Rangers Report

Kitchener 4, Ottawa 3

We're winding up here on the road trip.

Last stop, TD Place for a tilt against the Ottawa 67's. It's Kitchener's last chance to grab a point on this three-game ride.

Ottawa has yet to lose on home ice in regulation in 10 games this season. But the Rangers are catching a break in that they're rested and the 67's are on the tail end of three games in three days.

Earlier this season, Kitchener beat Ottawa 6-2 at the Aud. A bunch of Rangers had two-point games in that one - Mason Kohn, Doug Blaisdell, Gustaf Franzen, Brandon Robinson and Connor Bunnaman.

More line shuffling for today's game.

Kitchener:

Brent Pedersen-Ryan MacInnis-Justin Bailey
Adam Mascherin-Gustaf Franzen-Nick Magyar
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Brandon Robinson
Jacob Cascagnette-Connor Bunnaman/Mark Bzowey-Mike Davies

Max Iafrate-Liam Maaskant
Doug Blaisdell-Frank Hora
Adam Welsh-Logan Schmidt

Matt Greenfield (6-3-1-2) starts.

Ottawa:

Brendan Bell-Erik Bradford-Travis Konecny
Connor Graham-Dante Salituro-Jeremiah Addison
Tyler Hill-Sam Studnicka-Trent Malette
Travis Barron-Nathan Todd-Dylan McDonald

Jacob Middleton-Alex Lintuniemi
Evan de Haan-Taylor Davis
Nevin Guy-Troy Henley

Liam Herbst (10-3-1-1) starts.

Game summary

Puck points:

- A nice refurbished arena in Ottawa but it's still under construction. The media room is a hockey change room and has a kids' hockey team changing in it. I'm told the pressbox is condemned. So, I'm in the stands at a makeshift table. Still want to be a sports reporter?

- C Connor Bunnaman is a game-time decision. He's dealing with a facial injury (teeth). Update: He is in fact sitting out.

- No centre ice scoreboard at TD Place. Took me a while to notice but something didn't look right.

- Rangers forward Brandon Robinson played his most physical game in a while. He's so much more effective when he asserts his size. He rocked Ottawa's Erik Bradford in to the boards in the first, forcing the winger to seek help from the trainer.

- Kitchener looked sharp and got a couple scoring chances while killing a double minor high sticking call on Curtis Meighan in the first.

- Matt Greenfield has a knack for big wins. He was in net when Kitchener handed Erie its first loss on home ice earlier this month and picked up the W Sunday in Ottawa's first regulation loss ever in their "new" barn.

- Three slumping players got much needed goals today - Justin Bailey (first goal in six games), Darby Llewellyn (first in 10) and Robinson (first in seven).

- It really is embarrassing how unprepared the TD Place is to host OHL games. Complete chaos behind the scenes from the press box to the interview area and media room. Local media say the city ran out of money and simply stopped fixing up the arena. It looks like a contractor just walked out midway through the job.

- Meighan had a big fan club in the stands. The Ottawa native played an inspired game and had two beautiful scoring chances but just missed.

- Captain Liam Maaskant quietly put together a strong game going plus-3,

JB's top three Rangers: Darby Llewellyn, Doug Blaisdell, Brandon Robinson

Rangers lose third straight

The effort was there but not the result, or so says Rangers' head coach Troy Smith.

Kingston handled the Rangers with ease Friday at the K-Rock Centre, winning 5-0 on home ice.

Kitchener has now dropped its past three games and four out of the last five.

But there was no panic or sense of despair following the game. The club will move on and regroup and try to hand the Ottawa 67's their first regulation loss on home ice.

Kitchener has had success in playing spoiler. A couple of weeks ago, the boys knocked off Erie south of the border to give the Otters their first loss at the Erie Insurance Arena.

Today, it's a day off. And a much needed one at that. This road trip hasn't been kind to the Rangers, who have been outscored 7-1 in two games.

With the slide, the Rangers are now fourth in the OHL's western conference and one point out of sixth place.

Kingston 5, Kitchener 0

It wasn't the way the Kitchener Rangers wanted to kick off their three-game eastern road trip.

I'm speaking of course of last night's 3-1 loss in Peterborough.

Waterloo native Steve Lorentz was the hero with two goals in the come-from-behind victory. Hometown kids always boast bigger smiles in the post-game interviews when they play a part in helping their club beat the Rangers.

Now, it's on to Kingston for another tough game.

But there is good news.

Last season, the Rangers suffered a 7-0 romp to the Petes for their seventh loss in a row.

Captain Ben Fanelli had a players only meeting on the bus after the game and the Rangers went to Kingston, fell behind 4-1 in the first period but rallied to snag a point in a 6-5 shootout loss.

More importantly, the comeback sparked a turnaround that saw the Rangers win three of their next four games.

It looks like last night's line juggling wasn't an experiment.

Kitchener:

Brent Pedersen-Ryan MacInnis-Nick Magyar
Darby Llewellyn-Gustaf Franzen-Justin Bailey
Brandon Robinson-Curtis Meighan-Mike Davies
Mark Bzowey-Connor Bunnaman-Adam Mascherin

Max Iafrate-Liam Maaskant
Dmitrii Sergeev-Frank Hora
Thomas Welsh-Dylan Di Perna

Dawson Carty (6-2-1-2) starts.

