OHL Kitchener Rangers

Rangers Face Sting in Sarnia Sunday

Published on March 12, 2023 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Sarnia, Ont. - The Rangers will wrap-up their three-game weekend on the road Sunday in Sarnia. The Sting, who had an off-day Saturday, will be waiting for the Rangers, while Kitchener will be playing their third game in as many days, including an hour lost of sleep. Puck drop is set for 2 p.m. at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena (capacity 5,500).

Notable Links:

TV: Rogers TV, cable 20 (Kitchener)

TV: Super Sports Pack, cable 468 (Ontario)

Video Stream: OHLLive.com | CHL App

Radio: CityNews 570 AM CKGL

Head-to-Head:

Sunday marks the fourth and final game against the Sting this season. Sarnia has swept the season series against the Rangers so far this season through three games. It's a swing in the opposite direction as Kitchener went 6-1-0-1 against the Sting last season. The Rangers are also 7-2-0-1 at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena over the past five seasons and 15-5-0-2 overall.

Kitchener is coming off their first loss in the month of March and their first regulation loss in eight games. The Rangers are 6-3-1-0 in their last 10 games and with an Owen Sound win on Saturday, drop back into the eight-seed in the Western Conference. However, with a win on Sunday, Kitchener can jump into the six-seed.

Sarnia has been one of the hottest teams in the OHL as of late. The Sting have earned at least a point in their last 11 games and are 8-0-1-1 in their last 10. The Sting last played Friday against the Soo Greyhounds, beating them in regulation which helped clinch a Ranger playoff berth. Sarnia sits solid in the third seed in the Western Conference with 78 points, eight points clear of the fourth seed Saginaw, but eight points behind second place Windsor.

Scouting the Rangers:

Francesco Pinelli (Los Angeles Kings) has five points (1G 4A) in his last three games to extend his lead for the most points on the Rangers roster. Pinelli is now up to 83 points (36G 47A) in 54 games this season.

The Rangers leading goal scorer, Francesco Arcuri (Dallas Stars), extended his point-streak to eight games with an assist in Saturday's game. Arcuri is now up to eight goals and six assists on his current hot streak. On the season, Arcuri has 81 points (45G 36A) in 64 games.

Kitchener-native Matthew Sop is also carrying an active point streak that he extended Saturday with two goals, one coming shorthanded. Sop has six goals and two assists on his six-game point streak. Sop became the sixth Ranger to reach the 20-goal milestone this season and has 51 points in 60 games this season.

Marco Costantini had the night off on Saturday with Kitchener playing three games in three days. Costantini has earned a win in each of his last five starts. In that span Costantini has a 0.953 save percentage and a 1.6 goals against average. In 42 games this season, he has a 22-16-3-0 record with a 0.899 save percentage and 3.20 goals against average. Marcus Vandenberg has a 3.40 GAA and a .897 SAV% in 21 games with the Rangers.

Francesco Arcuri (Dallas Stars), Tomáš Hamara (Ottawa Senators), Filip Mešár (Montréal Canadiens), Francesco Pinelli (Los Angeles Kings), Roman Schmidt (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Danny Zhilkin (Winnipeg Jets) are six Kitchener skaters that are both drafted, and signed, by their NHL clubs respectively.

Scouting the Sting:

Ty Voit (Toronto Maple Leafs) leads the Sting roster with 91 points (18G 73A) in 60 games. Voit has the second-most points in the OHL this season trailing only Matthew Maggio of the Windsor Spitfires who Kitchener saw last night. Voit does have the OHL lead in assists with 73, nine more than the next closest skater.

Christian Kyrou (Dallas Stars) leads the Sting blueline this season with 68 points (18G 50A) in 57 games. Kyrou is tied for the second-most points by a defenceman this season and has the second most assists and fourth most goals. He has seven points (4G 3A) in five games against Kitchener this season, one point (1A) in two games with Sarnia against the Rangers.

Nolan Burke (Nashville Predators), Luca Del Bel Belluz (Columbus Blue Jackets), and Sasha Pastujov (Anaheim Ducks) round out the high-flying Sting offence with all three players over the 70-point marker on the season. Burke with 73, Del Bel Belluz with 73, and Pastujov with 86.

Ben Gaudreau (San Jose Sharks) is the main man between the pipes for the Sting. The World Junior Gold Medalist has made 40 appearances this season playing to a 21-12-3-2 record. Gaudreau has a .888 save percentage and 3.14 goals against average. He has started in all three games against Kitchener this season, earning the victory in each.

Nolan Burke (Nashville Predators), Luca DelBelBelluz (Columbus Blue Jackets), Ethan Del Mastro (Chicago Blackhawks), Benjamin Gaudreau (San Jose Sharks), Christian Kyrou (Dallas Stars), Ryan Mast (Boston Bruins), Sasha Pastujov (Anaheim Ducks), Sandis Vilmanis (Florida Panthers), Ty Voit (Toronto Maple Leafs) are nine Sarnia skaters that are drafted in the NHL.

Broadcast Coverage:

Sunday afternoon's contest against Sarnia will be televised live throughout Kitchener and the Waterloo Region on Rogers TV, cable channel 20. In addition, the contest can be watched across the province of Ontario on the Super Sports Pack on channel 468 for cable subscribers.

The game will be streamed live online in a web browser at OHLLive.com, and on the CHL App for mobile devices, including smart TV's such as including Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire.

Additionally, fans can listen to the game on the radio on CityNews 570 AM CKGL. Mike Farwell (play-by-play) and Chris Pope (colour commentary) will call the game on the radio. Fans can tune in to the radio pregame show 30 minutes prior to puck drop and can be a part of the broadcast with extended postgame shows as Farwell takes phone calls from Rangers Nation after all home games at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. Fans can call 519-570-2545 during the radio postgame shows to talk Rangers Hockey.

Next Up:

The Rangers return back to home-ice this Friday against the Saginaw Spirit. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. at The Aud and great seats are still available.

Check out the Kitchener Rangers Statistics

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from March 12, 2023


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