Kitchener: 6-5-2-0, tied for third in the Midwest Division
Oshawa: 7-4-1-0, tied for third in the East Division
Head to head: This is the first meeting of the season. Oshawa was 2-0 versus the Rangers last season.
Game time: 7:05 p.m.
Skinny: Last night's 7-4 score flattered the Rangers. Make no mistake, the Soo controlled the contest. Kitchener has lost three straight and needs a big win tonight. It's still very early but the recent slide has the Rangers three points out of ninth in the west. After a slow start Oshawa is rolling. The Gens have won four straight including an impressive 5-3 victory in Hamilton last night.
Keep an eye on: Overage D Matt Brassard is quietly heating up. The Vancouver Canucks draft pick is on a point per game pace (eight in eight games) and has assists in four consecutive games.
Local connections: Rangers GM Mike McKenzie was born in nearby Whitby while injured defenceman Kyle Gentles is from Ajax. Gens d-man Giovannai Vallati spent the past two seasons with the Rangers before heading to the 'Shwa via trade in the summer.
Additional reading: Rangers suffer horrifying loss
Kitchener:
Rickard Hugg-Greg Meireles-Jonathan Yantsis
Alexey Lipanov-Riley Damiani-Eric Guest
Michael Petizian-Isaac Langdon-Chase Campbell
Joseph Serpa-X-Reid Valade
Michael Vukojevic-Joseph Garreffa
Justin MacPherson-Donovan Sebrango
Arber Xhekaj-Jack York
Luke Richardson (5-5-1-0) starts.
Oshawa:
Nando Eggenberger-Eric Henderson-Serron Noel
Kyle MacLean-Jack Studnicka-Danil Antropov
Nick Wong-Allan McShane-Tyler Tullio
Cole Resnick-Dylan Robinson-Danyk Drouin
Mitchell Brewer-Nico Gross
Ian Blacker-Giovanni Vallati
Will Ennis-Matt Brassard
Cole Ceci (2-2-1-0) starts.
Brownie points:
- F Carter Tresoor has been suspended for his hit on the Soo's Tye Kartye Friday at the Aud. Coach Jay McKee said he thought it was a nice hit. The team is still waiting to find out how long Tresoor will be out.
- F Joseph Serpa was called up from the Waterloo Siskins in the GOJHL. Serpa has seven assists in nine games for the Siskins.
- Rangers D Michael Vukojevic saved a goal when he cleared an idle puck sitting behind G Luke Richardson in the crease late in the first period.
- Kitchener took the lead and outshot the home side 15-6 in the first and was 5.1 seconds away from taking the advantage into the break when Tyler Tullio scored to tie things up.
- Lots of Rangers sweaters in the crowd for this one. Spotted one with Valade on the back.
- A nice bounce back game for Richardson after a shaky outing on Friday. He looked like his old self in this one and made 33 saves.
- I’m not sure on that hooking penalty to Rangers D Michael Vukojevic in the second. Looked pretty innocent from my seat.
- Kitchener got away with too many men in the second. But after the bad bounces Friday, maybe the team was due for some good luck.
- Flint GM Barclay Branch took in the Rangers-Gens affair. Meanwhile, his Firebirds almost won their first game of the year before settling for a 6-5 OT loss to Sarnia.
- Oshawa came out with a purpose in the third but credit the Rangers for holding the hard charging crew off. This was a big and much needed win for Kitchener and snaps a three game slide.
- When Cotton Eye Joe came out in 1994, I wonder if the band thought it would still be getting regular rotation 24 years later. They sure like it in the ‘Shwa and in Guelph.
JB’s top three Rangers: Jonathan Yantsis, Michael Vukojevic, Luke Richardson