Rangers Report

Kitchener 3, Windsor 2 (SO)

Two new faces will make their season debut tonight for the Rangers.

Forward Ty Learn and goalie Jack Moylan got the call up from the Kitchener Dutchmen. Both will also join the team in Plymouth Saturday.

Learn is a seventh round pick from 2012. The 16-year-old has  seven goals and two assists in 26 games for the Dutchies so far this season.

Moylan appeared in four games for the Rangers last year going 1-1.

Tobias Rieder-Radek Faksa-Eric Ming
Ben Thomson-Matia Marcantuoni-Justin Bailey
Brent Pedersen-Domenic Alberga-Nick Czinder
Ty Learn-Curtis Meighan-Matt Schmalz

Ryan Murphy-Ben Fanelli
Evan McEneny-Jared Gilbert
Cory Genovese-Owen Stewart

Franky Palazzese (4-2-1-1) starts with Jack Moylan will back up.

Iafrate is out with the flu.

Goalie John Gibson suffered a hip flexor against London this past Tuesday and is day to day.

Matt Puempel (shoulder sprain) is progressing but the team is concerned since his shoulder is a big part of his shot -- he leads the team with 21 goals. There is no timeline for his return.

Windsor:

Kerby Rychel-Brady Vail-Zach Lorentz
Chris Marchese-Jordan Maletta-Josh Ho-Sang
Ben Johnson-Sam Studnicka-Emerson Clark
John Bowen-Ryan Verbeek-Ty Bilcke

Saverio Posa-Nick Ebert
Pat Sieloff-Trevor Murphy
Jordan McNaughton-Adam Bateman

Jaroslav Pavelka (10-8-1-2) starts.

Game summary

***

Puck points:

- Credit the Windsor Spitfires, who escaped with a point after arriving at the Aud about an hour before game time due to the weather.

- Tobias Rieder is out indefinitely with a foot injury. He left the game in the second period after blocking a shot. He'll get an X-ray tomorrow and the team will know more then.

- Forward Keli Grant got the call up and will join the team in Plymouth Saturday. Grant had two goals and two assists in 20 games for the Rangers last year and leads the Jr. B Dutchmen in scoring with 24 goals and 13 assists this season.

- Zach Lorentz, who was a shootout stud for the Rangers last year, scored on Rangers goalie Franky Palazzese in tonight's shootout.

- Shortening the bench has its advantages, but in a game that went this long, I thought it might have been worthwhile to send some fresh legs out late in the third. The lads who were being used looked completely gassed.

- How about that Jared Gilbert? First game after missing seven with a concussion and he picks up two assists.

- Palazzese stopped Brady Vail on a penalty shot. Money save.

- Two things commented on in the pressbox by out of town media. 1) That Justin Bailey is going to be a good one. 2) What's going on with Brent Pedersen?

- Windsor up 6-3 on PP opportunities. Not often that you see the Rangers give up that many PPs. Credit the penalty killers tonight.

- Why is it that Kitchener's young players are the ones who seem to keep stepping up? Radical thought of the day -- is it worth trading top talent to build for the future?

JB's top three Rangers: Jared Gilbert, Justin Bailey, Nick Czinder

Lorentz returns, hit goes unpunished

Zach Lorentz was shocked to be traded from Peterborough to Windsor last week. Even more shocked to get shipped out of Kitchener in the first place this past summer.

Now, the ex-winger makes his return to the Aud. And it's a day he's been looking forward to since he left.

You'll remember Lorentz as the winger who played alongside Radek Faksa and Eric Ming last year. He was also the team's shootout specialist who had a knack for burning the London Knights.

Tonight, he represents the Spitfires, who are looking to snap a two-game winless streak at the Aud.

That's Zach, at 10 years old, in the photo.

As for that suspension the Rangers were waiting for? You know, the one to Erie's Johnny McGuire for sending rookie winger Darby Llewellyn to the doctor with a concussion? Not going to happen, says the league.

And that news didn't sit well with the Rangers or Llewellyn's agent.

Injuries mounting

Kitchener Rangers sniper Matt Puempel will not play this weekend as the team's leading scorer remains out with a shoulder injury.

Puempel jammed his shoulder Tuesday against the London Knights and the injury has been called a Grade 1 shoulder sprain. It doesn't appear to be long term.

Centre Josh Sterk and forward Darby Llewellyn are also sidelined with concussions.

Speaking of Llewellyn, the OHL has not issued a suspension on the hit that put him out. The rookie was rocked by Erie's Johnny McGuire last weekend. McGuire was upended by Ryan Murphy on a clean hip check and took out his frustrations on Llewellyn by delivering a stick to the head, according to the freshman.

The OHL saw it differently, or didn't get a clear picture as video evidence wasn't sufficient.

In the good news department, it looks like Rangers' defenceman Jared Gilbert (concussion) may be back for Friday's tilt.

DeBoer was a proven winner

Our series on the Rangers during their 50th anniversary continues.

This month's yarn looks at how the team changed under the guidance of GM/coach Peter DeBoer.

