Kitchener Set for Second Matchup against Saginaw in Sunday Matinée at the Aud

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Kitchener Rangers

Kitchener Set for Second Matchup against Saginaw in Sunday Matinée at the Aud

November 3, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Kitchener, ON - The Kitchener Rangers are set to face off with the Saginaw Spirit for the second time this season on Sunday at The Aud. After a strong offensive showing, the Blueshirts defeated the Sudbury Wolves 8-4 on Friday, pushing their win streak to eight. Puck drop is slated for 2:00 p.m.

TV: Rogers Channel 20 (Kitchener)

Rogers Super Sports Pak Channel 466 (Ontario)

Video Stream: OHL Live on CHL TV

Radio: 570 AM CKGL

East Avenue Blue Digital Magazine

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Last Matchup:

The Rangers and Spirit met on October 12th in Saginaw for their first matchup of the season, with the Rangers piling on seven goals for a 7-4 victory at Dow Event Center. In that game, Adrian Misaljevic scored four points, including two goals and two assists. Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights) registered three points with a goal and two assists. Luca Romano, Cameron Reid, Luke Ellinas (Ottawa Senators), and Chris Grisolia were the other goal scorers for the Rangers. Carson Campbell, Justin Bottineau, Tanner Lam, Matheas Stark, and Romano all recorded an assist.

Goaltender Jackson Parsons earned the win, stopping 24 of 28 shots faced and posting a .857 save percentage.

Over the Years:

Sunday's game marks the second of four matchups between the Rangers and Spirit this season. In the first meeting, the Blueshirts came out on top over the defending Memorial Cup champions in commanding fashion, winning 7-4 at Dow Event Center - also earning the victory in a preseason matchup, 4-3 in a shootout. In the 2023-24 season, Kitchener earned a sole victory against Saginaw, going 1-3-0-0 in four games against the Spirit. Since 2019, Kitchener and Saginaw have faced off 17 times, with the Blueshirts holding a record of 9-7-1-0. At The Aud over the last five seasons, the East Avenue Blue have protected home ice, going 5-2-1-0 against Saginaw.

SCOUTING THE RANGERS (11-2-1-1)

First in the Western Conference, First in the OHL

The Rangers doubled up on the Wolves on Friday, earning an impressive 8-4 victory on home ice against Sudbury. With the result, Kitchener extended their win streak to eight games and have now recorded at least a point in 13 straight contests. In the game, the Rangers had six different goal-scorers for the second straight game.

However, it was the Rangers' leading point-getter and goal-scorer, Adrian Misaljevic who stole the show. The forward recorded a six-point night capped off by his first-career OHL hat-trick, earning first star of the game. The Rangers led the Wolves 6-2 after two periods, powered by goals from Matthew Andonovski (Ottawa Senators), who scored his first of the season, Luca Romano, Jakub Chromiak, Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights), Cameron Reid, and Misaljevic. Swick also had a big night offensively, registering four points of his own with a goal and three assists while Tanner Lam (3A) and Reid (1G, 2A) tallied three points as well. In net, Jason Schaubel earned his third win of the season, stopping 18 of 22 shots.

After Friday's game, the Rangers have now recorded a power play goal in their last five games. Conversely, they have scored two goals on the man advantage in three straight games. Against Sudbury, Kitchener capitalized on the power play on two of three opportunities. Through 15 games, the Rangers are 27.1% on the power play (sixth in the OHL). On the other side, regarding the penalty kill, Kitchener surrendered two goals on four power plays to the Wolves. The Rangers hold an overall penalty-killing percentage of 82.1% on the season (sixth best in the OHL).

Rangers to Watch:

Adrian Misaljevic leads the Rangers in points (25, tied for fourth in the OHL), goals (12), and is second in assists (13), coming off his six-point performance on Friday. Against Saginaw in October, Misaljevic earned the first star of the game honors after he scored two goals and added two assists for a four-point night. Misaljevic will look to build off these two performances again on Sunday.

Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights), fresh off his four-point performance against Sudbury, scored a goal and added three assists in the 8-4 win. In the last meeting with the Spirit, Swick earned the second star after he scored the game-winning goal and added two assists. Though he's only played in 10 games, Swick has scored six goals and nine assists for 15 points. Sitting tied for third on the team in points, he'll look to add to his season total on Sunday.

Matthew Andonovski (Ottawa Senators) scored his first goal of the season against the Wolves, opening the scoring on Friday. His tally was his fourth point of the season, also adding three assists on the year. With Saginaw coming to Kitchener on Sunday, Andonovski will look to anchor the blueline and elaborate on his first goal marker of the season.

