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OHL Kitchener Rangers

Rangers Wrap up Weekend in Sarnia with Sunday Matinee against Sting

November 17, 2024 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Sarnia, ON - The Kitchener Rangers will travel to Progressive Auto Sales Arena for the first of two meetings in Sarnia this season on Sunday in a matchup with the Sting. The Rangers will look to pick up their second win over the Sting in the 2024-25 campaign with puck drop set for a 2:05 p.m. afternoon start.

TV: Rogers Channel 20 (Kitchener)

Rogers SSP Channel 469 (Ontario)

Video Stream: OHL Live on CHL TV

Radio: 570 AM CKGL

Last Matchup:

Kitchener and Sarnia played near the end of October at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. In their first meeting, the Blueshirts led the game from start to finish, piling up goals offensively in a decisive 6-1 victory. The Rangers had six different goal scores to round out the night with contributions in that department from Andrew Vermeulen, Luca Romano, Cameron Mercer, Chris Grisolia, Jakub Chromiak, and Cameron Reid. Luke Ellinas, Tanner Lam, Max Dirracolo, Chromiak, Reid, and Mercer recorded assists in the contest. Goaltender Jackson Parsons stood tall, stopping 21 of 22 shots faced, earning the victory.

Over the Years:

Sunday's game is the second meeting between these two teams this season with the remaining two matchups coming in December and February. The third matchup is scheduled for Wednesday, December 18th, at 7:05 p.m., when the Rangers will again travel to Sarnia for the final time in the regular season. In the 2023-24 season, Kitchener went a flawless 4-0-0-0 against Sarnia. Since 2019, the East Avenue Blue have strung together 14 wins for a commanding 14-5-0-1 record, posting a 6-3-0-0 record on the road at Progressive Auto Sales Arena over that stretch.

SCOUTING THE RANGERS (14-3-2-1)

First in the Western Conference, first in the OHL

After losing their previous two games by a goal in each, the Rangers were eager to get back in the win column on Friday night at The Aud against the Peterborough Petes - and they did just that. Jumping out to a 3-0 lead before the midway point of the second period, the Petes would score one before Kitchener sealed the deal with the final goal of the game coming in the final two minutes of the middle frame for a 4-1 final.

With the win, the Blueshirts extended their home-ice winning streak to nine games and secured their 10th consecutive game with a point at home - taking sole possession of first place in the OHL standings. Kitchener had four different and nine players contributing points. Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights), Luke Ellinas (Ottawa Senators), Adrian Misaljevic, and Cameron Mercer, who skated in his 200th OHL game, found the back of the net. Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks) recorded his first OHL point (1A), while Luca Romano, Tanner Lam, Carson Campbell, Swick, Reid, and Misaljevic added assists. Netminder Jackson Parsons turned aside 23 of 24 shots to earn his 11th win of the season, placing him second in the OHL in victories.

Given only two power plays, the Rangers capitalized on 1-of-2 opportunities, bringing their season conversion rate on the man advantage to 24.7%. On the other side, Kitchener was solid defensively on the penalty kill, stopping all four of Peterborough's chances with the power play, now operating the unit at 83.1% on the season.

Rangers to Watch:

After signing with the club on Thursday, forward Jack Pridham made his debut with the Rangers on Friday at The Aud. He recorded his first OHL point with an assist on a power play goal by Adrian Misaljevic in the second period. Selected by the Blueshirts in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection (177th overall), Pridham aims to carry his momentum into Sunday's matchup against the Sting.

In their last meeting, Jakub Chromiak recorded his first goal of the season and his first as a Ranger while tacking on an assist in a 6-1 victory. His efforts earned him the first star of the game in Sarnia. Appearing in 15 games for the club this season, Chromiak has had a strong start to the campaign, scoring two goals and 11 assists for 13 points. On Sunday, he'll look to repeat this performance at Progressive Auto Sales Arena.

Cameron Mercer buried his third goal marker of the season on Friday against the Petes, scoring the final goal of the game and putting the game out of reach. In the Rangers' last outing in Sarnia, Mercer scored a short-handed goal and added a primary assist for a two-point night against the Sting. With six points (3G, 3A) on the season and recent notable performances, Mercer is a player to watch on offence in Sarnia.

SCOUTING THE STING (7-11-1-3)

Eighth in the Western Conference, 17th in the OHL

Competing in their second game of a three-and-three this weekend, the Sarnia Sting took on the defending Memorial Cup champions, the Saginaw Spirit at Dow Event Center on Saturday. The club didn't get off on the right foot, trailing 5-0 early in the second period. The Sting would rally, however, scoring three consecutive goals in the middle frame before Saginaw would score their sixth of the game, bringing the score to 6-3 through 40 minutes. In the third, the Spirit took care of business, scoring three more goals and winning handily, 9-3.

Beckham Edwards finished with two goals on the night and Mitch Young buried his third of the season. Easton Wainwright, Tyson Doucette, and Young added assists on the tallies. In the crease, Evan Maillet stopped 35 of 44 shots faced.

The Sting had an astonishing 12 power play opportunities, capitalizing on just one in the second period. On the season, their success rate on the man advantage is 10.7%. On the penalty kill, the Sting allowed two goals on 10 chances for the Spirit, now operating at 78.6% through 22 games. Following their game against Kitchener, Sarnia will host the Ottawa 67's for game two of a three-game homestand on Friday.

Sting to Watch:

Heading into Saturday's game against the Spirit, Zach Filak had three goals in his last three games. On the season, the forward has seven goals and nine assists, sitting second on the team in points with 16 through 21 games. Filak is coming off a career year with the Sting in the 2023-24 season, scoring 24 goals and 16 assists for 40 points in the regular season. In a matchup with the top-seeded Rangers on Sunday, he'll be eager to continue his scoring prowess.

Back in October, in the first matchup between the Sting and Rangers, Tyson Doucette was the only Sarnia player to find the back of the net - registering his sixth goal of the season. Since then, Doucette has added two more goals, bringing his season total to eight along with seven assists and a 15-point total. Doucette added a power-play assist against the Spirit on Saturday. Hosting the Rangers again on Sunday, Doucette will look to find his scoring touch once again.

Junior forward Mitch Young has got off to a noteworthy start in his third year with the Sting this season. More recently, he has tallied six points (1G, 5A) in the last three games, including a goal and a pair of assists against Saginaw on Saturday. After a breakout year in the 2023-24 season, scoring 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points, he was invited and attended the Colorado Avalanche training camp. Young currently leads the Sting in assists by a wide margin with 16, also leading the team in points with 19. Against the Rangers, the forward will seek to continue his strong start.

Drafted Sting:

The Sting have one player that has been drafted to the NHL. Lukas Fischer (St. Louis Blues) is the lone player from the 2024-25 Sting roster to have been drafted. Fischer was selected in the second round (56th overall) in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

BROADCAST COVERAGE:

Sunday's game vs the Sarnia Sting will be televised live on YourTV and can be watched across the province of Ontario on the Super Sports Pak on channel 469 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:

Following their weekend finale in Sarnia, the Rangers return to Kitchener for a two-game homestand. They'll face their division rival, the London Knights, on Tuesday, November 19th, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m., before hosting the Windsor Spitfires on Friday, November 22nd.

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

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