Rangers Report

Saginaw 5, Kitchener 2

Gotta say it's pretty surreal to be going from the Olympic Stadium in Sochi to the Dow Event Center in Saginaw in a span of two days.

But alas, 'tis the life of a reporter.

Don't get me wrong. I'm loving every minute of it. I may just be a bit aloof (more than usual) in the weekend stint that sees the Rangers hit Saginaw tonight and the Soo tomorrow, as I'm still on Russian time.

But sleep is overrated anyway.

So on to the game.

No Justin Bailey, Nick Magyar or Max Iafrate for this one. Rookie Mark Bzowey (Oakville Blades, OJHL) gets another call up to show his stuff.

Kitchener is 3-0 against the Spirit this year and has outscored its foes 14-6 in that trio of games.

But Saginaw is riding a two game winning steak while the Rangers have lost three straight.

With that in mind, here's how the Rangers line up:

Brandon Robinson-Curtis Meighan-Scott Teskey
Brent Pedersen-Ryan MacInnis-Mason Kohn
Darby Llewellyn-Matia Marcantuoni-Dominik Kubalik
Mark Bzowey-Jimmy Soper-Mike Davies

Ben Fanelli-Frank Hora
Doug Blaisdell-Dylan Di Perna
Dmitrii Sergeev-Logan Schmidt

Matt Greenfield (9-17-0-1) starts.

Saginaw:

Eric Locke-Mitch Stephens-Cody Payne
Blake Clarke-Mike Holmes-Jeremiah Addison
Nick  Moutrey-Justin Kea-Dylan Sadowy
Luke Cairns-Andrey Alexeev-Jimmy Lodge

Jacob Ringuette-Justin Sefton
Brandon Prophet-Jesse Graham
Sean Callaghan-Ryan Orban

Jake Paterson (21-16-2-0) starts.

Game summary

Puck points:

- No Justin Bailey (upper body) who is in Buffalo getting looked at by the Sabres' doctors. Nick Magyar also sits this one out with the flu and is being tested for mono while Max Iafrate (upper body) also remains on the sidelines.

- Plymouth picks up a point for a SO loss and now has eight points on the Rangers for the last playoff spot. Magic number - Rangers losses/Whalers wins - is now 3.5 for Plymouth to clinch.

- Saginaw's fourth goal appeared to be an own goal by the Rangers but credit went to Dylan Sadowy.

- A great game for Spirit goalie Jake Paterson, who made 36 saves. He has been in the spotlight of late for his inconsistent play but was stellar tonight.

- Two tough goals against tonight - one 15 seconds in, the second with 1.5 to go in the second period.

- More than 5,000 at the Dow Center and they were loud. Most noise I've ever heard here and nice to see.

- Is it just me or should the Spirit be way better than their record (30-26-4-1)? With guys like Kea, Locke, Payne, Moutrey, Alexeev, Sadowy, Kontos and Lodge, they should higher than sixth and be better than four games over .500. Makes me wonder if they'll be a playoff sleeper.

- Put Brandon Robinson as one player to watch as a most improved candidate next year. He seems to be getting better each game after missing 20 with a shoulder injury.

JB's top three Rangers: Mason Kohn, Curtis Meighan, Logan Schmidt

Up hill battle

Things just got a bit more difficult for the Kitchener Rangers.

Last night's 4-2 to loss to the Plymouth Whalers pretty much means it's going to take a win-every-game/Whalers lose-every game scenario, or one kinda like it, for the Rangers to make the playoffs.

The double up on Tuesday put the Whale seven up with eight games to go. Plymouth needs a combo of five wins and/or Rangers' losses to make it 23 consecutive years to the post-season.

It's a tall order for Kitch, especially since the club has games left against Erie, London, Guelph (twice) and the Soo, among others.

The numbers aren't pretty. Chances of making the post-season for Kitchener are 0.9, while Plymouth's are 99.1 per cent according to this site.

Kitchener is likely out of the Jakob Chychrun sweepstakes too. The highly-touted defenceman is expected to go first overall in the OHL draft. Unless the prospect pulls an implied "I won't play in Sarnia," he'll probably be suiting up for the Sting next year.

But that's just fine. I'm a big proponent against the Tank Nation philosophy. Go out trying to win. And hey, it ain't over just yet, so let's see how it all shakes out.

The challenge continues Friday in Saginaw.

Ottawa 4, Kitchener 2

Seriously, what gives with the 67's?

Up year, down year, it doesn't matter, they own the Kitchener Rangers.

Consider the record in the past five years between the two clubs - the Rangers are 1-5-2-2 vs. the capital city crew.

Yesterday, it was a 4-2 doubling up. And like the Rangers, the 67's too are in a transition year. They're currently tied for second last in the east.

