Game Preview: Greyhounds visit Kitchener for Rangers’ ’90’s Game’ Sunday
Kitchener, Ont. – For the second time in nine days, the Rangers will face-off against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, this time on home-ice in Kitchener. The Blueshirts won the previous contest last Friday 10-2 in Sault Ste. Marie, but now, the venue shifts to The Aud. Puck drop is set for 2 p.m. with a full capacity crowd of more than 7,000 fans expected. Very few seats remain available here.
Notable Links:
- Tickets: Buy Online | (519) 578-1570
- TV: Rogers TV, cable 20 (Kitchener)
- TV: Shaw TV, cable 10 (Sault Ste. Marie)
- TV: Super Sports Pack, cable 471 (Ontario)
- Video Stream: OHLLive.com | CHL App
- Radio: CityNews 570 AM CKGL (Kitchener)
- Radio: Rock 101.3 FM WSUE (Sault Ste. Marie)
- Live Stats
- Live Tweets
- Media Notes Packet
- Lines
- ‘East Avenue Blue’ Game Day Magazine
Promotions:
Sunday is the Rangers’ ’90’s Retro Night.’ It’s totally 90’s! Wear your best 90’s look as we honour our history from the decade. The game will include activations, music, and more from the decade. Two Rangers alumni, David Belitski (1993-97) and Todd Warriner (1992-94), will be in attendance and will participate in a ceremonial puck drop.
Rangers visit Zehrs Markets Saturday:
All of the Kitchener Rangers visited three Zehrs Markets this Saturday to give back to the community. Rangers’ players bagged groceries, handed out shopping carts and loaded cars at the Zehrs Beechwood, Laurentian, and Stanley Park locations. See photo gallery here.
Head-to-Head:
Kitchener is 2-1-0-0 against Sault Ste. Marie this season and are outscoring the Greyhounds 23-7 in three games.
The last game played on home-ice at The Aud was on Dec. 16, where the Rangers posted a 9-0 victory against the Greyhounds (Highlights). Kitchener is 3-5-1-0 over the past five seasons on home-ice against Sault Ste. Marie. Overall, Kitchener is 6-13-1-0 over the past five seasons vs. the Greyhounds.
The last time these two teams met was last Friday, Dec. 17, where Kitchener recorded a 10-2 road victory in Sault Ste. Marie (Highlights).
Kitchener has a four-point cushion over Sault Ste. Marie for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference Standings, but the Rangers have played two less games.
Kitchener has not won in three-straight games but earned a point in an overtime loss to the Owen Sound Attack on Friday night. The Blueshirts are 4-4-2-0 in their last 10 games.
Sault Ste. Marie lost their last game to the Guelph Storm Friday night by a score of 7-3. The Greyhounds are 3-5-2-0 in their last 10 games and are chasing the Rangers for the final playoff spot as they sit in the ninth seed with 48 points.
Scouting the Rangers:
Francesco Pinelli (Los Angeles Kings) leads the Rangers in points with 72 points (33G 39A) in 47 games. Hunter Brzustewicz leads the Rangers defence in points this season with 46 points (5G 41A) in 57 games.
Danny Zhilkin (Winnipeg Jets) snapped a five-game goalless drought and two-game pointless streak Friday night scoring Kitchener’s first goal of the game. Zhilkin is up to 44 points (22G 22A) in 48 games this season.
Francesco Arcuri (Dallas Stars) was the other goal scorer for Kitchener last night potting home his 38th goal of the season. That goal brought him to a tie for the third most goals scored in the league, and he also has the fourth most power-play goals with 14.
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 Greyhounds:
Bryce McConnell-Barker (New York Rangers) is the points leader for the Greyhounds this season. McConnell-Barker has 66 points (28G 38A) in 56 games. He has two goals in three games against Kitchener this year and ranks sixth in power-play goals this year with 12. McConnell-Barker also has points in three-straight games with one goal and three helpers.
Kirill Kudryavstev (Vancouver Canucks) is the Greyhounds top blueliner this season with 44 points (6G 38A) in 55 games. He ranks seventh in assists by a defenceman this season with 38.
Caeden Carlisle, Mark Duarte, and Brenden Sirizotti all currently own three-game active point streaks. Carlisle has earned two goals and two assists, Duarte has totaled two goals and two assists, and Sirizotti has notched one goal and three assists.
Samuel Ivanov has started in two games for the Greyhounds against the Rangers this season, going 1-1-0-0 and appeared in a relief effort the last time these club met on Feb. 17. Ivanov has started majority of the games for the Greyhounds this season, playing in 37 and posting a 10-14-5-3 record.
Kirill Kudryavtsev (Vancouver Canucks) and Bryce McConnell-Barker (New York Ranger) are the two Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds drafted by their NHL clubs respectively.
Broadcast Coverage:
Sunday afternoon’s contest will be televised live throughout Kitchener and the Waterloo Region on Rogers TV, cable channel 20. In addition, the contest can be watched across the province of Ontario on the Super Sports Pack on channel 471 for cable subscribers. Jason Hagholm (play-by-play), Isaac Carmichael (colour commentary) and Sean Furfaro (host) will call the game on television.
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 and can be a part of the broadcast with extended postgame shows as Farwell takes phone calls from Rangers Nation after all home games at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. Fans can call 519-570-2545 during the radio postgame shows to talk Rangers Hockey.
Next Up:
The Rangers head to Oshawa for mid-week Wednesday OHL action. Kitchener will face the Generals to open March on the first of the month at the Tribute Communities Centre with puck drop set for 7:05 p.m.
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]
