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.
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