I guess when a team has your number, they have your number.

Onward the team goes. Nine games remain. The playoff gap remains five points on the Plymouth Whalers, who were idle Sunday.

The magic number is now seven - Rangers losses and/or Whalers wins - to miss the post-season.

Huge game on Tuesday. I guess they're all huge from here on out, but it's Plymouth in town.

A loss probably means playoff hopes are over, especially when you consider that Kitchener has a deadly four-pack coming up that sees the club play Erie, London and Guelph twice.

Good news? Frank Hora potted his first goal in the OHL. And winger Brandon Robinson also picked up a point after returning recently from a six week stint on the injury reserve. Darby Llewellyn's chase for 30 goals took a step forward when he bagged his 24th.

See you from the rink soon.

Owen Sound 3, Kitchener 1

It's never an easy win with those Attack.

Check out these stats - Owen Sound is 2-2 at the Aud. But those two losses were in OT and a shootout. That's one team who doesn't mind coming to the Rangers' barn, that's for sure.

Even last year, the Attack went 1-2 at the Aud, again picking up losses in OT and a shootout.

So let's just get right down to it. The magic number is now eight. That's Rangers losses and/or Plymouth wins. Hit that and there is no post-season dance.

Still a 10-pack of games to play though, so that's the bright side. And it's three very winnable games ahead in Ottawa on Sunday, Plymouth Tuesday and Saginaw Friday.

And how about defenceman Dmitii Sergeev? One point in his first 35 games, four in his past four games. Maybe the Olympics in his home country has inspired him?

Kitchener 4, Windsor 3

A great story out of Windsor for Jordan DeKort.

The Kitchener Rangers netminder was gutted on his initial return to the WFCU Centre after being dealt by the Spits to the Blueshirts.

Everyone wants to beat their old team.

And, in that early December clash, Kitchener sat tied 1-1 but gave up the winning goal 12 seconds away from overtime.

This time, DeKort got to leave his former home with a 4-3 win.  Dominik Kubalik (back from a charley horss injury) and Matia Marcantuoni scored the game tying and go-ahead goal to move the club three points back of Plymouth for the final west playoff slot.

Both teams have 11 games left. This one is coming down to the wire. Plymouth has Sarnia tonight (league's worst team) while the Rangers host Owen Sound.

Thursday's game also saw the return of forward Brandon Robinson who missed the past six weeks with a shoulder injury while Brent Pedersen was back after missing a game with the flu.

DeKort claims CHL honours

Kitchener Rangers goalie Jordan DeKort was named CHL goalie of the week.

DeKort went 1-0-1-0 with a shutout and a GAA of 0.97. He tossed in a save percentage of .964 in that span.

Funny what happens when you get great goaltending - you win games. And because of the hot crease, among other things, the Rangers remain in the hunt for a playoff spot.

The 18-year-old came over to Kitchener from Windsor earlier this season. His strong play of late has helped his overall number improve to 3.75 GAA and .885 save percentage.

Kitchener 6, Erie 3

And the points streak continues.

This time Kitchener's 6-3 double up of Erie was an honest two for downing one of the top teams in the league.

And that's without three of its top players in Justin Bailey, Dominik Kubalik and Brent Pedersen. A real character win for the lads.

Plymouth wast trounced 9-3 by the Guelph Storm so we're talking three points shy of the last playoff spot now for the Rangers.

Said it earlier, if they want to make the dance, they have to knock off a few top dogs. Monday's win keeps in step with that theory.

Give the Rangers nine points of a possible 10 in the past five games. A dozen games to go. Next up is Windsor on Thursday.

Plymouth 2, Kitchener 1 (OT)

These Rangers are turning into overtime kings.

Make it three trips to the extra frame in the past four games. Two of them went to a shootout. Last night, in Plymouth, the Whalers ended it in OT.

So the Whale gain a point on the Rangers in the playoff push and are now five up on the Blueshirts.

But one point is better than two.

Sounds like playoff-type games are already being showcased.

What's better is that the goaltending is really settling down. In the past five games, the Jordan DeKort-Matt Greenfield combo has allowed a maximum of three tallies in one match. That's a great sign.

It's a day off then a Family Day affair against the league's second best team in the Erie Otters. Puck drop is 2 p.m.

Saturday's summary.

Swiss timing just off

More ex-Rangers in the spotlight at the Sochi Games.

This time it's former blueliner Yannick Weber, whose Swiss squad almost upset Sweden before losing 1-0. (that's him in the photo being guarded by Gabe Landeskog).

Nonetheless, the loss was a big stepping stone for Switzerland, proving that it's program is headed in the right direction.

I had a chance to catch up with Weber, who talked about the game and the state of hockey in his homeland Friday.