Kingston:

Juho Lammikko-Ryan Kujawinski-Spencer Watson
Sam Schutt-Robert Polesello-Conor McGlynn
Lawson Crouse-Ryan Verbeek-Corey Pawley
Ted Nichol-Zack Dorval-Sam Field

Chad Duchesne-Roland McKeown
Jarkko Parikka-Evan McEneny
Jacob Graves-Reagan O'Grady

Lucas Peressini (9-5-1-2) starts.

Game summary

Puck points:

- D Doug Blaisdell is eating soup. He had two root canals, stitches and two trips to a dentist after taking a puck in the mouth last night in Peterborough. I'm told he wants to play tonight but with two extra d-men on the trip and all the work done on his chops, I'm guessing he sits.

- The Rangers were supposed to practise at 11 a.m. in Kingston this morning but asked to have it pushed up because the players wanted to hit the ice early. That's a good sign heading into tonight's tilt.

- The last player off the ice at the morning skate - aside from the rookies who have to remain behind to clean up the pucks - was winger Justin Bailey.

- Dmitrii Sergeev did not make Russia's preliminary roster for the World Jr. tourney. It was a bit of a long shot but his solid season had his name in contention. It's good news for the Rangers as they won't miss him for any games over Xmas.

- Nick Magyar is reunited with his linemates from last season. Let's see if it gets him going. He doesn't have any points since returning from an upper body injury.

- Davies gets a promotion and it's warranted. The team preaches that hard work will get you rewards, so it's nice to see them follow through. Davies' pass to a streaking Curtis Meighan gave Kitchener its best scoring opportunity Friday.

- The power play is now 0-for its last-26. When it was sizzling, puck movement was prevalent. Now it apppears disjointed with guys trying to do too much on their own. That happens when you are struggling.

- When quality shots do get through and a rebound does plop in front of the opponent's net there aren't any Rangers crashing the crease for the puck.

- After falling behind 2-0, the Rangers came out and owned the first half of the second. But the pressure subsided and the Fronts scored three goals.

- Kingston scored in bunches. Two first period goals in 56 seconds, two second period tallies in 52 seconds.

- The Fronts got way too many easy scoring chances tonight. Paths to the net were clear.

- Kingston leading scorer Spencer Watson had to be helped off the ice in the third period and did not return.

JB's top three Rangers: Gustaf Franzen, Liam Maaskant, Dylan Di Perna

Peterborough 3, Kitchener 1

Wagons east.

Tonight in Peterborough, tomorrow in Kingston and Sunday in Ottawa.

It's three very winnable games for the Kitchener Rangers. The Petes sit eighth in the east, Kingston sixth and Ottawa - the biggest challenge - is fourth.

But the Rangers' offence (two goals in the past two games) will need to step up if they want to win all three.

Defenceman Max Iafrate is 50-50 for tonight's tilt. He has been out about a week with a back injury.

Be warned if you're making the trip to the nation's capital. I'm told parking at TD Place is $23.

Friday's game marks the first time coach Paul McFarland faces his former club as the main man behind the bench.

The Fronts have been struggling of late but the coach - who was on Kitchener's Memorial Cup winning squad in 2003 - says his club is better than their record indicates.

McFarland is the youngest coach in Fronts history and says he learned a lot during his two years in Kitchener.

Kitchener:

Brandon Robinson-Ryan MacInnis-Justin Bailey
Adam Mascherin-Gustaf Franzen-Nick Magyar
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Brent Pedersen
Jacob Cascagnette-Connor Bunnaman-Mike Davies

Doug Blaisdell-Max Iafrate
Dmitrii Sergeev-Frank Hora
Thomas Welsh-Liam Maaskant
Logan Schmidt

Dawson Carty (6-1-1-2) starts.

Peterborough:

Nick Ritchie-Hunter Garlent-Eric Cornel
Steven Lorentz-Michael Clarke-Stephen Nosad
Josh Maguire-Anthony Stefano-Jonathan Ang
Matt McCartney-Josh Coyle-Adam Timleck

Dominik Masin-Matt Spencer
Connor Boland-Artem Vladimirov
Cameron Lizotte-Steven Varga

Matt Mancina (5-4-0-0) starts.

Game summary

Puck points:

- The Rangers fell out of the CHL top ten rankings after being in the honourable mention portion for two consecutive weeks.

- Seven defencemen dressed for warmup for Rangers. Iafrate (back) a game-time decision.

- F Mark Bzowey is on the trip, Kitchener just carrying an extra body for the road trip. Cascagnette up from the Jr. B Dutchmen.

- A nice season for Peterborough sophomore F Steve Lorentz, of Waterloo, who, heading into Thursday's game,  was tied for fourth in scoring with 15 points in 21 games for the Petes. He then went on to pot two goals, including the game winner.

- Troy Smith was juggling the lines trying Adam Mascherin and Darby Llewellyn on the top unit in place of Brandon Robinson in an attempt to get the stagnant offence going.

- The Rangers PP is now 0-for its last -23. It was operating at a 30 per cent clip before that.

- The line on Kitchener's past four games isn't pretty. A loss to the east's worst team in Sudbury, barely winning 2-1 against Windsor (the west's worst team), blanked three zip in Guelph and now this.

- Not sure the combo of Curtis Meighan, Nick Magyar and Adam Mascherin is the best PP threesome right now. All three are struggling to score. Why not chuck Mike Davies out there? He seems to have a nose for the net.

- D Doug Blaisdell left the game in the third period after taking a puck in the face. He left a trail of blood to the bench and his status remains unknown for Friday and Sunday.

- Don't blame goalie Dawson Carty. He's not getting much help on offence and is keeping a tidy GAA through this mini losing skid (2.43, fifth overall in the OHL).

