Preview: Rangers make stop in Hamilton for Family Day Matinée
Hamilton, Ont. – The Rangers end their three-game road trip with a Family Day Matinée Monday starting at 2 p.m. at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton. It will be the Rangers final trip to the FirstOntario Centre for the next three years as the Bulldogs are relocating to Brantford next season for renovations on their current building.
Notable Links:
- Tickets: Buy Online
- TV: Rogers TV, cable 20 (Kitchener)
- TV: Super Sports Pack, cable 466 (Ontario)
- Video Stream: OHLLive.com | CHL App
- Radio: CityNews 570 AM CKGL
- Live Stats
- Live Tweets
Rangers ties to Hamilton:
Only 45 minutes (63 kilometers) separate the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium and the FirstOntario Centre. Four Rangers players have ties to the Hamilton area. Hamilton native Marco Costantini returns to the building he called home for three years. Costantini helped the Bulldogs franchise win the OHL Championship in 2022 and reach the final of the CHL Memorial Cup. Antoninio Pugliese is also a native of Hamilton. While Justin Bottineau (Burlingston) and Francesco Pinelli (Stoney Creek) both are local to Hamilton.
Head-to-Head:
This is the first matchup between these two clubs at the FirstOncario Centre since Feb. 17, 2020. Kitchener came away with a 7-6 victory in that game. Kitchener is 7-4-0-0 over the last five seasons against the Bulldogs and are 3-3-0-0 in Hamilton.
The last meeting between these two teams was on Feb. 10 where the Rangers posted a commanding 8-1 victory in Kitchener. Matthew Sop had a five point night and Carson Rehkop earned four points. Former Hamilton goaltender Marco Costantini made 27 saves on 28 shots.
Kitchener is 5-4-1-0 in their last 10 games and are coming off their first regulation loss in four games which they suffered 6-1 in Flint Saturday night. The Rangers still hold a five-point cushion on the final playoff spot with 51 points on the year.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 5-3 win at home over the Kingston Frontenacs Sunday afternoon. Hamilton is now 6-4-0-0 in their last 10 games and are sitting in the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference with 54 points, five points out of the fourth seed.
Scouting the Rangers:
Francesco Pinelli (Los Angeles Kings) scored Kitchener’s lone goal in their loss Saturday to the Flint Firebirds which extended his lead in points on the Rangers roster. Pinelli is up to 72 points (33G 39A) in 45 games this season. He ranks eighth amongst all OHL skaters this season. Pinelli has six points (3G 3A) in his last two games.
Montréal Canadiens first round pick, Filip Mešár, is averaging a point per game over his last three with one goal and two assists. Mešár picked up the primary assist on Francesco Pinelli’s goal giving him points in three-straight games.
Washington, Mich. native Hunter Brzustewicz ranks sixth among all OHL defenceman with 45 points (5G, 40A) in 52 games with Kitchener. His 40 assists are tied the third most of any OHL blueliner with Christian Kyrou of the Sarnia Sting.
Marco Costantini holds the OHL’s eighth-best save percentage (.891) and the 10th-best goals against average (3.45) in 35 games this campaign.
Francesco Arcuri (Dallas Stars), Tomáš Hamara (Ottawa Senators), Filip Mešár (Montréal Canadiens), Francesco Pinelli (Los Angeles Kings), Roman Schmidt (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Danny Zhilkin are six Kitchener skaters that are both drafted, and signed, by their NHL clubs respectively.
Scouting the Bulldogs:
Nick Lardis leads the Bulldogs in points this season with 50 points (29G 21A) in 54 games. Lardis leads the team in goals with 29 with the next closest teammate, Sahil Panwar, at 21. Lardis also has points in four-straight with four goals and three helpers. He had his 10-game point streak come to an end the last time these two teams met.
Sahil Panwar who trails on Nick Lardis for the points lead also has points in three-straight games. Panwar has four goals and one assist on this current streak.
Jorian Donovan (Ottawa Senators) leads the Hamilton blueline with 43 points (11G 32A) in 51 games. Donovan’s assists lead the team with 32. He also ranks in the top ten in assists by defencemen in the OHL this year.
In net, Matteo Drobas has played the majority of games for the Bulldogs. Drobac has a 3.60 GAA and a .887 SAV% in 35 games this season.
Jorian Donovan (Ottawa Senators) and Artem Grushnikov (Dallas Stars) are the two Hamilton skaters that are drafted by their NHL clubs respectively.
Broadcast Coverage:
Monday afternoon’s contest 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 Pack on channel 466 for cable subscribers.
The game will be streamed live online in a web browser at OHLLive.com, and on the CHL App for mobile devices including smart TV’s such as including Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire.
Additionally, fans can listen to the game on the radio on CityNews 570 AM CKGL. Mike Farwell (play-by-play) and Chris Pope (colour commentary) will call the game on the radio. Fans can tune in to the radio pregame show 30 minutes prior to puck drop. For more information on Kitchener Rangers broadcast coverage, click here.
Next up:
The Rangers are back for Friday night hockey at The Aud as they play host to the Owen Sound Attack. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. Great seats are still available here.
Photo Credit: Tiffany Luke / Kitchener Rangers
For inquiries, contact:
Dominic Hennig
Senior Director, Broadcasting, Communications & Hockey Operations
Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club
519-497-9342
[email protected]