The numbers are impressive - seven seasons and never a losing record. Two Memorial Cup appearances. Two OHL titles.

He made big trades, acquired top U.S. talent and helped turn Kitchener into more of a destination spot in the OHL.

DeBoer was out of work and on the golf course when he got the call to come to Kitchener.

Puempel day to day

Bad news: Leading goal scorer Matt Puempel left Tuesday's game with a sore shoulder.

Good news: It doesn't appear to be serious.

Regardless, after last night's showing - a 3-1 loss to London - it's clear that the Knights are on another level than the Rangers.

And London will only lose two players to the world junior hockey tourney - defencemen Scott Harrington and Olli Maatta. Kitchener could lose five.

There is still time to make up ground. To do it, the Rangers will need a big second half from Radek Faksa, Tobias Rieder and Matia Marcantuoni as well as a few additions via the trade market.

London 3, Kitchener 1

Oh those Knights.

Last time they were here, they spoiled the Kitchener Rangers' nine game home unbeaten streak.

Now, they hit the Aud looking for their 12th straight victory.

No surprises in the Rangers' lineup. Josh Sterk, Jared Gilbert and Darby Llewellyn are all out with concussions. That means all hands on deck. No subs left.

Matt Puempel-Radek Faksa-Eric Ming
Ben Thomson-Matia Marcantuoni-Tobias Rieder
Brent Pedersen-Domenica Alberga-Justin Bailey
Matt Schmalz-Curtis Meighan-Nick Czinder

Ryan Murphy-Ben Fanelli
Evan McEneny-Max Iafrate
Cory Genovese-Owen Stewart

John Gibson (12-5) gets the start.

London:

Max Domi-Alex Broadhurst-Seth Griffith
Ryan Rupert-Bo Horvat-Brett Welychka
Tyler Ferry-Chris Tierney-Josh Anderson
Corey Pawley-Kyle Platzer-Remi Elie

Nikita-Zadorov-Olli Maatta
Scott Harrington-Tommy Hughes
Miles Liberati-Kevin Raine

Kevin Bailie (9-4-0-1) gets the call.

***

Game summary

***

Speaking of Llewellyn. Sounds like the OHL will be making a decision on the suspension to Erie's Johnny McGuire tomorrow. McGuire was tossed from Saturday's game for charging Llewellyn, who is now out with a head injury.

***

Puck points:

- OK, first up, Matt Puempel has a stinger in his shoulder. He is day to day. The team will know more tomorrow but it appears that he'll be fine. Huge relief for the Rangers.

- That being said, if his absence for two plus periods doesn't underscore the club's offensive deficiencies, I don't know what does. What if this injury was or turns out to be serious?

- GM/coach Steve Spott said when guys such as Puempel go down, others such as Justin Bailey, Brent Pedersen and Tobias Rieder need to step up.

- The feeling from this chair is that it'll take the addition of more than one scorer to get to the level the Knights are at. Media from London reiterated that the Hunters are likely to add pieces, big pieces, in the coming weeks. Do that and Kitchener, as it stands now, won't be getting out of the west.

- This is the year to win the west by the way. Do that, and you'll likely avoid the rest of the midwest division in the first round of the playoffs.

- Lots of criticism out there on Radek Faksa's lack of scoring. To his defence, it's tough to score when you're on a line with Puempel.

- London is loaded with assets heading into the trade deadline. A good problem to have.

- OA forward Nick Czinder can't catch a break. Sounds like he scored his first goal of the season tonight, but it was awarded to Domenic Alberga. Czinder's assist was his first point of the campaign.

- Kitchener's PP went 0-for-3. That certainly doesn't help when your offence is struggling.

- That Nikita Zadorov is a keeper on London's blue line. The kid is only 17.

JB's top three Rangers: Nick Czinder, Domenic Alberga, Evan McEneny

Schoenmakers weighing options

Kitchener native Derek Schoenmakers has yet to report to the Peterborough Petes after being traded north by Windsor last week.

He is currently weighing his options. He will either join the club, get traded or quit junior hockey and pursue his post-secondardy school studies.

Funny enough, the Rangers have an open OA slot. And both sides admitted to a mutual attraction earlier this season. Kitchener took a good look at Schoenmakers, while the winger has always wanted to play for the Rangers.

The timing may be off now. GM/coach Steve Spott said he wants to use his last OA spot for a veteran defenceman. But that doesn't mean there isn't room for Schoenmakers as an upgrade up front.

It will have to be a good deal for the Rangers, for a swap to be made. Think mid pick and one of their current OA forwards or lower level prospects. Otherwise, I can't see it happening.

As of now, the Petes and Rangers have not talked trade.

Big test ahead

Let's give the Kitchener Rangers some kudos.

The club took on Sarnia and Erie in two winnable games, after two straight losses nonetheless, and did what they had to do -- defeat the clubs they are supposed to beat.

Tuesday will be another test when the London Knights -- and they're 11-game unbeaten streak -- arrive at the Aud.

Want to go far in the post-season? Want to send a message to the league that you're still an elite club? Then the answer is easy -- take out the league's hottest team on home ice.