- The lack of a PP is really hurting the Rangers. Those extra man goals are so valuable on the road. Score one tonight and it's a two-goal lead heading into the third and likely a different story.

- The intenstity, desperation at times even, that was so prevalent early on is missing with the Rangers of late.

- Top liners Justin Bailey and Ryan MacInnis are both minus-five in the past two games.

JB's top three Rangers: Dawson Carty, Mike Davies,

Weekend split

I think the photo kind of says it all for Sunday's 3-0 loss.

It was a bit of a scramble for the Kitchener Rangers, whose 16-game streak of notching at least one point, ended in Guelph.

The Rangers salvaged the weekend with a 2-1 win over the Windsor Spitfires on Friday night.

Sunday, the Rangers just couldn't get anything going due, in most part, to a string of penalties that plagued them all game long.

(Thanks to Tony Saxon at the Merc for the fine photo).

Three up:

1. Dawson Carty. Have the Rangers found Franky Palazzese version 2.0? Carty wanted a chance to play a lot and he's earning it. He faced just shy of four minutes of 5-on-3 hockey Sunday and did not allow a goal. And it wasn't one of those two-man advantages where no shots got off. The Storm were all over the Rangers but just couldn't slip one by Carty. This is shaping up to be the addition of the year in the OHL.

2. Penalty killing. It wasn't too long ago that we were talking about how poor the Rangers' PK was. Now, it's ranked 9th in the OHL. Guelph went 0-for-7 on the PP yesterday thanks to a much improved Rangers' special teams unit. Let's single out Curtis Meighan, Frank Hora, Darby Llewellyn and Brent Pedersen for their hard work while a man down.

3. Thomas Welsh. The team got its first look at the new D-man and you know what? He looked just fine. A year and a half out of the league and you wouldn't even know it. Welsh played the point on the PP, was on the ice when the team pulled the goalie in the final minute and a half and didn't make any glaring mistakes. He's good on the puck and quick to get it out of the zone, delivers crisp, accurate passes and doesn't panic. It's only one game but he could turn into a nice OA option for the Rangers next season if he keeps it up.

Three down:

1. Power play. It was 0-for-10 on the weekend. It's not panic time yet and this thing will fluctuate but the PP was sizzling and a good source of goals during the 16-game run. Bagging one yesterday would have completely changed the complexion of the game. Would be nice to see this element rebound on the upcoming three game road trip.

2. Darby Llewellyn. He isn't a liability by any means. He's a healthy plus-6, turning into a PK beast and the effort is there. But I think he'd be the first to say he isn't scoring as much as he'd like to. Just five goals for DB after putting up 25 last year. Granted, he's not seeing as much ice time or the PP minutes but he's too good to not be lighting the lamp with regularity. The Aud just isn't the same without his passionate goal celebrations. The good news is that one senses it's just a matter of time before things turn around for him.

3. Max Iafrate. I think the past two games show how dearly the club misses the OA minutes-eater. The 20-year-old is out with a back injury and it would be a big boon to get him back in the lineup for the eastern trip beginning Thursday.

Guelph 3, Kitchener 0

Warmer weather and melting snow made for a smooth drive to the Sleeman Centre for this afternoon's tilt.

The Rangers have won both games against the Storm this season.

But this Gueph squad is coming off a 9-3 blowout against Plymouth on Friday night with newcomer Chris Marchese bAgging a one goal and two assists in his debut after coming over from Windsor in a trade.

Kitchener:

Brandon Robinson-Ryan MacInnis-Justin Bailey
Adam Mascherin-Gustaf Franzen-Nick Magyar
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Brent Pedersen
Mark Bzowey-Connor Bunnaman-Mike Davies

Dmitrii Sergeev-Liam Maaskant
Doug Blaisdell-Frank Hora
Thomas Welsh-Dylan Di Perna

Dawson Carty (6-0-1-2) starts.

Guelph:

Tyler Bertuzzi-Robby Fabbri-Chris Marchese
Pius Suter-Jason Dickinson-Matt Hotchkiss
Chadd Bauman-Marc Stevens-Adam Craievich
Luke Burghardt-Tyler Boston-Jesse Hilton

Ben Harpur-Phil Baltisberger
Zac Leslie-Garrett McFadden
Noah Carroll-Austin Hall

Justin Nichols (10-7-0-1) starts.

Game summary

Puck points:

- This afternoon's tilt was the Thomas Welsh's first OHL game since Feb. 22, 2013 vs Brampton. Welsh saw time on the team's first PP opportunity in the game.

- That's three straight games the Rangers have relinquished a 5-on-3 for one minute or more. In todays' game, they were two down for 3:33 and then for 26 seconds.

- Captain Liam Maaskant dropped the gloves with Guelph D Zac Leslie at the end of the first period. Maaskant leads the Rangers with four fights this season.

- Guelph centre Robby Fabbri ran circles around the Rangers and set up goals by Ben Harpur and Tyler Bertuzzi.

- According to the Merc's Tony Saxon, "Chris Marchese went to the hospital after taking a shot to the hand that almost completely ripped off the tip of a finger."

- Not only did the Storm beat the Rangers in the game, but the fans were way louder than any game I've heard this year at the Aud. #challengeissued

- Justin Nichols loves playing the Rangers. He shut them out virtually a year to the day (Nov. 24, 2013). He has four shutouts against the Rangers dating back to the beginning of last season.

- Guelph's top line simply outplayed Kitchener's top trio tonight. Storm's big three got in on all three goals while Kitchener's was on the ice for all three.

