Game Day Video Preview: Rangers look to wrap-up series tonight in front of sold out Aud
Kitchener, Ont. – More than 7,400 tickets have been sold for Thursday night’s Game Four. It will be one of the largest home crowds ever in Kitchener since The Aud opened in 1951, more than 70 years ago. The eighth-seed Blueshirts have the chance to make history by ending the first-seed Windsor Spitfires season Thursday night. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. at The Aud. Tim Hortons is the proud sponsor of the Kitchener Rangers’ first-round playoff series.
Notable Links:
- Tickets: Buy Online | (519) 578-1570
- TV: Rogers TV, cable 20 (Kitchener)
- TV: Cogeco TV, cable 11 (Windsor)
- TV: Super Sports Pack, cable 467 (Ontario)
- Video Stream: OHLLive.com | CHL App
- Radio: CityNews 570 AM CKGL
- Live Stats
- Live Tweets
- Game Video Preview
- Media Notes Packet
- Lines
- ‘East Avenue Blue’ Game Day Magazine
Kitchener Rangers Playoff Tickets:
Rangers’ playoff tickets are sold online here. Fans can also call either (519) 578-1570 or (800) 265-8977 or can purchase tickets in person at the Activa Box Office at The Aud (400 East Ave. Kitchener, ON N2H 1Z6) or at Centre In The Square (101 Queen St. N. Kitchener, ON N2H 6P7).
Head-to-Head:
The eighth-seed Rangers have a 3-0 series lead over the first-seed Windsor Spitfires heading into Thursday night’s game four. A victory tonight for the Rangers would mean the end to the season for the Spitfires and a second-round birth for Kitchener. Only four teams have upset a one-seed in OHL history. Most recently in 2005, Toronto upset Mississauga 4-1, then three years earlier in 2001-02, Rangers Assistant Coach Dennis Wideman, and London, took out Plymouth 4-2. Niagara Falls defeated London 4-2 in 1990 and North Bay topped the Blueshirts in 1989.
However, a Windsor victory would mean a game five in Windsor Saturday, with a potential game six in Kitchener this Sunday.
Of note, since the OHL Trade Deadline on Jan. 10, the Rangers racked-up the second-most points in the OHL (40), just four fewer than the Spitfires. Additionally, the Rangers’ record after making a coaching change on Feb. 10, was 12-5-4-0. Kitchener finished the season with an impressive 9-3-2-0 record in their last 14 games.
In the past five regular seasons, Kitchener holds an 11-10-3-0 record overall over Windsor. The Rangers are 6-5-1-0 on home-ice at The Aud and are 5-5-2-0 on the road at the WFCU Centre. Kitchener finished this year with a 0-3-1-0 record against Windsor and were 0-2-0-0 at home.
Scouting the Rangers:
Rangers captain Francesco Pinelli (Los Angeles Kings) leads the series with five points (2G, 3A) and a plus-6 rating in two games. However, Pinelli received a three-game suspension for his blindsiding penalty Tuesday. The Rangers will be without their captain until his three games are served.
Both Mitchell Martin and Carson Rehkopf have four points, including one goal and three assists through the three games so far.
Kitchener is arguably one of the most talented eighth seeds to enter the OHL Playoffs in recent memory. The Rangers have six NHL players on their roster that are both drafted and signed already by their respective NHL clubs.
The Rangers are led up front by Francesco Arcuri (Dallas Stars). Arcuri finished the OHL Regular Season just two goals shy of becoming a 50-goal scorer, a special feat in the OHL. He finished with the 10th-most points in the league with 91 points (48G, 43A) in 71 games. Pinelli finished with the 12th-most points with 90 points (41G, 49A) in 60 games played.
On defence, Michigan-native Hunter Brzustewicz finished with the eighth-most points among all defenceman in his first campaign in the OHL. Brzustewicz, who is a top prospect eligible for the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft, racked up 57 points (6G, 51A) in 68 games this year.
In net, Marco Costantini has played in all three Rangers’ playoff games this postseason, earning a the fourth-best goals against average (.943) and the best save percentage (.943). Costanini is the defending OHL Playoffs Champion with veteran CHL Memorial Cup experience. He was the starting goaltender for the Bulldogs last season, earning four-straight best-of-seven series victories in the playoffs. Costantini was in net when Hamilton topped Windsor in the OHL Championship last season before going on to play in all five Memorial Cup games for Hamilton, including the championship game. This year, he finished with the ninth-best goals against average (3.23) and the sixth-best save percentage (.900).
Scouting the Spitfires:
Matthew Maggio (New York Islanders) finished as the leading point-getter in the OHL, recording 111 points (54G, 57A) in 66 games this season. Highly touted forward Shane Wright, who went fourth-overall in the most recent 2022 NHL Draft to the Seattle Kraken, averaged 1.85 points per game, recording 37 points (15G, 22A) in just 20 OHL games this season. Wright played in the NHL-maximum eight games this year with Seattle and played in five AHL games with the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
On the blue line, Rodwin Dionicio leads the Spitfires, tallying 50 points (15G, 35A) in 50 games for the 12th-most by defenceman in the OHL this season.
Between-the-pipes, second-year goaltender Joey Costanzo holds the fifth-best goals against average (3.03) and the fifth-best save percentage (.901). Costanzo has started in both playoff games so far and was chased from the game Saturday night after giving up four goals by the second period. Waterloo-native Mathias Onuska, who played in 22 playoff games a season ago, has a 4.44 GAA and a .868 SAV% this campaign.
Broadcast Coverage:
All Rangers playoff games will be televised live throughout Kitchener and the Waterloo Region on Rogers TV, cable channel 20. In addition, the games can be watched across the province of Ontario on the Super Sports Pack, with Thursday’s game slated for channel 467 for cable subscribers. Jason Hagholm (play-by-play), Dan Polischuk (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 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.
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]