The teams have split the season series so far -- Kitchener won 2-1 in London, the Knights won 4-3 at the Aud.

Speaking of that London streak, it has Ryan Pyette over at the Free Press talking about another Memorial Cup run. He figures the Hunters will go all in and get the biggest fish at the trade deadline.

***

Defenceman Jared Gilbert (concussion) is improving, but will not play Tuesday vs. the Knights while rookie forward Darby Llewellyn and centre Josh Sterk remain out with concussions.

***

Andrew Crescenzi is picking up the pace with the San Francisco Bulls (ECHL). He now has one goal and three assists in eight games. Crescenzi is eligible to be an OA in Kitchener, though the Leafs (who own his rights) have repeatedly said they'd prefer to have him not return to junior.

***

Forward Keli Grant is almost averaging a goal per game with the Jr. B Kitchener Dutchmen. The Rangers' draft pick (3rd round 2009) has 24 goals in 25 games. He will get a look with the Rangers next month when Tobias Rieder, Radek Faksa and, possibly, Matt Puempel are away at world junior hockey championship camps and/or the tournament.

Llewellyn sidelined with a concussion

Keeping it short today.

Read all about the hit by Erie's Johnny McGuire on Kitchener's Darby Llewellyn in last night's game story.

McGuire has a reputation for playing rough and will likely get slapped with a 10-game suspension once the league reviews the play.

Kitchener GM/coach Steve Spott certainly thinks McGuire deserves to sit.

Five Rangers have suffered concussions this year.

Kitchener 4, Erie 2

No changes, save the goalie, for the Kitchener Rangers tonight vs. Erie.

Lines:

Matt Puempel-Radek Faksa-Eric Ming
Ben Thomson-Matia Marcantuoni-Tobias Rieder
Brent Pedersen-Domenic Alberga-Justin Bailey
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Nick Czinder

Ryan Murphy-Ben Fanelli
Evan McEneny-Max Iafrate
Cory Genovese-Owen Stewart

John Gibson (11-5) starts.

Erie:

Connor Crisp-Luke Cairns-Connor Brown
J.P. Labardo-Connor McDavid-Anthony Cortellessa
Travis Wood-Kyle Pettit-Johnny McGuire
Stephen Harper-Hayden Hodgson

Adam Pelech-Nathan Glass
Spencer Abraham-Jimmy McDowell
Artem Kuleshov-Troy Donnay
Justin Felker

Oscar Dansk (7-11-0-3) gets the start.

***

Game summary

***

The Erie Insurance Arena is the midst of a renovation.

Besides a brown garbage looking curtain blocking off the old entrance, things are looking up in Erie. Luxury boxes are being installed, the concession level is getting a remake and a fresh coat of paint has given the building some new life.

Heck, a rock band is even rehearsing to play during breaks in tonight's game. Solid.

Poor band though, the guys stop playing and no applause from the 50 or so folks here early. Just one guy booing. Classic.

***

Lots of Connor McDavid themed things here, and why not? I hear some prices at the concession end in .97, in honour of his No. 97. Media internet password also named after the kid.

***

Puck points:

- Rookie forward Darby Llewellyn was helped off the ice in the first period after being hit by Erie's Johnny McGuire. The winger did not return. McGuire was tossed from the game for charging. Llewellyn has a concussion and is out indefinitely.

- Matia Marcantuoni  scored a goal and played with a lot of spunk tonight. Coincidence that Pittsburgh player development coach Bill Guerin was in the house? Marcantuoni is a Penguins' fourth round draft pick.

- First goal in 11 games for Marcantuoni. He joins a bunch of Rangers breaking out of slumps. Friday Llewellyn broke a 10 game goalless skid as did Eric Ming (13 games). Of course, Josh Sterk adn Curtis Meighan both scored their first of the year, and in 21 games, Tuesday against London.

- Radek Faksa continued his hot streak by picking up two assists. He has eight points in his past four games.

JB's top three Rangers: Matt Puempel, Radek Faksa, Matia Marcantuoni

The great goalie debate

It's a good problem to have. Two great goaltenders, that is.

And Kitchener has a dandy pair in John Gibson and Franky Palazzese.

But it's becoming a bit of a broken record at the Aud -- two amazing goalies, not enough playing time.

Friday, fans got a glimpse of Palazzese at his best. The Mississauga native earned his fourth straight win and first shutout of his OHL career in a 5-0 pasting of the Sarnia Sting.

Palazzese was emotional after the game. Pumped for the win, eager for more. He'll see increased action over the next month while Gibson is away at the world junior championships, but then what?

The stance:

Palazzese: He wants to play every day in Kitchener. If that can't happen, he wants to do it on another team. It's his fourth year in the league and he feels it's an important one for the future of his career. He has not requested a trade, yet.

But he was dropping a few suggestive remarks during my post-game interview, hinting that, after Christmas, he doesn't want to sit anymore.

GM/coach Steve Spott: He doesn't want to trade Palazzese and said he will only move him if he gets a deal he can't refuse. He puts a lot of value on the position and sees Palazzese as the No. 1 goalie next year in Kitchener.

