Game Preview: Rangers Welcome Firebirds for Friday Tilt in Kitchener
Kitchener, ON – The Kitchener Rangers square off against the Flint Firebirds for the third time this season and for the second time at the Aud on Friday. The Blueshirts look to get back in the win column with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m.
Notable Links:
- TV: Rogers Channel 20 (Kitchener)
- TV: Rogers Super Sports Pak Channel 470 (Ontario)
- Video Stream: OHL Live on CHL TV
- Radio: 570 AM CKGL
Promotions:
Tonight’s game is our annual Bell Let’s Talk Game as we gear up for Bell Let’s Talk Day on January 22nd. We will have special guests from Woolwich Counselling Centre and Porchlight Counselling and Addiction Centre along with representatives from Bell Canada and Virgin Radio to help us bring awareness to Youth Mental Health. There will be a ceremonial puck drop prior to the game and special videos on our video board from our players with calls to action on how you can seek help for yourself or someone you know that is struggling.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Last Meeting:
The most recent meeting between the Rangers and Firebirds took place on October 9th, 2024, when Kitchener secured a 3-2 comeback victory at Dort Financial Center. Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights) played a key role in the rally, scoring his first and second goals of the season – including the game-winning goal – after the Rangers had fallen behind 2-0 in the second period. Swick also added an assist on Adrian Misaljevic’s game-tying marker. Jakub Chromiak recorded two assists while Luca Romano and Misaljevic each added a helper in the win. In net, Jackson Parsons faced just 20 shots, stopping 18 of them for his second win of the 2024-25 season.
Over the Years:
Friday’s contest marks the final time Flint visits Kitchener during the regular season, with the Rangers and Firebirds still set to meet for their final matchup of the season on Friday, January 31st at Dort Financial Center. Through two games in the 2024-25 campaign, the Rangers are 1-0-1-0 against the Firebirds. Last season, Kitchener finished with a record advantage, going 3-1-0-0 in four meetings against Flint. Since 2019, the Blueshirts are 7-8-4-0 overall and 2-4-3-0 when playing at The Aud when matching up with the Firebirds.
SCOUTING THE RANGERS (29-8-3-1)
Third in the Western Conference, Third in the OHL
The Rangers dropped a back-and-forth game against the defending Memorial Cup champions on Sunday, losing 4-3 in overtime and still earning a point to wrap up a three-in-three weekend. Matthew Hlacar opened the scoring with his third goal of the season, assisted by Cameron Arquette, who recorded his third assist of the 2024-25 campaign. The game was tied after two periods, thanks to Chris Grisolia’s seventh goal of the year, with Tanner Lam providing the assist. In the third period, a goal from Saginaw was answered by Cameron Reid, sending the game into overtime, where the Rangers ultimately fell short. In goal for the Blueshirts, Jackson Parsons stopped 20 of 24 shots in a tightly contested matchup.
Kitchener had two power play chances against Saginaw, going 0-for-2 on the man advantage. On the season, the team has a power play conversion percentage of 21.6%. Conversely, the Spirit had four chances while being up a man, scoring on one of their opportunities and going 1-for-4 on the night. With the goal against, the Rangers’ penalty kill is operating at 84.7% through 41 games.
Rangers to Watch
In the previous two games against Flint, Adrian Misaljevic has been a consistent contributor in both, scoring two goals and adding two assists for a four-point total. Appearing in all 41 games for Kitchener this season, Misaljevic has produced at a point-per-game pace, tallying 18 goals, 23 assists, and 41 points. The fourth-year forward will look to channel his season success against the Firebirds again on Friday at The Aud. Adrian is coming off a solid performance in the OHL Top Prospects Game in which he scored in true Misaljevic fashion, was a +2 rating, and had four shots on goal.
Jakub Chromiak had two assists in his lone appearance against Flint this season while the defenceman has enjoyed a career year in his first campaign with Kitchener. In 28 games in the blue, red, and white, Chromiak has two goals, 16 assists, and 18 points – two shy of beating out his OHL career-high. On pace for 35 points, Chromiak has the third most points as a defenceman on the team this season. The Ilava, Slovakia, native recently represented his country at the IIHF World Junior Championships, registering an assist. He’ll look to add to his season total on Friday.
