Round Two Series Preview: Kitchener Rangers vs. Windsor Spitfires

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OHL Kitchener Rangers

Round Two Series Preview: Kitchener Rangers vs. Windsor Spitfires

April 9, 2025 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Kitchener Rangers News Release


Windsor, ON - The Kitchener Rangers advanced to the second round after defeating the Flint Firebirds in five games on April 4th, finishing the series with a 2-1 final in Game 5 on Friday. They now prepare to face the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, the Windsor Spitfires. Game one starts at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, April 10th, at WFCU Centre.

TV: RogersTV Channel 20 (Kitchener)

TV: Rogers Super Sports Pak (Ontario)

Video Stream: OHL Live on CHL TV

Radio: 570 NewsRadio Kitchener

SCHEDULE

Game 1: Thursday, April 10th at Windsor, 7:05 p.m.

Game 2: Saturday, April 12th at Windsor, 7:05 p.m.

Game 3: Monday, April 14th at Kitchener, 7:00 p.m.

Game 4: Wednesday, April 16th at Kitchener, 7:00 p.m.

Game 5: Friday, April 18th at Windsor, 7:05 p.m.*

Game 6: Sunday, April 20th at Kitchener, 7:00 p.m.*

Game 7: Tuesday, April 22nd at Windsor, 7:05 p.m.*

(*If necessary, Rangers home game is bolded)

PLAYOFF TICKETS

Tickets for Round 2 of the OHL Playoffs are on sale now. You can purchase yours online here. Fans can also call 519-578-1570, or you can purchase tickets in person at The Aud Box Office, sponsored by White Way Plumbing, located at 400 East Avenue in Kitchener. Box Office hours may differ over the holiday weekend; find hours here.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

This Season:

The Rangers and Spitfires played each other four times in the 2024-25 regular season, splitting the season series with two wins each (2-2). Windsor won the first two meetings (12-2, 3-1), while Kitchener emerged victorious in the last two (3-2 SO, 7-4). While playing in Windsor, Kitchener's record was 1-1-0-0, and when playing at The Aud, the Rangers were 1-1-0-0 against the Spitfires. The last matchup against Windsor was on Friday, March 7th, in Kitchener, where the Blueshirts earned a 7-4 victory. Adrian Misaljevic had two goals, and Jackson Parsons turned aside 39 of 43 shots for the Rangers, while Noah Morneau had four points (3G, 1A) for the Spitfires.

Kitchener recorded 41 points after the January 10th trade deadline, while Windsor registered 34. In the last 10 regular-season games, Kitchener was 7-2-0-1, and Windsor was 5-4-0-1.

Playoff History:

This is the Rangers' ninth straight postseason appearance and the fourth straight year they have made it to the second round. The 2025 postseason matchup will mark the fourth time since the 2015-16 season that the Rangers and Spitfires have faced off in the OHL playoffs. This is the Spitfires' first time back in the postseason since the 2022-23 campaign, in which Kitchener became the only eighth-seed OHL team to sweep a first-round playoff series against the first-place team (the Spitfires). The Rangers would fall to the London Knights in five games during second-round action of the 2023 OHL Playoffs.

In the 2022 OHL Playoffs, the Rangers and Spitfires squared off in the second round, with Windsor coming out on top in five games. The Blueshirts had previously bested Windsor in the opening round of the 2016 playoffs, also winning the series in five.

Playoff Statistics:

Kitchener

Overall Power Play: 11th in the OHL at 23.8%

Away Power Play: 9th in the OHL at 18.2%

Overall Penalty Kill: 1st in the OHL at 100%

Away Penalty Kill: 1st in the OHL at 100%

Windsor

Overall Power Play: 4th in the OHL at 38.5%

Home Power Play: 2nd in the OHL at 42.9%

Overall Penalty Kill: 8th in the OHL at 75%

Away Penalty Kill: 3rd in the OHL at 83.3%

SCOUTING THE RANGERS (47-15-4-2) 100 points, 68 GP

Third in the Western Conference, Fifth in the OHL

Rangers Round One:

The Rangers finished their opening-round series on Friday night, beating the Flint Firebirds in five games. Just one of five games went to overtime, with two contests being decided by one goal. Kitchener netted 17 goals while only allowing Flint to collect eight, outscoring the Firebirds 5-0 on the man advantage.

Rangers to Watch:

Trent Swick (Vegas Golden Knights) led the way for the Rangers in round one. Swick topped the team in goals (4) and points (9) while being tied for the most assists (5). The Vegas Golden Knights prospect registered three points across three separate games for his nine-point total. Swick was a force on the power play as well, collecting two goals and adding a pair of assists. In the regular season, Swick had 27 goals, 34 assists, and 61 points.