Point:

Trading Palazzese in a package would likely get Kitchener the front line scoring forward they covet or veteran defenceman and maybe both.

Ask around the league and scouts and officials will tell you -- the Rangers are behind Owen Sound and London in the west in terms of talent. The team needs more weapons up front to win the OHL crown.

Counterpoint:

Keeping Palazzese gives the Rangers the best 1-2 combo in the league. The lack of scoring can be made up by Tobias Rieder, Radek Faksa and Matia Marcantuoni, who should rebound after slower than usual starts. That, along with the steady defence, is enough for the Rangers to compete for the OHL title.

If not, acquiring the missing pieces can be done in other ways than dealing Palazzese.

Point:

Keeping Palazzese gives the club insurance in case John Gibson gets hurt or tires due to the heavy workload he's inherited this year.

Counterpoint:

There are no guarantees in hockey and Gibson may finish the year healthy. Many teams ride one goalie -- London last year only had Michael Houser -- and do just fine. Besides, there is nothing stopping the Rangers from acquiring another backup in a deal for Palazzese, or in a separate move, to spell Gibson when needed.

Point:

Keeping Palazzese gives the Rangers a bonafide starter next season, one who can mentor future goalie Jack Moylan and keeps the team competitive when Faksa, Rieder, Gibson, Puempel and Murphy move on.

Counterpoint:

Hanging on to two primo goalies this season is a waste of assets and Palazzese's stock will never be higher than it is now. There is plenty of time in the off-season to find another goalie for next year, in what looks to be a bit of a transitional season.

Kitchener 5, Sarnia 0

A few minor adjustments to Kitchener's lines heading into tonight's tilt with the Sarnia Sting.

Overage forward Nick Czinder is back in after being a healthy scratch. Here's how it looks:

Matt Puempel-Radek Faksa-Eric Ming
Ben Thomson-Matia Marcantuoni-Tobias Rieder
Brent Pedersen-Domenic Alberga-Justin Bailey
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Nick Czinder

Ben Fanelli-Ryan Murphy
Evan McEneny-Max Iafrate
Cory Genovese-Owen Stewart

Franky Palazzese (3-2-1-1) gets the start.

For Sarnia it's:

Alex Galchenyuk-Charles Sarault-Reid Boucher
Nikolay Goldobin-Dan Nikandrov-Nickolas Latta
Alex Carnevale-Brett Hargraves-Bryan Moore
Alex Renaud-Jordan Addesi-Mike DiPaolo

Connor Murphy-Alex Basso
Anthony DeAngelo-Craig Duininck
Josh Chapman-Jack Kuzmyk

Brodie Barrick starts.

***

Game summary

***

Ex-Rangers forward Zach Lorentz is on the move again.

The Waterloo native was traded to Windsor from Peterborough along with defenceman Trevor Murphy for overage forward, and Kitchener native, Derek Schoenmakers and blueliner Brandon Devlin.

The teams also swapped sixth round picks.

Lorentz went north in the off-season from Kitchener with picks for Matt Puempel.

***

The OHL slapped Ottawa forward Sean Monahan with a 10-game suspension for his check to the head of Plymouth captain Colin MacDonald.

The world junior hopeful might as well head to camp now, since the suspension will take him beyond Team Canada's Dec. 10 tryouts.

It's up to the OHL to decide if he can go to the tryouts or not, according to Team Canada coach Steve Spott

***

Assitant coach Mike McKenzie will be behind the bench tonight with assistant GM/associate coach Paul Fixter away on a scouting trip.

***

Forward Josh Sterk is out indefinitely with a concussion.

The injury occurred after he was clipped with a high stick against London last Sunday. He left that game and returned wearing a cage.

He was fine the next day at practice but started to feel symptoms of a concussion after a subsequent off-ice workout.

He is the fourth Rangers to suffer a concussion this season. The others include Nick Czinder, Justin Bailey and Jared Gilbert.

***

Puck points:

- Radek Faksa (fatigue) is back practising and working out daily after experiencing fluctuating energy levels for about 2-3 weeks.

- Jared Gilbert (concussion) has begun his return to play protocol.

- Blueliner Owen Stewart has nine games under his belt with the Rangers. That's into card definition territory, but, for those wondering, he's already on an OHL card.

- It was 1970s night at the Aud, would have been nice to have ushers in afro wigs, 70s tunes all night and few more alumni at centre ice (only two hit the faceoff circle).

- Funny what happens when the Rangers shoot the puck on the power play. Evan McEneny scores (seconds after it expired) after delivering a rocket from the point. Let's see more of this.

- Five zip Rangers, lots of goals, and a hush over the crowd. Out of towners keep asking why it's so quiet here.

- After two duds, a proper thrashing was just what the Rangers needed. Even better was the production from the support players - Darby Llewellyn, Evan McEneny and Eric Ming.

- I'd love to see shots per ice time stats for Llewellyn. Seems like he gets off a shot per shift.

