Game Preview: Rangers Travel To Guelph For Fifth Installment of Highway Seven Series With Storm
Guelph, ON – The Kitchener Rangers resume the Highway Seven rivalry series with the Guelph Storm on Sunday for the fifth meeting of the season. The Blueshirts, a perfect 4-0-0-0 this year against the Storm, look to earn their fifth consecutive victory. Puck drop is set for an afternoon start at 2:07 p.m.
- TV: Rogers Channel 20 (Kitchener)
- TV: Rogers Super Sports Pak Channel 470 (Ontario)
- Video Stream: OHL Live on CHL TV
- Radio: 570 AM CKGL
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Last Matchup:
The last matchup between the Rangers and Storm came on the first day of December at the Sleeman Centre, with Kitchener edging out an eventual 3-2 overtime decision. Guelph jumped out to the early 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of action, but it was the East Avenue Blue mounting a three-goal comeback in the remaining 45 minutes that earned them the win on the road in the extra frame.
Goals from Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights), Justin Bottineau, now a member of the Storm, and Cameron Reid (overtime winner) helped secure the Rangers’ fourth straight win against the Storm. The Rangers had seven different players register at least a point in the contest. In goal, Jackson Parsons turned aside 27 of 29 shots he faced for a commendable .931 save percentage.
Over the Years:
Sunday’s matinee between Kitchener and Guelph is the fifth of eight meetings in the 2024-25 season between the two clubs. The Rangers have won all meetings thus far, two at The Aud and two at the Sleeman Centre, boasting a flawless 4-0-0-0 record against the Storm in 2024. Kitchener went 5-3-0-0 in the 2023-24 season and held a record of 25-11-1-0 over the past five years. In that stretch, the Blueshirts are a notable 11-6-1-0 when playing in Guelph.
SCOUTING THE RANGERS (27-7-2-1)
Third in the Western Conference, Third in the OHL
Kitchener has won four straight games after defeating the Erie Otters 3-1 on Friday night at The Aud. In their last 10 games, the Rangers are an impressive 8-2-0-0. Against Erie, the club trailed 1-0 after the opening period. However, starting with a Luke Ellinas (Ottawa Senators) strike, his 17th of the season, the Blueshirts rallied to score three unanswered goals. Evan Headrick buried his second tally of his OHL career, his first at The Aud. It proved to be the game-winning goal with Cameron Arquette added an insurance marker later in the third period to solidify a 3-1 win. Alexander Bilecki, Chris Grisolia, Cameron Mercer, and Headrick all added at least an assist in the game.
In the crease, Jackson Parsons made 23 saves, tying himself for a league-leading 23 wins and further improving his 2.03 goals against average in 30 games played.
On the power play, Kitchener went 1-for-6 on their opportunities, now operating the man advantage at 21.2% through 37 games. The Otters, on the other hand, had just one chance with a power play and made no mistake, going 1-for-1 on the night. The Rangers’ penalty-killing units are succeeding at an 83.9% rate.
Rangers to Watch:
Cameron Mercer is on a two-game point streak, recording an assist against the Brantford Bulldogs on Thursday and another helper on Friday when the Otters came to Kitchener. In four games against the Storm this season, Mercer has registered a goal. During his four-year Rangers career, Mercer has scored six goals and three assists for a nine-point total against Guelph in the regular season. The forward has four goals, six assists, and 10 points in 34 games this season.
Chris Grisolia has registered at least a point in three of four matchups against Guelph this season. In those four appearances, Grisolia has one goal and three assists for four points – producing at a point per game. On Friday, the senior forward added to his point total with an assist on the Rangers’ third goal of the game. Competing in his first season in the blue, red, and white, Grisolia has six goals, six assists, and 12 points.
Cameron Reid has been a standout performer in recent matchups against the Storm. On October 6th, he earned first-star honours after tallying a goal and an assist. He followed that up with another impressive performance on December 1st, scoring the overtime winner and once again claiming first-star accolades. Across his first two seasons with Kitchener, Reid has registered six points (2G, 4A) in head-to-head games against Guelph. He is a player to watch as he looks to extend his strong track record against the Storm.
SCOUTING THE STORM (11-22-2-1)
Ninth in the Western Conference, 18th in the OHL
The Storm snapped a three-game losing skid on Friday, shutting out the Owen Sound Attack on home ice 2-0. Thomas Budnick opened the scoring in the first period with assists from Charlie Paquette and Alex MacLean. No other marker was tallied until there were nine seconds left in the game when Lev Katzin added an empty net goal while Parker Snelgrove picked up an assist and Paquette registered his second helper of the night. In net, Storm goaltender Zachary Jovanovski stood tall, stopping all 39 shots he faced and earning the first star of the game honours. With the win, Jovanovski earned his first career OHL shutout.
From a special teams standpoint, Guelph had two opportunities on the power play, failing to convert on both tries. The club holds a power play percentage of just 18.9% on the man advantage through 36 games. On the penalty kill, Owen Sound did not capitalize on any of their five chances with a power play, improving Guelph’s penalty kill operation to 80.2%.
After the Rangers visit the Storm at the Sleeman Centre on Sunday, the Storm will wrap up their current three-game homestand on Wednesday against the Erie Otters.
Storm to Watch:
On Sunday, Justin Bottineau will face off against the Blueshirts for the first time since he was traded in the middle of December from Kitchener to Guelph. The senior forward has yet to record his first point with the Storm in four games. In his time with the Rangers, Bottineau had 12 goals, 21 assists, and 33 points in regular and postseason action. Going up against his former team, he is poised to be a central player in this matchup.
Jett Luchanko (Philadelphia Flyers) recently returned from the IIHF World Juniors tournament, representing Team Canada. In the tournament, he recorded a goal in five appearances. The forward started the season with the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL, and since returning to the Storm, he has seven goals, 13 assists, and 20 points in 16 games. The junior forward is a key player for the Rangers to keep an eye on Sunday.
Charlie Paquette has eight points (3G, 5A) in his last five games including back-to-back multi-point games in his past two outings. Paquette leads the Storm in power-play goals (4), overall goals (12), and points (28) while ranking tied for first in assists (16). The senior forward has a lone assist in four matchups with Kitchener this season. Considering his recent scoring prowess, Paquette is a player to be on the lookout for on Sunday.
Drafted Storm:
The Storm have two players who have been drafted to the NHL, one who was selected in 2022 and one who was picked in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Jake Karabela (Washington Capitals) was taken in the 2022 draft and Jett Luchanko (Philadelphia Flyers) was drafted in the 2024 draft.
BROADCAST COVERAGE:
Sunday’s game against the Guelph Storm will be televised on Rogers TV (Channel 20) and can be watched across the province of Ontario on the Super Sports Pak on channel 466 for cable subscribers. The game will be streamed live online on OHL Live on CHL TV. Additionally, fans can listen to Sunday’s action on the radio on CityNews 570 AM CKGL.
UP NEXT:
After Sunday’s matchup, the Blueshirts will have a short break before returning to action on Friday, January 10th, when they host the Brampton Steelheads for the organization’s Hockey is For Everyone Game. The busy weekend then continues with back-to-back games, as Kitchener faces the Barrie Colts on Saturday and the Saginaw Spirit on Sunday. Puck drop against the Steelheads is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.
Secure your tickets for all Kitchener Rangers games at The Aud Box Office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online here.
Graphics: Hailey Tripodi / Kitchener Rangers
For inquiries, contact:
Luca Lombardi
Communications Coordinator
Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
416-885-4510
[email protected]
