sound Attacked – burying three straight goals to take a commanding 5-2 lead. Brampton would score in the final minute of the contest, but the late comeback was to no avail with a 5-3 result. In net for the Attack was Carter George who stood tall, making 29 saves and recording a .906 save percentage to go along with the game’s second star.
Both teams had two power play opportunities and both failed to capitalize on either chance. Through 48 games, Owen Sound has gone 14.7% on the man advantage and 78.5% on the penalty kill. After their trip to Kitchener, the Attack will kick off a new four-game home stretch beginning on Saturday against the North Bay Battalion.
Attack to Watch:
Landen Hookey scored the lone goal against the Rangers in their last meeting, adding to his now five-point total (2G, 3A) in four meetings with the Blueshirts this season. Aside from registering at least a point in every game against Kitchener this year, Hookey has produced at a point-per-game pace for Owen Sound, with 48 points in 48 games. Hookey leads the team in goals (21), assists (27), and points (48), and is currently riding a five-game point streak – making him a player to watch on Friday.
Pierce Mbuyi has 11 points (8G, 3A) in his last eight games, including five goals in just two contests and a hat-trick on January 25th against the Sarnia Sting. Mbuyi ranks second on the Attack in goals (17) and points (27) in just his first OHL season. The freshman has yet to record a point in three appearances against Kitchener, but the forward is one to be on the lookout for due to his recent stretch.
James Petrovski has three assists in four games against Kitchener this season, including a helper on Owen Sound’s only goal back on January 24th. Petrovski leads all Attack defencemen in assists (24) and points (25), while his 25 total points rank third most on the team. The veteran defenceman is fresh off a five-game point streak in which he tallied six points (1G, 5A) including his first goal this season. He is a player to watch on the blueline on Friday.
Drafted Attack:
The Attack have one player who has been drafted into the NHL. Goaltender Carter George was selected in the second round (57th overall) of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings.
RANGERS REACH
Support our community while cheering on your Rangers! Rangers Reach 50/50 and game-worn jersey Raffles take place at each Rangers home game and proceeds go to support our many community initiatives, including Scholarships, Community Impact Grants, in-kind donations, and more! Your 50/50 and jersey ticket purchases help to make a difference in our community! Tickets can be purchased online anywhere in Ontario at Rangers5050.com and rangersjersey.com.
BROADCAST COVERAGE
Friday’s game against the Owen Sound Attack will be televised on Rogers TV (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’s action on the radio on CityNews 570 AM CKGL.
UP NEXT:
Next, the Rangers hit the road for their only visit to the Meridian Centre this season, facing the Niagara IceDogs on Saturday, February 8th. They’ll then return home to the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium for their final matchup of the 2024-25 campaign against the Oshawa Generals on Tuesday, February 11th. Puck drop in Niagara is set for 7:00 p.m.
Graphics Credit: Hailey Tripodi / Kitchener Rangers
For inquiries, contact:
Luca Lombardi
Communications Coordinator
Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
416-885-4510
[email protected]