- Radek Faksa is feeling better no doubt. The Czech has six points in his past three games.

- Two quiet assists from Ryan Murphy tonight. Gotta give him some props as he's been feeling the heat from fans of late.

- Justin Bailey is gaining confidence with the coaches and was rewarded for his play by getting some time on the penalty kill.

JB's top three Rangers: Franky Palazzese, Matt Puempel, Radek Faksa

Winnable weekend

The best remedy for a two-game losing skid is to go out and right the wrong. And it's certanly doable for the Kitchener Rangers this weekend.

First up is the Sarnia Sting, a team just one spot behind the fifth place Rangers in the western conference, but one that is 0-3-0-1 in its past four games.

Tomorrow it's off to the States for Black Friday weekend to take on the Erie Otters, who sit last in the west and are 3-6-0-1 in their past 10 games.

They do have a secret weapon in 15-year-old phenom Connor McDavid, who is adjusting well to the increased attention that comes with being one of three exceptional status players in the history of hte OHL.

Speaking of those Otters, the rumours that they're headed to Hamilton are popping up again, according to the Spec's Scott Radley.

Roster in flux

It's a bittersweet time of the year for the Kitchener Rangers.

On one hand, the club will be sending a healthy group of players to the world junior championships. And that's a good thing. On the other, it leaves some gaping holes in the lineup.

It's not just the hometown roster that is changing. GM/coach Steve Spott spoke at length yesterday about the juggling act going on with his Canadian national junior team. The on-going NHL labour dispute means Spott and Team Canada are floating three possible rosters.

Finalizing the team won't be the last hurdle. The Canadian side will have to deal with off-ice challenges in Ufa, Russia, such as 24-hours of darkness and of course, the pressure of winning gold for the first time since 2009.

What will the WJHC mean for the Rangers?

- Spott leaves Dec. 9 and will miss about a month.

- Tobias Rieder (Germany) and Radek Faksa (Czech Republic) leave Dec. 10 and will miss up to six games.

- John Gibson (USA) is still waiting to find out when he leaves, but could also miss six games.

- Ryan Murphy and Matt Puempel should get invited to the Canadian camp, beginning Dec. 10 and may miss six games.

- Several Kitchener Dutchmen will be called up to fill the void on the roster.

- Franky Palazzese will get the bulk of the work in net in Gibson's absence, backed by Jack Moylan.

- Spott will have time every day while he's gone to work on Rangers related business if needbe. The OHL has a trade freeze from Dec. 16-27. World junior players cannot be moved until after the tournament is over.

The good news? Kitchener plays last place Erie twice while the bulk of the stars are gone to the world junior tourney.

Rocker salutes Rangers

Neil Young was two songs into his setlist last night at the Aud when he broached the local hockey club.

"Go Rangers," the 67-year-old rocker told the crowd. "We're in your house."

It was a rare shout out from the Hall-of-Famer (rock hall, that is), who hasn't addressed the crowd often on this tour.

No reports yet of Young strolling by the dressing room. But he is an avid hockey fan and regularly attends San Jose Sharks games, when the NHL is in session. That barn is a stone's throw from his west coast ranch.

***

On the hockey stage, the Rangers are stuck in a mini rut as losers of two straight. Games against Sarnia and Erie this weekend should correct that.

Sophomore defenceman Jared Gilbert (concussion) has suffered a set back. He was beginning his return to play protocol but woke up with a headache today. He's still out indefinitely.

***

Get ready to see some new bodies in the lineup soon.

World junior hockey championship commitments mean coach/GM Steve Spott, forwards Radek Faksa and Tobias Rieder and goalie John Gibson will all be gone for the better part of a month. Gibson's timetable is still unknown but the others are leaving in early December and will miss six games.

Canada has yet to announce its camp roster but defenceman Ryan Murphy and forward Matt Puempel are both expected to be on it.

That's a lot of missing bodies.

The team will make a series of call ups, so be prepared to welcome back blueliner Jesse Young, goalie Jack Moylan and forwards Keli Grant and Ty Learn at the very least.

Assistant GM and associate coach Paul Fixter will run the forwards while assistant coach Troy Smith takes care of the defencemen in Spott's absence. Mike McKenzie will also be behind the bench and take over the blueliners when Smith is away coaching Ontario's Under-17 team for about a week around the holidays.

Home unbeaten streak ends

All good things come to an end.

And so it is with the Kitchener Rangers' unbeaten streak at the Aud which concluded with a 4-3 loss to the London Knights Sunday.

Nine games it lasted. A new one starts afresh Friday.

Lots of buzz around the East Avenue bunch as of late.

First, some good news for a Monday morning. A good source state-side said Rangers draft pick Ryan MacInnis (3rd round 2012) has yet decided if he's OHL or NCAA bound next season.

MacInnis, son of former Rangers defenceman Al, is currently playing for the U.S. national development Under-17 team.

There were indications that he was leaning toward the NCAA route, but I'm told the family is still deciding what's best for his future. The feeling is that the forward could be a future first round NHL draft pick and that the OHL is the best place to raise his stock.