- Not much flow in this one as so many penalties were called.

- Kitchener's streak ends at 16 straight games with points. You knew it wasn't going to last all season. It sure made for a good month of October and November.

- For what it's worth, I thought Dawson Carty deserved a better fate. First regulation loss of the season for him. He made 24 saves and survived all that 5-on-3 action.

JB's top three Rangers: Curtis Meighan, Darby Llewellyn, Dawson Carty

Mr. Versatility

I remember sitting in the pressbox at the Aud a few years ago and I got talking about Brent Pedersen with a scout.

And he said to me: "Wait until he's 19. He's going to be a force."

We're starting to see that prediction ring true.

Pedersen is on pace for his best season and has been one of the team's most consistent players to date.

It was his goal that lifted the Rangers to a 2-1 win over Windsor last night. And as pointed out in the story, it doesn't seem to matter what line he's skating on.

Kitchener 2, Windsor 1

It's game day and it'll be an interesting lineup tonight at the Aud.

We should see the return of Nick Magyar and maybe the debut of Thomas Welsh while Max Iafrate (back) is out tonight and likely the rest of the weekend.

One player on a roll is Gustaf Franzen.

The Swedish import is becoming more and more comfortable with living in Canada, playing in the OHL and learning to answer to a new name - Goose.

Fans are catching on to the nickname as well and, as pointed out in the story, I wouldn't be surprised if we start hearing duck callers in the crowd after he scores.

As for Welsh, here's more on his arrival, with some comments from GM Murray Hiebert.

Kitchener:

Brandon Robinson-Ryan MacInnis-Justin Bailey
Adam Mascherin-Gustaf Franzen-Nick Magyar
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Brent Pedersen
Mark Bzowey-Connor Bunnaman-Mike Davies

Dmitrii Sergeev-Frank Hora
Doug Blaisdell-Dylan Di Perna
Logan Schmidt-Liam Maaskant

Dawson Carty (5-0-1-2) starts.

Windsor:

Hayden McCool-Logan Brown-Luke Kirwan
Ryan Foss-Slater Doggett-Markus Soberg
Ryan Moore-Jamie Lewis-Sam Povorozniouk
Cristiano DiGiacinto-Aaron Luchuk-Daniil Vertiy

Pat Sanvido-Andrew Burns
Trevor Murphy-Graeme Brown
Liam Murray-Logan Stanley

Brendan Johnston (1-2-1-0) starts.

Game summary

Puck points:

- New defenceman Thomas Welsh will wear No. 9 for the Rangers last worn by Tobias Rieder and Scott Teskey.

- I'm told the plan, when everyone is healthy, is to carry eight defencemen. At least one healthy scratch will have some company in the stands during road games.

- OK, I promise not to linger too long on the Goose thing with Gustaf Franzen but here's an idea - get duck callers made, Rangers on one side, Goose on the other, sell em to the crowd and get 7,000 fans honking when Franzen scores.

- So it wasn't the best played game of the season. But credit the Rangers for at least finishing this one in regulation for two points. Going to OT back to back against the last place clubs in each conference would not have been encouraging.

- Windsor is clearly in rebuilding mode and, after last season, those who watched the Rangers can feel their pain. A few highlights included forward Logan Brown and goalie Brendan Johnston, who kept his club alive. The Spits are going to be a team to watch in two years.

- Speaking of the Spits, they have one of the better entourages (media and game staff) in the league. Always friendly, funny and helpful in the pressbox.

- Getting lots of email and questions regarding Thomas Welsh's status. He is not holding out. He was here tonight and will likely play Sunday against Guelph.

- That's 16 straight games with points for the Rangers.

- Been seeing a lot of teams going after Justin Bailey, at least more than previous years. I suppose that's the price when you're leading the team in scoring and a constant threat on the ice.

- Nick Magyar returned and had a great chance on an open net during the team's first PP but his timing was off and he missed. Understandable after missing the past three games.

- Hey, that Dawson Carty put in another very solid game. Still hasn't lost in regulation this season. Not a bad acquisition at all.

JB's top three Rangers: Brent Pedersen, Frank Hora, Mike Davies

Rangers beef up blueline

The Kitchener Rangers have dipped in to the CIS to bring in some help on the back end.

The club acquired defenceman Thomas Welsh from the Mississauga Steelheads in exchange for a ninth round pick in 2016 Thursday afternoon.

The move was made to add some depth to the blueline. The team is currently without defenceman Max Iafrate, who is out with a back injury. Iafrate has not practised this week and is questionable for Friday's game.

There is also some worry about sophomore defenceman Doug Blaisdell who, while practising, was banged up in Sunday's loss to Sudbury.

Welsh was a fifth round pick by the Sarnia Sting but never played for the team, instead opting for Georgetown of the OJHL. He was later traded to Mississauga where he had three points in 29 games two years ago.

He has spent the past two seasons playing hockey for Brock University in St. Catharines. He had three assists in 10 games for the Badgers so far this season.

No Rangers have been released or reassigned in wake of the move.

The deal goes in step with Hiebert's plan of building a roster through the draft with minor tweaks made in trades in which the club doesn't have to relinquish major assets.

Rangers recognized

Make it two weeks in a row that the Kitchener Rangers have nailed an honourable mention in the CHL's weekly top ten.

Over at Yahoo, where they use greater criteria for their rankings, the site has the Rangers ranked eighth in the CHL.

Either way, it's encouraging news around these parts after last season.

I caught up with GM Murray Hiebert and he weighed in on the team's hot start, what needs to improve and on his approach to the trade deadline - which really isn't that far away.