Kitchener 5, Mississauga 0

It's turning out to be a nice little February for the Rangers.

A 5-0 win over Mississauga puts Kitchener at 4-2 this month.

Some interesting stats from the affair. A first OHL goal for Doug Blaisdell. A first career shutout for Jordan DeKort (though if I'm reading it right Missy had 13 shots for the entire game). Still, a nice feat.

And the entire squad finished on the right side of the plus-minus margin.

The gap to that playoff spot is getting smaller too. Make it four points after Plymouth managed to snag one point by taking Saginaw to the shootout.

The nice thing is that this is a game Kitchener should have won. And if they are going to make the post-season dance, they have to beat the teams on their level or lower as well as knock off a few of the big boys.

Some streaks also got extended - Mason Kohn points in five straight, Matia Marcantuoni eight points in last eight games and Justin Bailey nine points in past seven games.

Massive game tonight in Plymouth. Win this and we're in for a wild ride the rest of the way.

No love lost

Happy Valentine's Day to all the faithful blog readers.

Thought I'd show some love from Sochi by dipping back into the Rangers' beat while at the Olympics.

I'll be back soon bringing you all the Blueshirts news, but in the meantime here's a story - in keeping with the holiday theme - about Rangers' assistant coach Mike McKenzie and goalie coach Kain Tisi.

It was eight years ago today that the pair, then playing for the St. Mike's Buzzers, took part in a game straight out of the movie Slapshot.

Check out the totals from the third period in this one. Just insane.

Needless to say, it’s one of the most memorable games for McKenzie and Tisi from their minor hockey days.

Landeskog fulfills dream

Some more Rangers' related news from Sochi that I thought I'd pass along.

I had time to catch up with former captain Gabriel Landeskog with team Sweden earlier this week and he's obviously pretty pumped to be here.

He has dreamed of representing the Tre Kronor since seeing them win Olympic gold in Turin, Italy in 1996. In fact, after the victory, the 13-year-old clipped a photo from the local newspaper of the team celebrating the win.

He has kept the momento with him ever since. He brought it to Kitchener and now it's in Denver.

It was pretty funny doing the interview. I was one of two non-Swedish media there. The other was from the Detroit Free Press. The Swede's have six Red Wings on the squad - Daniel Alfredsson, Jonas Gustavsson, Jonathan Ericsson, Niklas Kronwall, Gustav Nyquist and Henrik Zetterberg.

Kitchener 3, Sudbury 2 (SO)

The Aud jinx continues for Franky Palazzese.

The former Kitchener Rangers goalie - now with Sudbury - hasn't won in Kitchener since being traded to the Wolves last year.

Though he came close Sunday. The Rangers hammered him for 47 shots plus the ones in the shootout in their 3-2 win.

A huge two points for Kitchener over one of the top teams in the east. 

Mason Kohn extended his point scoring streak to four games while Justin Bailey and Matia Marcantuoni kept up their hot hands.

Plymouth lost to London so the gap is back to five points for that playoff spot. Fifteen games to go for each club. It's shaping up to be a great finish.

Kitchener 2, Owen Sound 1 (SO)

Anyone got a harpoon?

Just as the Kitchener Rangers show some grit by grinding out a 2-1 shootout win over the Attack, in the Lumley nonetheless, Plymouth goes and beats a much higher rated North Bay squad 5-1.

It's starting to look bleak on the playoff front.

But here are a few good news items for Rangers' fans with vision.

First, that's back to back solid performances in net. And let's face it. Moving forward the team is going to need to get good goaltending on a consistent basis. A strong finish - which ever way it goes post-season wise - is key going into next season when the club is poised to take a big step forward.

Second, Mason Kohn is developping nicely. A lot of rookies hit the Christmas wall and fade down the stretch. Kohn has been getting better. He has five points in his last five games which might not sound like much but consider that he only has 14 all year and it's a good sign. I think a lot of people forget that, unlike other rookies on the team, he's just 16. Darby Llewellyn version 2.0 perhaps.

So let's see how it plays out.

Either way, the future looks bright.

On a side note, how tough is it to be in the west this year? Four teams have already clinched the playoffs. None have done it in the east. To quote Jim Morrison "the west ... is the best."

Oshawa 3, Kitchener 2

Sounds like a heartbreaker for the Rangers Friday night.

A tough one goal loss to a top team. A win no doubt would have been a big boost of confidence.

And what's this? Plymouth upsets the Soo 5-1? Not good.

Another point for Matia Marcantuoni, that's seven points in the past six games. Justin Bailey has a nice run going to - seven points in his past four games.

So let's peer at the standings. The Rangers are now seven back of Plymouth for the last playoff spot with 17 games to go.