As for the trade market? As mentioned earlier this week, two trends exist - 1) competition is fierce since a lot of teams are looking to make deals to improve their clubs and 2) the asking prices are sky high.

Kitchener continues to get calls with requests for goalie Franky Palazzese but the club is reluctant to deal the backup netminder since future puckstopper Jack Moylan needs more seasoning.

One thing is clear from talking to a number of scouts and hockey people this week. This is not the group that is going to take the Rangers to the promise land. We're more than a third of the way into the season and this is your Kitchener squad -- one that is great at defence, amazing in between the pipes, but can't score at a pace akin to other top teams in the league.

As one source said, when you have what many believe to be the best goalie in the CHL, you have to go for it now.

To improve, the club is going to have to move assets, young assets. And that's something it has been reluctant to do in the recent past.

It was pretty telling on the weekend when Radek Faksa was sidelined and the club had to promote Josh Sterk (just a sophomore) to top line centre duties. Obviously, help down the middle is the first priority. It was also interesting to note in that game, that both OAs remained on the fourth line. If you can't plug your OAs into holes when your stars are out, that's a concern.

Major change could be en route. One source pointed out that there is a chance that 4-5 kids may not be on this team by the post-season.

Let's keep in mind that the club will be without coach Steve Spott, Tobias Rieder, Radek Faksa and John Gibson, and possibly Ryan Murphy and Matt Puempel for six games in December because of the world junior hockey championships.

That's going to leave a huge hole.

London 4, Kitchener 3

There is no place like home, especially after a 4-0 drubbing on the road.

Kitchener returns to the comfy confines of the Aud -- and it's 9-0 home record -- after breaking its six game winning streak last night in Owen Sound.

But it doesn't get any easier. Rivals the London Knights are in town.

Rangers GM/coach Steve Spott touched on the trade market, Radek Faksa status and the search for secondary scoring last night. Right now, wheeling and dealing is tough to do since so many teams are still in the hunt, according to the skipper.

Free help would come in the return of OA forward Andrew Crescenzi, but he's starting to find his stride with the San Francisco Bulls of the ECHL. The big man picked up an assist last night. Besides, bringing back Cres - which is a long shot - would likely be one of a few moves needed to ignite the offence, which is second worst in the OHL.

Some more changes tonight.

Kitchener lines:

Matt Puempel-Radek Faksa-Tobias Rieder
Ben Thomson-Domenic Alberga-Matia Marcantuoni
Brent Pedersen-Josh Sterk-Justin Bailey
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Eric Ming

Ryan Murphy-Ben Fanelli
Max Iafrate-Evan McEneny
Cory Genovese-Owen Stewart

John Gibson looks to rebound after last night's loss and goes between the pipes.

London:

Max Domi-Alex Broadhurst-Seth Griffith
Matt Rupert-Bo Horvat-Josh Anderson
Tyler Ferry-Chris Tierney-Brett Welychka
Jacob Jammes-Kyle Platzer-Remi Elie

Scott Harrington-Tommy Hughes
Olli Maatta-Nikita Zadorov
Miles Liberati-Kevin Raine

Kevin Bailie gets the start.

***

Game summary

***

Anyone else take a peek at the midwest division standings? Four of the five teams have been or are currently rated in the CHL top ten this year.

Four points separates first from fourth. Kind of makes you feel as though the first team to pounce on the trade market is going to sail away from the pack.

***

Puck points:

- Fun fact - Kingston is 4-0 since ex-Rangers OA Ryan Hanes joined the lineup. Just sayin'.

- Centre Josh Sterk took a high stick to the face and left the first period but returned in the second wearing a cage. Sterk then added his first goal of the season.

- What's going on with the power play? Smoking hot to start the season -- remember when the team couldn't score at even strength? - and now frigid. 1-for15 in the past three games. And falling.

- Justin Bailey creeping up the OHL rookie scoring race. The Buffalo kid has nine points now after adding two assists tonight.

- Curtis Meighan also picked up his first goal of the season. He was all over the place and had three good chances. Funny enough, they came when he was filling in for the injured Sterk  in between Brent Pedersen and Justin Bailey. Time for a promotion?

- Radek Faksa was checked face first into the boards by London's Scott Harrington but returned to action. Matt Rupert took a high stick to the face, needed stitches and lost some teeth, but is OK.

- The home unbeaten streak is over. It lasted nine games. Pretty impressive.

JB's top three Rangers: Justin Bailey, Curtis Meighan, Brent Pedersen

Owen Sound 4, Kitchener 0

So nice, Evan McEneny did it twice. Well, sort of.

The Kitchener Rangers blueliner scored what appeared to be his first ever OHL goal only to find out that teammate Matt Puempel tipped in his shot.

But the defenceman made up for it later in Friday's 3-1 win over Erie by potting a goal a period later for his first in 64 games.

That's No. 2 on the right, being congratulated the first time around. Call it a dress rehearsal.

No rest for the Rangers. They're back at it tonight in Owen Sound. The Lumley is one of the toughest rinks to win in. I'd put it second in the league behind the barn in Niagara.

