OHL Kingston Frontenacs

Game Day Preview - KGN vs NB

February 6, 2022 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kingston Frontenacs News Release


The Kingston Frontenacs (24-10-3-0) look for a three-game winning streak in an Eastern Conference showdown versus the North Bay Battalion (22-15-3-3) today at 1:00 pm to wrap up a road trip after a 5-2 win last Thursday in Barrie and a 2-1 win over Sudbury on Friday night. Kingston has won seven of eight games since a four-game slide ended on January 18. North Bay has won both meetings against Kingston this season with 5-4 and 5-2 victories at Leon's Centre as the Fronts make their first season appearance at North Bay Memorial Gardens.

In Kingston's last game, rookie goaltender Aidan Spooner backstopped the Black and Gold to a 24-save win over Sudbury and now have a three-point lead over Hamilton in the East Division standings. Kingston has won seven of eight to rebound from a four-game skid that ended a season-high eight-game winning streak on January 7 versus Peterborough.

The Battalion's 50 points are second in the Central Division, 11 behind leader Mississauga. While only one point behind Kingston's total, the Battalion have played six more games, bringing the second-most home wins (13) in the Eastern Conference into today's matchup. Kingston has the most road wins in the Conference (2nd OHL). After five consecutive defeats (0-3-1-1), North Bay has won three straight, including wins over the Soo Greyhounds last Thursday and Friday.

Both teams have nearly identical goal stats, with Kingston's 154 goals leading the Conference, one more than second-place North Bay's 153 total. Kingston has allowed six fewer goals (129) compared to that (135) of today's opposition. With Lucas Edmonds (62), Jordan Frasca (49), Martin Chromiak (47), and Shane Wright (45), the Frontenacs are the only team in the OHL with four players in the Top-20 scorers.

Kyle Jackson has eight points (5G,3A), and Matvey Petrov has six points (2G,4A) in the two games against the Frontenacs.

North Bay Bred

Kingston's leading scorer Lucas Edmonds makes his debut in a Frontenacs uniform in his hometown. The North Bay native was taken by Kingston 131st overall at the 2017 OHL Priority Selection and has grown into an NHL Central Scouting list (#107). Though he has not played in North Bay since his 11-year-old minor hockey, the OHL's fourth-leading scorer (62 pts) still calls North Bay home and has three points (2G,1A) in two games versus his hometown team this season.

Exceptional on zone entries, the depth passer has helped Francesco Arcuri and Jordan Frasca to career years on the scoresheet forming a deadly trio that rivals most teams' top lines. Without a goal in seven, the assistant captain still drives Kingston's attack sitting second in the OHL with shots (172), only three fewer than Ty Tullio of Oshawa. A little snake-bitten of late, his shooting percentage will increase, and his 19 tallies still place him in the top-20 overall in OHL goal scoring.

Frasca v Coe

Brandon Coe (26) combines with teammates Matvey Petrov and Mitchell Russell (23), providing the Battalion with three 20-goal men upfront, forming a potent offence nucleus. The San Jose Sharks prospect is near the league-lead in all significant offensive stats. His 70-point total is good for second spot, one point back in the OHL scoring race, second in assists (44), sitting tied for sixth in goals (26). Coe has five assists in the two wins over Kingston this season.

Jordan Frasca leads Coe by a goal and is Kingston's top scorer with a career-high 27 tallies, including a pair and GWG in Friday night's game versus the Wolves. Frasca's 10 powerplay goals are tied for second with Oshawa's Calum Ritchie and Mississauga's James Hardie, behind leader Tye Kartye of the Soo Greyhounds. Kingston's leading goal scorer has goals in three straight (4G) and points in 12 of his last 15 games placing him tied in fourth spot with London's Luke Evangelista.

Wright Isn't Wrong

Team captain Shane Wright has 15 points in his last nine games with the projected top pick at the 2022 NHL Draft averaging 1.36 points per game this season, up from his 1.14 average in his 2019-20 rookie season. Over the last eight games, the centremen has been increasingly performing well at the dot winning 54.2% of his draws and is +8 while firing 41 shots, including a career-high 12 Friday night versus Sudbury. In 91 OHL games, he has 55 goals and 56 assists for 111 pts and a career 1.21 point-per-game average. The last exceptional skater, Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid, averaged 1.72 points per game with the Erie Otters. The Burlington, ON native's career 0.60 goal-per-game average trends higher than the NHL's arguable best player (McDavid 0.58) maintained during his OHL career. Wright has two goals in the two games versus the Battalion this season.

Special Teams

Powerplays

KGN - 25.2% (3rd Eastern Conf/4th OHL)

NB - 25.0% (4th Eastern Conf/5th OHL)

Penalty Kill

KGN - 77.9% (5th Eastern Conf/10th OHL)

NB - 77.1% (6th Eastern Conf/14th OHL)

Notes

Lucas Edmonds 4th in OHL assists (43), 4th in points (62). No other top-10 scorers have fewer pim's (8)

Francesco Arcuri second five-game point streak of the season with 4G,3A, +7, and 3.8 SOG (10-gm streak Nov 9 to Dec 3 (7G,10A)

Rookie Paul Ludwinski points in two straight (1G,1A, 4 SOG)

Maddox Callens listed day-to-day

North Bay's Joe Vrbetic (33GP) and Kingston's Leevi Merilainen (31GP) Top-Four OHL - Vrbetic one fewer win (18) than Merilainen (19), placing both goalies in the top-three in league wins.

Team Stat Pack - GP (37)

(24-10-3-0) 51 pts - 1st East Div/2nd Eastern Conf (MISS 61 pts)

(Note: Miss has played five more games than KGN) (Kingston's .689 winning percentage is 3rd OHL / 2nd Eastern Conf)

Leaders

Goals - Frasca (27), Chromiak (20), Arcuri, Edmonds (19)

Assists - Edmonds (43), Wright (29), Chromiak (27)

Points - Edmonds (62), Frasca (49), Chromiak (47)

PIMs - Haché (50), Budnick (37), Poole (33)

Shots- Edmonds (172), Chromiak (135), Frasca (131)

Powerplay Points - Edmonds (23), Chromiak, Wright (17), Frasca (15)

Rookie Points - Ludwinski (22), Soto (21), Thibodeau (8)

Defence Points - Peric (23), Murray (21), Bélanger (10)

Plus/Minus - Frasca (+22), Murray (+19), Arcuri, Edmonds (+16)

On The Front

Kingston has a busy three-game week back at the Leon's Centre. The next home game is Wednesday, Feb 9 at 7:00 pm versus the Peterborough Petes.

Mississauga Steelheads are then in the Limestone City on Sat Feb 12 at 7:00 pm, before a Sunday matinee at 2:00 pm versus the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Listen to all the action on 104.3 Fresh Radio with Frontenacs play-by-play voice Jim Gilchrist. Fans can also follow along with team social media channels at Twitter, Facebook and IG for updates. Watch the games on YourTV Kingston (channel 700) or on CHL TV/OHL Live.

Check out the Kingston Frontenacs Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 6, 2022


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