Chances of the post-season dip to 9.7 per cent. But it's still a chance. The magic number for the Whalers to make the end of the year dance is now 14 - Plymouth wins and/or Rangers losses.

It's off to Owen Sound on Saturday.

Meanwhile, here's some Rangers' news from Sochi.

Brianne Jenner, whose dad Dave played net for the Blueshirts in the mid 1970s, is a forward with the women's hockey team. Yesterday, we chatted about her old man and the influence he's had on her.

Storm rages over Kitchener

The Guelph Storm simply own the Rangers this year. There is no other way to put it.

The disparity between the two clubs was on display Tuesday in Guelph’s 10-4 pasting.

The Rangers have yet to beat the Storm in six meetings this season. And the club hasn’t held Guelph to fewer than four goals a contest.

On the bright side, Justin Bailey kept up his hot hand. The Buffalo area winger potted his first OHL hat trick and now has six points in his past three games.

Matia Marcantuoni also extended his point scoring streak to five games by notching a goal.

The Rangers have two more tries to avoid the season sweep against Guelph.

An unlikely hero

Maybe there has been a shootout wizard hiding inside Curtis Meighan all along.

After all, the veteran role player scored on his first ever OHL shootout attempt to lift the Rangers to a 5-4 victory over the Niagara IceDogs Saturday in St. Catharines.

And it was an important win as Plymouth rallied in the third period to beat Belleville 4-3. That means the Rangers keep pace with the Whalers for the last playoff spot in the west. The club is currentl five back of U.S. squad.

The win also moves Kitchener into 9th in the conference ahead of the Sarnia Sting who appear to be doing a Tank Nation for the first overall pick after dressing just 13 players in last night's loss.

To catch Plymouth, the Rangers are going to need to upset a few top dogs in the coming weeks as their schedule isn't kind.

Kitchener 5, Niagara 4 (SO)

Another full slate of action in the OHL on this snowy Saturday.

The Rangers, fresh off a 6-4 loss to the Barrie Colts, head south to St. Catharines to take on the IceDogs in the last game for them ever at the Gatorade Gardens.

Next year, if all goes as planned, the Poochies will be playing in new arena.

The 'Dogs are losers of three straight while Kitchener has dropped its past two games. It'll be former Ranger Eric Ming's first contest against his ex-mates.

Kitchener:

Brent Pedersen-Ryan MacInnis-Nick Magyar
Mason Kohn-Curtis Meighan-Justin Bailey
Darby Llewellyn-Matia Marcantuoni-Dominik Kubalik
James Mense-Dietrich-Jimmy Soper-Scott Teskey

Ben Fanelli-Frank Hora
Doug Blaisdell-Max Iafrate
Logan Schmidt-Dmitrii Sergeev

Matt Greenfield (6-13-0-1) starts.

Niagara:

Mitch Fitzmorris-Carter Verhaeghe-Anthony DiFruscia
Hayden McCool-Graham Knott-Eric Ming
Matt Gillard-Ben Hughes-Cody Caron
Jake Gilmour-Johnny Corneil-Alexander Protapovich

Aleksander Mikulovich-Blake Siebenaler
Vince Dunn-Aaron Haydon
Zach Wilkie-Brian Brosnan

Blake Richard (3-4-0-1) starts.

Game summary

Puck points:

- Czech import Dominik Kubalik, who left last night's game with a lower body injury, is back in his natural spot on the third line alongside Matia Marcantuoni and Darby Llewellyn.

- Ex-Ranger Eric Ming had 19 goals before the game. Three different people - including Ming - predicted he'd get his 20th tonight.

- Think Kitchener is young? Niagara has five 16-year-olds on its roster, four dressed Saturday.

- Lots of Rangers' sweaters in the crowd at the Double G. Justin Bailey and Mike Davies have family in the area. Saw a few Blaisdell jerseys as well.

- Rangers' rookie James Mense-Dietrich saw some ice time on the Marcantuoni-Kubalik line in Kohn's place at times in the game. JMD picked up his first OHL point, assisting on Darby Llewellyn's 22nd of the season.

- Matia Marcantuoni has four points in his past three games.

- Matt Greenfield stopped six of seven shootout attempts and has one of the highest shootout save percentages in the OHL.

- Plymouth also won tonight, so Kitchener keeps pace with the Whalers and remains five points back of that elusive playoff spot.

- Kitchener rallied three times in the game to get it to a shootout.

- Curtis Meighan gets the eventual shootout winner on his first ever OHL attempt in the saw-off.

- Justin Bailey hit a post in OT after scoring the game-tying goal in the third.

- Niagara's Carter Verhaeghe's hat trick goal was a thing of beauty. Only saw two hats hit the ice though.

JB's top three Rangers: Curtis Meighan, Matt Greenfield, Ryan MacInnis