A win tonight puts the Rangers in a tie with the London Knights for first overall in the western conference. If they win and Barrie losses, they'll be first in the OHL. It took a while, but the familiar power house teams are right back at the top of the league.

Kitchener's lines for tonight:

Matt Puempel-Josh Sterk-Eric Ming
Ben Thomson-Matia Marcantuoni-Tobias Rieder
Justin Bailey-Domenic Alberga-Nick Czinder
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Matt Schmalz

Ryan Murphy-Ben Fanelli
Max Iafrate-Evan McEneny
Cory Genovese-Owen Stewart

John Gibson (11-3) goes in goal.

Owen Sound:

Gemel Smith-Dan Catenacci-Cam Brace
Jaden Lindo-Joe Blandisi-Zach Nastasiuk
Gilbert Gabor-Holden Cook-Kurtis Gabriel
Dan Zweep-Stefano Pezzetta-Devon Rymarchuk

Keevin Cutting-Jake Dotchin
Chris Bigras-Nathan Chiarlitti
Kurtis MacDermid-Brayden Rose

Jordan Binnington (11-3-1-2) starts.

***

Game summary

***

As for Faksa, he is operating at 70 per cent.

All of his bloodwork came back negative for the various conditions and the team says he is battling the flu. He's in a contagious stage still and low on energy.

"Trainers have told me that if we continue to push him hard we may go one step forward, two steps back," said Rangers' GM/coach Steve Spott. "He’s pretty ill right now. We want to make sure we’re doing the right thing."

That being said, he's expected to dress Sunday vs. London at the Aud.

Meanwhile, it's  good news for Jared Gilbert. The blueliner (concussion) is symptom free and ready to begin his return to play protocol. That means he may be able to return next weekend.

***

Puck points:

- Props to Owen Sound for the one-sided win, but they sure ride a fine line. They kept letting Kitchener back in the game by taking bad penalties. Luckily for them, the Rangers PP is brutal at the moment (0-for-8 tonight).

- John Gibson made a beautiful pass from his goal line to teammate Nick Czinder who was at Owen Sound's blue line to send the big man in on a breakaway. Why not? No one else was creating much offence.

- Speaking of Czinder, he was looking good in the opening minutes when he parked himself in front of Attack goalie Jordan Binnington. Would like to see more of that.

- Ryan Murphy misplayed a puck on the point on the PP and Owen Sound made him pay by scoring a shortie for 3-0 lead.

- Brent Pedersen was a healthy scratch. Part of the rotation of guys GM/coach Steve Spott would like to get going offensively.

- There are no video screens at the Lumley, so I didn't see a replay. But it looked like Owen Sound scored in the second period, but the refs blew the play dead.

- German national hockey team coaches were in attendance to watch Tobias Rieder in advance of the world junior hockey championships. Rieder looks to be headed to Europe Dec. 10. He'll join Spott, Radek Faksa, John Gibson and possibly Ryan Murphy and Matt Puempel. Scary to think of the hole that group will leave behind.

- If you're counting, Cory Genovese is up to three fights. And I believe he's won all three.

JB's top three Rangers: Ben Thomson, Cory Genovese, Matia Marcantuoni

Kitchener 3, Erie 1

Fifteen year old phenom Connor McDavid makes his way into town with his Erie Otters tonight to face the Kitchener Rangers.

The Otters (6-12-1-2), who won just 10 games all of last season, are still in last place in the west this time around, but are far from the farce they were last year.

And, as pointed out yesterday, the Rangers haven't really excelled against the OHL's weaker teams this season.

Radek Faksa (throat/fatigue) and Tobias Rieder (back) should be back in the lineup. Both were back at practice yesterday. Overage winger Nick Czinder could return as well. The big man has been out two weeks with a concussion but says he's feeling better.

Coach/GM Steve Spott could also be a game-time decision. The bench boss was in Victoria last night to catch the final game of the Subway Super Series. The Russians defeated the WHL all-stars 5-2.

***

Some returning faces rejoin the lineup for tonight's game against the Erie Otters.

Kitchener:

Matt Puempel-Radek Faksa-Eric Ming
Ben Thomson-Matia Marcantuoni-Tobias Rieder
Brent Pedersen-Josh Sterk-Justin Bailey
Domenic Alberga-Curtis Meighan-Nick Czinder

Ryan Murphy-Ben Fanelli
Max Iafrate-Evan McEneny
Cory Genovese-Owen Stewart

Franky Palazzese (2-2-1-1) goes in goal.

Erie:

J.P. Labardo-Connor McDavid-Connor Brown
Connor Crisp-Luke Cairns-Anthony Cortellessa
Travis Wood-Jake Evans-Hayden Hodgson
Justing Felker-Kyle Pettit-Johnny McGuire

Adam Pelech-Nathan Glass
Spencer Abraham-Jimmy McDowell
Artem Kuleshov-Troy Donnay

Oscar Dansk (6-10-0-2) was supposed to start, but he's been sick lately so it's Devin Williams (0-2-1-0) between the pipes.