Don't expect the Rangers to dump a bunch of picks for an elite player via trade. Minor moves are more likely, if at all.

***

There was a familiar bearded fellow skating with the Rangers at practice the past two days as free agent NHL player Todd Bertuzzi hit the ice with the lads.

I'm told he has since moved on, so those hoping to get a snap today will be out of luck. Still, a cool perk for the Rangers no doubt.

***

My hunch was wrong, at least if the line combos from Wednesday's practice hold up for Friday.

Coach Troy Smith had Adam Mascherin back on the second line with Nick Magyar and Gustaf Franzen.

Brent Pedersen was skating wtih Curtis Meighan and Darby Llewellyn on a stacked third unit.

***

NHL central scouting has released its November rankings for next year's draft.

A = first round, B = 2-3 round, C = 4-6 round.

Among the list are Rangers Doug Blaisdell (C), Gustaf Franzen (C) and Mason Kohn (C).

Rangers' picks on the list include: F Jeremy Bracco (B), G Luke Opilka (B), F Tom Novak (A), D Ethan Spaxman (C) and G Chris Birdsall (B).

Good news, bad news

It's a mixed bag of items-o-interest in today's blog.

First the good - winger Nick Magyar (upper body) practised with the club yesterday and is on track to return.

He still needs to pass his return to play protocal stages but has been progressing nicely and will likely play Friday against Windsor barring any setbacks.

The news isn't so good for Mason Kohn. The sophomore forward, who has already missed time with the flu, is now out indefinitely with a shoulder injury.

Kohn suffered the injury late in Sunday's game against Sudbury and will not play this weekend and will likely be out longer.

Defenceman Max Iafrate is also on the shelf for a few days but it's more of a maintenance issue than serious injury. The veteran has been battling the flu and is one of the minutes leaders on the club so he needs a bit of rest.

So, what does that mean for lines? Well, if Magyar returns he'll likely resume his role on the second line with Gustaf Franzen and Brent Pedersen. I'm guessing rookie Adam Mascherin drops down to the third unit in place of Kohn. 

The OHL 10

1. An interesting statistic that helps shed some light on the Kitchener Rangers' hot start - in a good way. The Rangers have played 15 of their 20 games against OHL western conference opponents and have lost just two of those games in regulation time. Considering the team has yet to play Windsor or Sarnia (the two worst teams in the conference), that's saying something.

2. Rangers' winger Justin Bailey gets the OHL player of the week nod and I believe that's the first honour bestowed upon a Blueshirt in all of this year or last year. If memory serves correct Curtis Meighan may have snuck in there with an academic player of the month last season but it has been a while since on-ice ability has been recognized. It has also been a long time since some Rangers were among league leaders. Bailey sits 10th in OHL scoring with 29 points. Defencemen Max Iafrate and Dmitrii Sergeev are tied for 10th for scoring among blueliners with 15 points each.

3. What's going on over in Guelph? The Storm has three wins in its past 10 games. This isn't a bad team. Particularly puzzling is the team's 77 goals against, which is tied for second worst in the OHL's west conference, especially with goalie Justin Nichols and defencemen Zac Leslie, Phil Baltisberger and Ben Harpur on the roster. Makes you realize how valuable Matt Finn and Nick Ebert were to this squad. I think the team also misses the flexibility it would have had, had OA forward Justin Auger returned.

4. I may be repeating myself a bit here but I want to reiterate the importance of making moves early instead of waiting. Long been a fan of this stratetgy. Take Niagara, a good team that has been under-performing. Instead of waiting for the guys to rebound, GM Marty Williamson goes out and does something to inject some life into the team by acquiring G Brandon Hope and F Josh Ho-Sang. Now, isntead of getting half a season out of them (had he waited until the trade deadline), he gets three quarters of a year. That works wonders in developing chemistry. Niagara has four wins in the past five games after collecting two in the first 15.

5. Kitchener goalie Dawson Carty now has enough minutes to qualify for the OHL leader board. And he sits fourth overall in GAA (2.48) and sixth in save percentage (.914). DC is turning out to be a heckuva pickup in the Capeside of the OHL.

6. I'm thinking back to my post-game interview with Sudbury Wolves coach Paul Fixter this past weekend and I believe he may have dropped another F-bomb. But this time it was "fantastic." And rightly so. The struggling, and I mean stuggling, Wolves came into the Aud and beat the hottest team in the OHL in the Rangers. There hasn't been much to rally around this season in the Big Nickel but that 3-2 SO victory was certainly one of them.

7. The Belleville Bulls are coming back down to earth. After starting the season at 9-2, the Bulls have gone 3-5-1-1. The slip isn't because of F Remi Elie who has eight points in his past seven games.

8. Lots being made about the Soo this season. But consider of the team's 15 wins, 10 have come against opponents with losing records. That doesn't mean the 'Hounds aren't for real but they have had an easier schedule to date.

9. So how big is the Connor McDavid factor? Well, Erie is 0-2 since he exited the lineup with a broken hand. Still, the top five plus players in the league wear an Otters uniform (McDavid, DeBrincat, Betz, Strome, Donnay).

10. Quarter-pole biggest disappointments? Niagara, Peterborough, Windsor. Biggest surprises? Kitchener, North Bay, Owen Sound.

Rangers earn another point

This streak - points in 15 games straight - is quite impressive for the Kitchener Rangers.

It almost came to an end twice on the weekend but the Rangers rallied late to beat Erie on Saturday and then again yesterday to grab a point in a shootout loss to Sudbury.