SCOUTING THE SPIRIT (8-5-1-0)

Seventh in the Western Conference, 11th in the OHL

The Spirit finished a close home-and-home series against the Owen Sound Attack, winning the first game at Dow Event Center 5-4 in a shootout. On Saturday, the two faced off for the second half in Owen Sound in another tightly contested game through 20 minutes before the Spirit blew the matchup open in the middle frame. Nic Sima opened the scoring with his second of the season, assisted by Michael Misa for his 27th point. Calem Mangone would add his fifth goal marker on the year as an insurance goal before defenceman Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames) found the back of the net on the power play shortly after - solidifying a 3-0 lead. After Sima scored his second of the game, Owen Sound would add two of their own - but Sebastien Gervais buried his first goal of the season and Misa added his 18th goal on the year while extending his goal-scoring streak to five - restoring a three-goal lead and holding on for a 6-2 win.

Spirit goaltender Andrew Oke stood tall, earning his seventh win of the season (tied for third most in the OHL) while stopping 38 of 40 shots faced and producing a notable .950 save percentage. With the win, the Spirit improved to 8-5-1, sitting seventh in the Western Conference and 11th in the OHL. Through 14 games, Michael Misa leads the way in power-play goals (5), goals (18), and points (28) while Kristian Epperson has recorded the most assists (14). From a team standpoint, Saginaw has succeeded on the power play at a 26.7% rate (8th in the OHL) and is operating the penalty kill at 80.3% (11th in the OHL).

After Sunday's game against the Rangers, the Spirit have a three-game homestand against the Peterborough Petes, Windsor Spitfires, and Flint Firebirds.

Spirit to Watch:

Michael Misa was heading into Saturday's game against the Attack on a four-game goal streak, recording six goals and two assists for eight points over that span. He has recorded at least a point in every one of their 14 games, extending his four-game goal streak to five on Saturday with a late power play goal. On the season, he leads the Spirit in power-play goals (5), goals (18), and points (28), while his 28 points rank second in the OHL and his 18 goals rank first. Against the Rangers in their first meeting, Misa did not find the back of the net but did manage an assist.

Calem Mangone ranks tied for second on the team in assists (11) and third on the Spirit in points (16). In Saturday's 3-0 win against the Attack, Mangone added an insurance goal, his fifth of the season and an assist. In the 7-4 loss to the Rangers in October, Mangone recorded an assist. The senior forward has registered two goals and four assists in his last five games. Averaging better than a point per game, Mangone is a player to watch on Sunday.

Defenceman Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames) scored his fourth goal of the season against the Attack on Saturday and added two assists for a three-point night, bringing his 2024-25 season points total to 15 (4G, 11A). Over his last five games, Parekh has totaled a goal and three assists. When Kitchener paid a visit to the Spirit at Dow Event Center in October, Parekh also found the back of the net for the first time on a power play strike. The Flames prospect is coming off a career year where he scored 33 goals and 63 assists for 96 points in 66 regular season games. Off to another fast start, he's a player to be on the lookout for on Sunday.

Drafted Spirit:

The Spirit have four players who have been drafted to the NHL, two who were taken in the 2023 draft, and two who were selected in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Joey Willis (Nashville Predators) and Ethan Hay were picked in the 2023 draft. Igor Chernyshov (San Jose Sharks) and Zayne Parekh (Calgary Flames) were selected in the 2024 draft.

RANGERS REACH

Support our community while cheering on your Rangers! Rangers Reach 50/50 and game-worn jersey Raffles take place at each Rangers home game and proceeds go to support our many community initiatives, including Scholarships, Community Impact Grants, in-kind donations, and more! Your 50/50 and jersey ticket purchases help to make a difference in our community! Tickets can be purchased online anywhere in Ontario at Rangers5050.com and rangersjersey.com.

BROADCAST COVERAGE

Sunday's game vs the Saginaw Spirit will be televised live throughout Kitchener and the Waterloo Region on Rogers TV, cable channel 20, and can be watched across the province of Ontario on the Super Sports Pak on channel 466 for cable subscribers. The game will be streamed live online on OHL Live on CHL TV. Additionally, fans can listen to Sunday's action on the radio on CityNews 570 AM CKGL.

UP NEXT:

The Kitchener Rangers wrap up their four-game homestand against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, their second meeting of the season on Friday, November 8th for the Blueshirts' Remembrance Day Game. The club will then hit the road for a two-game road trip against Owen Sound and Oshawa. Puck drop for the Rangers' Friday night showdown against the Greyhounds is set for 7:00 p.m.

Secure your tickets for all Kitchener Rangers games at The Aud Box Office sponsored by White Way Plumbing or online.

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