***

Game summary

***

Overheard while standing outside the Erie Otters dressing room whiled waiting for an interview. One Otter asks another: "So where would you rather play, Kitchener or London."

***

Puck points:

- Glad to see Erie goalie Devin Williams get a star. The kid stopped 53 shots. Not bad, considering he was a last minute replacement for the ailing Oscar Dansk.

- Looks like Radek Faksa is just fine. He played with good energy and had three assists tonight. That time off has worked wonders.

- Franky Palazzese owes Ben Thomson a soda pop after he rescued the trickling puck from crossing the goal line behind the Rangers' netminder in the first period.

- Some wonky shot clocking going on tonight. Erie had 20 shots after two periods, scored a goal and didn't get credit for the shot. Otters folks were upset at the inconsistencies all night.

- A big smile on Evan McEneny's face after the game. And why not? First goal in three seasons and 64 games. Long overdue. Funny how he got to experience the milestone twice as he thought he potted the opening goal. Turns out it was tipped by Matt Puempel. Give him 17 on the year.

- Impressed with Connor McDavid. Remember he's only 15. Small guy but plays with strength. He blew by the Rangers' defence a few times.

- Nick Czinder delivered a memorable trio of hits late in the game. His first contest in two weeks since suffering a concussion.

- One of the best games I've seen Cory Genovese play this year as well. He made some nice stand up checks.

JB's top three Rangers: Evan McEneny, Radek Faksa, Tobias Rieder

Rankings respect

Back from a couple days off and feeling refreshed.

I have lots on my plate, so be sure and check back here as I'll be posting a variety of things throughout the day.

It's a bit of a grab bag back on the blog, so let's get started.

Three wins in three tries last week has earned the Rangers some respect with the CHL top ten folks. The club gets an honourable mention this week. Here's how it looks:

1. Halifax Mooseheads (17-2-0-1)
2. Portland Winterhawks (16-3-1-0)
3. Owen Sound Attack (14-3-1-2)
4. Kamloops Blazers (17-5-0-1)
5. Quebec Remparts (15-4-0-0)
6. Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (15-5-0-2)
7. Barrie Colts (14-5-0-1)
8. Baie-Comeau Drakkar (14-4-0-2)
9. Mississauga Steelheads (14-5-0-1)
10. Edmonton Oil Kings (13-5-1-2)

HM: Calgary Hitmen (13-5-1-2), Kitchener Rangers (13-5-1-1), Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (13-6-0-1)

Of note, Kitchener has defeated Mississauga and Owen Sound twice. The team has yet to play Barrie in regular season action.

***

On the Andrew Crescenzi watch, it was another pointless affair for the big man and possible Kitchener overager. Crescenzi's new club the San Francisco Bulls was pummelled 8-1 by the Ontario Reign in ECHL action. In two games with the Bulls, the centre has no points, is minus-2 and has five shots.

***

How about the fan support in North Bay?

Battalion lovers have already purchased more than 2,000 season tickets -- for the next three years -- in just more than a week since the drive kicked off.

The mark was part of the deal in getting Brampton north.

***

The Toronto Blue Jays blockbuster trade got me thinking of big deals in Rangersland.

One of the biggest, in recent years, was back in 2008 when Kitchener pulled off a three-way swap.

Kitchener received goalie Steve Mason from the London Knights for Phil Varone, Steve Tarasuk and four draft picks - two second rounders, a third and a fourth round selection.

The deal also saw the Rangers send goalie Mavric Parks and a fifth round pick to Kingston for defenceman Ben Shutron while London picked up goalie Jason Guy from the Fronts.

Of course, Kitchener forward Nazem Kadri was also shipped to London months later for two second round picks and a third round selection to complete the deal.

***

Don't look now but Saginaw Spirit forward Vince Trocheck is tied for second in OHL scoring with 35 points. Saginaw is undefeated in three games but is still two points away from missing the playoffs in the west. How good would Trocheck look down the middle in a Rangers' uni?

***

Injury update on various Rangers -- Tobias Rieder (back), Nick Czinder (concussion) and Radek Faksa (throat, fatigue) are day-to-day.

Blood work tests for mono and tonsillitis came back negative for Faksa.

Czinder has been cleared to return to practice after missing the past four and a half games. The OA forward was hit by former teammate Ty Bilcke of the Windsor Spitfires. Video of the hit is below.

 

***

Today is the OHL's overage protected list deadline. Teams can protect up to four 20-year-olds. Kitchener's foursome are -- Domenic Alberga, Nick Czinder, Andrew Crescenzi and Jeff Braithwaite.

***

The Rangers have no problem defeating the OHL's elite. It's the poor teams that give them issues. Five of the team's seven losses are against the league's lower squads -- Windsor (8th in west), Saginaw (7th in west), Soo (9th in west), Kingston (7th in east) and Ottawa (9th east).

Look out, Erie (last in west) is in town Friday.

***

Eric Ming (flu) and Ryan Murphy (rest) missing from practice today. Rieder, Faksa and Czinder on the ice.