Kitchener trailed 2-0 heading into the third last night before Brent Pedersen and Ryan MacInnis saved the club from losing in regulation to the OHL's worst team.

***

Justin Bailey has been named OHL player of the week.

The Rangers winger collected seven points - four goals, three assists - in three games as the club went 2-0-0-1.

London's Max Domi and North Bay's Nick Paul were also considered for the award.

Sudbury 3, Kitchener 2 (SO)

On paper the odds favour Kitchener in this one.

But the OHL is a weird league so let's see how it plays out. The Wolves come into town losers of two straight and with just three wins on the season.

It is shaping up to be a year to forget for coach Paul Fixter, a Kitchener native and former assistant GM/associate coach of the Rangers.

The teams split the season series 1-1 in 2013-14.

Kitchener:

Brandon Robinson-Ryan MacInnis-Justin Bailey
Adam Mascherin-Gustaf Franzen-Brent Pedersen
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Mason Kohn
Mark Bzowey-Connor Bunnaman-Mike Davies

Dmitrii Sergeev-Max Iafrate
Liam Maaskant-Frank Hora
Doug Blaisdell-Dylan Di Perna

Dawson Carty (5-0-1-1) starts.

Sudbury Wolves:

Nathan Pancel-Nicholas Baptiste-Pavel Jenys
Michael Pezzetta-Jacob Harris-Brook Hiddink
Brody Milne-Danny Desrochers-Matt Schmalz
Ivan Kashtanov-Jonathon Masters-Brady Pataki

Conor Cummins-Jeff Corbett
Jonathan Duchesne-Kyle Capobianco
Trenton Bourque-Austin Clapham

Sam Tanguay (1-4-0-0) starts.

Game summary

Puck points:

- No Nick Magyar for the Rangers but he was on the ice before the game skating so that's a positive sign.

- Looking down the line here but in case you're wondering the Rangers have four players on the world junior radar - Justin Bailey and Ryan MacInnis (U.S.), Dmitrii Sergeev (Russia) and Gustaf Franzen (Sweden). This year's tourney is in Toronto and Montreal so there will be no jet lag. All four could conceivably remain with the Rangers which would make Kitchener an even bigger threat for December/early January.

- I can't imagine what the coaching staff is going through in Kitchener. Fall behind, tie things up, go to overtime and shootouts, snag points. It has to be exhausting.

- No PP goals for Kitchener but the first unit generated several scoring chances. Wolves goalie Sam Tanguay had a solid game.

- I find it odd that former 25-goal man Darby Llewellyn isn't on the second PP unit for Kitchener.

- The second period fight by Brent Pedersen was right out of the Ben Thomson play book. Team is down, needs a wake up and a tilt energizez the building and shakes things up.

- Rookie Adam Mascherin could be on the verge of a break out. He had a goal Saturday in Erie and rifled one off the post tonight.

- Two of the Rangers' best chances came while shorthanded. Gustaf Franzen was all alone on a 2-on-1 and Justin Bailey had a breakaway. Both were stopped by Tanguay.

- Mike Pezzetta was drilled into the boards and left the game for Sudbury. No call but the refs coincidentally got the Rangers on a minor penalty within a minute of the hit. Hmm.

- That's three games straight that the Rangers have rallied to get at least a point.

- When Magyar returns, maybe he goes on the third line? He might find some magic with Llewellyn and Curtis Meighan. Tough to break up that second unit now that Pedersen is on fire (eight points in his last six games).

- The schedule is kind for Kitchener coming up - last place Windsor, struggling Guelph, then Peterborough (losing record), Ottawa and Kingston (two teams with near .500 records).

JB's top three Rangers: Brent Pedersen, Gustaf Franzen, Justin Bailey

Kitchener 5, Erie 2

The Rangers are cooking.

Justin Bailey's hat trick in Friday's 5-3 win against Plymouth has the Rangers off to their most successful start since 2010-11 when the team had 26 points through 18 games.

This season - thanks to last night's victory - the club is 10-3-2-3, good for 25 points.

Friday's come from behind win was important since the team was coming off two consecutive overtime losses.

The current run - points in 13 straight games - has the Rangers in fourth place in the OHL's western conference, just a point behind second place Sault Ste. Marie and London.

It doesn't get any easier tonight as they face the OHL leading Erie Otters, who took just their second regulation time loss last night (2-1 to the suddenly hot Niagara IceDogs).

It's back to the Aud for the Rangers Sunday for what should be a gimme against the last place Sudbury Wolves.

Kitchener:

Brandon Robinson-Ryan MacInnis-Justin Bailey
Adam Mascherin-Gustaf Franzen-Brent Pedersen
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Mason Kohn
Mark Bzowey-Connor Bunnaman-Mike Davies

Dmitrii Sergeev-Frank Hora
Max Iafrate-Liam Maaskant
Doug Blaisdell-Logan Schmidt

Matt Greenfield (5-3-1-2) starts.

Erie:

Mason Marchment-Dylan Strome-Alex DeBrincat
Travis Wood-Kyle Pettit-Nick Betz
Patrick Murphy-Trent Fox-Taylor Raddysh
Quentin Maksimovich-Shaun Bily-Patrick Fellows

Kurtis MacDermid-Darren Raddysh
Travis Dermott-Troy Donnay
Cory Genovese-Jesse Saban

Devin Williams (11-2-0-1) starts.

Game summary

Puck points:

- The Rangers had a five-on-three power play for 1:43 in the first period but failed to score.

