So it looks like the Kitchener Rangers will have a loaded lineup for the remaining 25 games.
Matt Puempel returns from injury tonight while John Gibson, Frank Corrado, Radek Faksa and Justin Bailey are all back from NHL camps and the top prospects game.
Captain Ryan Murphy's fate with the Carolina Hurricanes will be decided sometime today.
UPDATE: Murphy was told he was heading back to Kitchener Friday morning.
For a change, there will actually be competition for jobs in the lineup.
Faksa skated with Tobias Rieder and Josh Leivo at practice yesterday while Puempel played with Derek Schoenmakers and Matia Marcantuoni. We'll see if that holds up later tonight.
***
Kitchener:
Matt Puempel-Radek Faksa-Derek Schoenmakers
Tobias Rieder-Matia Marcantuoni-Josh Leivo
Ben Thomson-Domenic Alberga-Eric Ming
Brent Pedersen-Curtis Meighan-Justin Bailey
Ben Fanelli-Frank Corrado
Evan McEneny-Max Iafrate
Jared Gilbert-Owen Stewart
John Gibson (14-7-0-0) starts.
Brampton:
Nick Paul-Francis Menard-Barclay Goodrow
Blake Clarke-Jamie Lewis-Matt MacLeod
Brandon Robinson-Patrik Machac-Brendan Childerley
Connor Jarvis-Nicholas Foglia-Mike Amadio
Cameron Wind-Zach Bell
Dylan Blujus-Marcus McIvor
Brenden Miller-Mark Raycroft
Matej Machovsky (14-12-3-2) starts.
***
Puck points:
- Coach/GM Steve Spott hadn't heard from the Carolina Hurricanes re: Ryan Murphy as of late Friday afternoon. But the Raleigh News Observer has the Rangers' captain coming home.
UPDATE: Murphy lands in Canada at 10:15 p.m. and will rejoin club for games against Barrie and Sudbury this weekend.
- Darby Llewellyn is a healthy scratch while Josh Sterk is sitting one game out due to an academic issue. He will be back Saturday.
- The Rangers' young guns are getting it done for the club - Justin Bailey has five points in his past three games, Brent Pedersen has five goals in his past five games and Curtis Meighan has four points in his past three games.
- Derek Schoenmakers PP marker ends an 0-for-21 skid with the man advantage. The Rangers had the second worst PP unit in the league heading into the game.
- Rangers' goalie John Gibson made several big saves but two critical ones late in the third and in overtime to keep Kitchener tied. What a huge bonus it is for the Rangers to have him manning the crease.
- Last guy to score a PP goal for Kitchener (before Schoenmakers)? Nick Czinder.
- Expect a few players to get a rest for at least one game in the next two days (Gibson and Puempel). Speaking of Puempel, I thought he started to find his stride late in the game after missing 16 of the past 17 matches with a shoulder injury.
- Brampton's power play looked slick. But after they went up 2-1 the game ground to a halt as they went into trap mode and lined up three players at the blue line -- in the first period to boot.
JB's top three Rangers: John Gibson, Justin Bailey, Brent Pedersen