Jackson Parsons has had a stellar season for the Blueshirts in his fourth year with the club. The netminder ranks first in shutouts (4) and goals against average (2.12) while sitting tied for first in wins (24) and second in save percentage (.925). Despite the 2-1 loss to the Firebirds earlier in the year, Parsons earned the second star of the game in a 2-1 overtime loss after turning aside 27 shots. He did record a win in the second meeting with Flint and he’ll be in search of win No. 25 on Friday.
SCOUTING THE FIREBIRDS (17-21-2-1)
Sixth in the Western Conference, 13th in the OHL
The Firebirds head to The Aud on Friday after dropping their last five games. In their most recent matchup, Flint fell in a high-scoring 8-6 affair to the Windsor Spitfires. The Firebirds found themselves in an early hole, trailing 4-1 after the first period and 6-2 after the second. Despite a strong rally in the final frame, where they scored three unanswered goals to close the gap to 6-5, they couldn’t complete the comeback. Windsor added two more goals, and though Nathan Aspinall netted his second of the game late, it wasn’t enough to prevent the 8-6 loss. Flint netminder Nathan Day made 16 stops on 22 shots before Noah Bender entered the game and turned aside 14 of 15 shots he faced.
Flint had five more chances on the play than the Spitfires did, scoring on 1-of-6 opportunities in the contest – their first goal of the game. However, Windsor was granted a single man advantage, and they made no mistake, burying a marker at 8:40 in the first period. After 41 games played, Flint boasts just a 12.9% success rate on the power play and has a 74.8% penalty kill percentage. Next up on the schedule after their visit in Kitchener, Flint heads to Owen Sound on Saturday for a quick turnaround game against the Attack on January 18th.
Firebirds to Watch:
Kaden Pitre earned the third star of the game in the second installment between the Rangers and Firebirds back in October as he tallied his third goal in 2024. Pitre is fresh off a four-point performance against the Guelph Storm on January 10th in which the Tampa Bay Lightning 2024 draft pick had a goal and three assists. Competing in 38 games this year, Pitre ranks second in goals (14) and points (30) on the Firebirds, seeking to build off his success against Kitchener and productivity versus Guelph.
Sam McCue has two points (1G, 1A) in two games since being traded to the Firebirds from the Attack last week. The Rangers have and will see a lot of McCue this season, as he’s amassed three points in two appearances versus the Blueshirts this year. His 19 goals and 33 points are the most on Flint and he’s a player to watch on offence at The Aud on Friday.
Nathan Aspinall is having a breakout year in his junior campaign with Flint in the 2024-25 season, scoring 11 goals, a career-high 17 assists, and a 28-point total through 37 games. The New York Rangers 2024 draft pick amounted to an assist in each of the Firebirds’ meetings with the Blueshirts this season and is poised to add to that total on Friday. Projected for 48 points, the forward has more recently been productive, registering four points (2G, 1A) in his previous three games.
Drafted Firebirds:
The Firebirds have seven players who have been drafted to the NHL, four that were selected in 2024, two in 2023, and one that was picked in the 2022 NHL Entry draft. Sam McCue (Toronto Maple Leafs), Kaden Pitre (Tampa Bay Lightning), Connor Clattenburg (Edmonton Oilers), and Nathan Aspinall (New York Rangers) were taken in the 2024 draft. Matthew Mania (Los Angeles Kings) and Nathan Day (Edmonton Oilers) were selected in 2023, while Nolan Collins (Pittsburgh Penguins) was drafted in the 2022 draft.
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 Flint Firebirds 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:
After hosting Flint on Friday, the East Avenue Blue travel to Brampton for the only time this season on Saturday, January 18th for their matchup finale against the Steelheads. Kitchener will then return to the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium on Tuesday, January 21st for a head-to-head matchup with their Midwest Division rivals, the London Knights. Puck drop against Brampton is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. at CAA Centre.
Secure your tickets for all Kitchener Rangers games at The Aud Box Office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online here.
Photo Credit: Hailey Tripodi / Kitchener Rangers
For inquiries, contact:
Luca Lombardi
Communications Coordinator
Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
416-885-4510