- On ice officials called a goal for Connor Bunnaman about four minutes into the second period. Upon further review it was waived off.

- Rangers F Justin Bailey has four goals in the past two games.

- Kitchener erupts for four third period goals. Two came within 12 seconds of each other.

- The Rangers now have points in 14 straight games but more importantly have strung together two consecutive wins against west opponents.

JB's top three Rangers: Matt Greenfield, Liam Maaskant, Brent Pedersen

Kitchener 5, Plymouth 3

Another busy weekend ahead for the Kitchener Rangers.

It's three games in the next three days beginning tonight against Plymouth at the Aud. Saturday, the team heads to Erie to take on the Connor McDavid-less Otters and Sunday it's back at home against the struggling Sudbury Wolves.

It would be quite the statement - and likely CHL top ten cracking event - if the Rangers won all three games.

That won't be easy but they do have two home games and an Erie squad adjusting to life without its top star.

Speaking of McDavid, he got a lot of pub this week over his fight with Mississauga's Bryson Cianfrone.

But that wasn't his first tussle. His inaugural fight was last month against Kitchener Rangers captain Liam Maaskant. The overage defencemen has earned some ribbing from family and friends over that scrap and recently talked about the bout.

Kitchener:

Brandon Robinson-Ryan MacInnis-Justin Bailey
Adam Mascherin-Gustaf Franzen-Brent Pedersen
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Mason Kohn
Mark Bzowey-Connor Bunnaman-Mike Davies

Max Iafrate-Dmitrii Sergeev
Doug Blaisdell-Frank Hora
Liam Maaskant-Dylan Di Perna

Dawson Carty (4-0-1-1) starts.

Plymouth:

Sonny Milano-Francesco Vilardi-Will Bitten
Connor Chatham-Matt Campagna-Bryce Yetman
Danny Vanderwiel-Cullen Mercer-Connor Sills
Nick Caamano

Mathieu Henderson-Yannick Rathgeb
Mitch Jones-Josh Wesley
Tyler Sensky-Alex Di Carlo
Matt Watson

Alex Nedeljkovic (7-6-1-0) starts.

Game summary

Puck points:

- Another good player moves from the west to the east as the Windsor Spitfires trade F Josh Ho-Sang to Niagara for Hayden McCool and three second round draft picks. Niagara got goalie Brandon Hope from Owen Sound earlier this month.

- Plymouth D Gianluca Curcuruto remains out serving a suspension. He's eligible to return Nov. 22.

- That's 13 consecutive games with at least one point for the Kitchener Rangers.

- A good night to win as west teams Sarnia, Guelph, Saginaw, Erie and Owen Sound all lost, and of course Plymouth.

- Is it just me or is the game getting a little lost at the Aud? Example - first period, Whalers are up 1-0 and the crowd is being solicited for DJ requests on Twitter and on the scoreboard. Instead of getting a tune to pump up the faithful or give the lads some inspiration, we get a One Direction song. I'm all for the DJ thing but ya gotta pick your moments, no? Let's not completely forget that there is a hockey game going on.

- Brent Pedersen was dropped down to the third unit while Mason Kohn earned a promotion to line number two.

- First time D Max Iafrate hasn't recorded a point in a Rangers' win this season.

- One area of concern is the two late game penalties by the Rangers. That allowed the Whalers to get back in the game.

- The crowd chanted "Gooooo" after Gustaf Franzen scored his fifth goal of the season. First time I've heard that.

- Credit Plymouth for not giving up. Down 4-1, they battled back to make it a game and recorded 19 third period shots.

- I think it's now safe to say that Dawson Carty has assumed the No. 1 job in net. He came to town saying all he wanted was a chance to prove himself. And he's doing it.

JB's top three Rangers: Justin Bailey, Dawson Carty, Ryan MacInnis

McDavid out 5-6 weeks

A big blow for the Erie Otters sees Connor McDavid - the OHL's leading scorer - out for the next five to six weeks with a broken hand.

McDavid injured himself in a fight with Mississauga's Bryson Cianfrone Tuesday night.

The Rangers play the Otters on Saturday night at the Erie Insurance Arena. Even without McDavid they are a dangerous club and boast the second and third (Dylan Strome, Alex DeBrincat) place scorers in the league.

Kitchener forward Nick Magyar is doubtful for the weekend after leaving Sunday's game against Saginaw with an upper body injury. He did not practise yesterday.

Defenceman Max Iafrate and forward Brandon Robinson also missed the work out and are out with the flu.

Winger Jacob Cascagnette has been called up from the Jr. B Dutchmen to round out the roster for practice this week.

The OHL 10

1. Oh, you didn't hear? Connor McDavid got in a fight. And suddenly all sorts of Toronto media finally care about the OHL again. If they had done their due diligence, they would have noticed that his first fight was back on Oct. 11 against the Rangers. In any event, here is said scrap that hurt CM's hand on Tuesday. Kitchener faces Erie on Saturday.

 

2. So Brandon Robinson and Brent Pedersen have flip-flopped spots (B-Rob from second line to first and B-Ped from first to second) for the Kitchener Rangers. No problem. Both are scorching of late. Robinson has six goals in his last five games. Pedersen has five points in his past three tilts. I believe I had Robinson pegged for a breakout year in my season preview. Have to brag, because it's probably one of the only things I got right.

3. The Rangers are averaging five goals per game in their past six contests. That would put them well above pace for the 300 goals as a team that I once surmised they could achieve this season.

4. Kitchener forward Nick Magyar is doubtful for this weekend but his "upper body" injury doesn't look like it's going to keep him out long term. Magyar wobbled off the ice on Sunday after taking a hard body check.

5. OK, on to other OHL teams. It's always nice to see a trade have an immediate effect on a club. Such is the case in Niagara where the IceDogs are 2-0 and have not allowed a goal since acquiring goalie Brandon Hope for a song and a dance from Owen Sound (4th and 7th round picks).

6. I'm gonna miss Plymouth if in fact the team leaves town. There isn't a better rink in the OHL for concourse standing room IMO. There was a great atmosphere there on Saturday for a thrilling Whalers OT win over the Rangers. I'd say Plymouth is Kitchener's best current rivalry. Speaking of the Whalers that Matt Mistele is fun to watch.

7. How bad do the Barrie Colts miss goalie Mackenzie Blackwood (ankle injury)? They are 5-2-1-0 with him and 3-7-0-1 without him. The team's 77 goals against is second worst in the OHL. Former Ranger Jordan DeKort was 0-2 with a .810 save percentage and a 6.40 goals against with the Colts before being released.

8. A tale of two teams. The Soo is 11-1 at home and 2-4 on the road. Makes them seem not so unbeatable, especially in the playoffs. But expect to see the 'Hounds add to their lineup via trade before the post-season.

9. Max Domi came back from Arizona (NHL) saying he was going to take this year more seriously and deal with his demotion in a more mature manner. So far, he has delivered. London is 8-2 in its last 10 games and Domi has nine points in his past three games. He has only been held off the scoresheet twice this season.

10. Is the OHL's midwest division the most competitive in the CHL? Probably. The QMJHL's east division isn't far behind.

Blueline boost

It was four of a possible six points for the Kitchener Rangers on the weekend.

The three-pack of games included a win against Peterborough and two overtime losses to Plymouth and Saginaw.

And, finally, all these points here and there are starting to pay off.

Peer at the western conference standings and you'll see the Rangers in fourth place.

Only two teams - the east and west leaders - have fewer losses in regulation than the Rangers.

The team has now collected at least one point in a dozen consecutive games.

Along the way, defenceman Max Iafrate has had a nice little run of his own. He credits an early season meeting with the coaching staff for sparking his hot season.

Saginaw 5 Kitchener 4 (OT)

Been a busy weekend for the Rangers and it keeps on going.

I tell ya, that drive home from Plymouth in the dark of night is the opposite of fun. But I'm well rested now and ready to go for more Rangers action.

They're back at it today against the Saginaw Spirit at the Aud. The teams have already met once this season. Saginaw took that one 2-1 in a shootout.

That was goalie Dawson Carty's debut with the Rangers. Since then, he has gone 4-0-1-0, which includes last night's 4-3 OT loss in Plymouth.

Missed the game? Here's the story on how Gustaf Franzen's designed play helped the Rangers snag a point in the dying minutes.

Kitchener:

Brandon Robinson-Ryan MacInnis-Justin Bailey
Brent Pedersen-Gustaf Franzen-Nick Magyar
Darby Llewellyn-Curtis Meighan-Mason Kohn
Mark Bzowey-Connor Bunnaman-Mike Davies

Dmitrii Sergeev-Max Iafrate
Frank Hora-Doug Blaisdell
Liam Maaskant-Logan Schmidt

Matt Greenfield (5-3-0-2) starts.

Saginaw:

Nick Moutrey-Tye Felhaber-Jimmy Lodge
Luke Cairns-Mitchell Stephens-Artem Artemov
Kris Bennett-Connor Brown-Dylan Sadowy
Mitchell Webb-Devon Paliani-Adam McPhail

Sean Callaghan-Marcus Crawford
Michael Holmes-Keaton Middleton
Ryan Orban-Chase Stewart

Jake Paterson (4-5-0-0) starts.

Game summary

Puck points:

- Rookie F Adam Mascherin is back from the World U-17 Hockey Challenge but is sick and will not play. Assistant coach Mike McKenzie will be back behind the bench.

- The Rangers wore special sweaters in honour of Remembrance Day. It's an annual thing they do. This year's version - and I'm taking this from the press notes - "was inspired by the Victoria Cross, the British Commonwealth's highest honour for conspicuous bravery, valour or sacrifice in the face of the enemy."

- Some serious hometown shot clock counting going on Sunday. Brutal.

- Saginaw staff in pressbox complaining that Kitchener and London get all the calls from officials in their rinks. If I had a nickel for every time I've heard that at every rink, I wouldn't be typing this.

- If you taped the game, begin watching at 19:50 of the second. Before that it was more Pepe Le Pew (dating myself here) than peppy. I realize I'm tired from driving to Plymouth but it really was awful hockey to that point. Then, poof, goals, action and a comeback that nets the Rangers another point.

- Streaks, streaks and more streaks. Points in a dozen straight for Kitchener. Max Iafrate now has an 11-game point scoring streak going.

- A rough night for D Logan Schmidt who was minus-four.

- Rangers forward Nick Magyar left in the second period after being rocked by a clean bodycheck. He did not return.

- D Dmitrii Sergeev did not play much - if at all - in the third period due a "coach's decision."

- Thought Kitchener's third line was its best tonight. A good game played by Mason Kohn.

- Interesting to see where Adam Mascherin will slot in upon his return. Doubt we'll see Robinson back on the fourth line or Pedersen (now in Mascherin's spot) demoted. It might be moot if Magyar is injured, otherwise some decisions to be made.

JB's top three Rangers: Max Iafrate, Justin Bailey, Brandon Robinson.