Christian Humphreys (Colorado Avalanche) was tied with Swick for the most assists in the opening-round series against Flint with five. In his first OHL Playoffs, Humphreys has had a strong start, picking up seven points through five games - the second most among Rangers skaters. A facilitator on the power play, and three of his five assists came on the man advantage. The Colorado Avalanche prospect also chipped in with a pair of goals, including a game-winner. After joining the Rangers midseason, Humphreys made an immediate impact, producing at better than a point-per-game pace with 33 points (11G, 22A) in just 28 regular season appearances.

Jack Pridham (Chicago Blackhawks) carried over his success from the regular season into his first career OHL Playoff series, securing five points in five games - including a four-point (2G, 2A) performance in Game 2. Pridham's five points tied for third among Rangers skaters in round one, while his three goals ranked second on the team. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect made his mark with two opening goals, a power play tally, and a game-winner against Flint. In his first regular season wearing the blue, red, and white, Pridham was a consistent offensive presence, racking up 27 goals and 27 assists for 54 points in just 48 regular-season games.

Goaltending:

Parsons

In round one against the Firebirds, Jackson Parsons suited up in all five games for the Rangers. He registered a 4-1-0-0 record, a 1.58 goals-against average, and a .939 save percentage. For the first time in the postseason and the fifth time this year, Parsons was named the OHL's Goalie of the Week on April 7th.

SCOUTING THE SPITFIRES (45-17-4-2) 96 points, 68 GP

Second in the Western Conference, Second in the OHL

Spitfires Round One:

The second-placed Spitfires defeated the seventh-seeded Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in five games to open the 2025 OHL Playoffs, wrapping up the series on April 4th. In game five in Windsor, the Spitfires closed the series on home ice, defeating the Greyhounds by a final score of 8-4. Doubling up on Sault Ste. Marie, Liam Greentree (3G, 2A), Ilya Protas (1G, 3A), and Jack Nesbitt (1G, 2A) earned the game's three stars, helping lift the Spitfires past the Greyhounds in commanding fashion.

The Spitfires have four players who have been drafted to the NHL: three who were selected in 2024 and one who was picked in the 2022 NHL Entry draft. Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings), AJ Spellacy (Chicago Blackhawks), and Ilya Protas (Washington Capitals) were taken in the 2024 draft. Tnias Mathurin (Detroit Red Wings) was selected in the 2022 draft.

Spitfires to Watch:

Liam Greentree (Los Angeles Kings) opened the 2025 OHL Playoffs on a tear, racking up seven goals, eight assists, and 15 points - averaging an impressive three points per game. Two of Greentree's seven goals came on the power play, with one standing as a game-winner, while four of his assists came on the man advantage. He's also tied for the team lead with a plus-nine rating. In the 2024-25 regular season, the Los Angeles Kings prospect had 49 goals, 70 assists, and 119 points - ranking second in each category on Windsor.

Ilya Protas (Washington Capitals) is tied with Greentree for the most points in the 2025 OHL Playoffs with 15, securing three goals and a team-high 12 assists. In his last two games, Protas finished the opening-round series against the Greyhounds strongly with seven points (3G, 4A). Protas has one power play goal, five assists on the man advantage, and a game-winning goal in his first OHL postseason. During his freshman regular season, the Washington Capitals prospect ranked first on the team in goals (50), assists (74), and points (124).

Noah Morneau had a nose for the net in the club's opening-round series against the Greyhounds, scoring a team-high eight goals in five games. Morneau also contributed three helpers for an 11-point total. Of his eight goals, Morneau had five on the power play while burying two insurance goals and a game-winner, tying for a team-lead plus-nine rating. In his third season with the Spitfires, Morneau had a breakout year, ranking third in goals (32) and points (73), and fourth in assists (41) on Windsor in the regular season.

Goaltending:

Costanzo

Against the Greyhounds in round one, Joey Costanzo appeared in all five games. Costanzo posted a 4-0-1-0 record, a 2.15 goals-against average, and a .915 save percentage in the first-round series. The netminder is competing in his second career postseason, holding an overall record of 4-2-1-0, a 2.83 goals-against average, and a .898 save percentage.

BROADCAST COVERAGE

The entire second-round series vs the Windsor Spitfires 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 Rogers Super Sports Pak for cable subscribers. The games will also be streamed live online on OHL Live on CHL TV. Additionally, fans can listen to the action on the radio on CityNews 570 AM CKGL as Mike Farwell and Paul Fixter call the games.

UP NEXT:

Following Game 1, the Blueshirts will remain in Windsor for Game 2 on Saturday, April 12th, with the puck drop scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at WFCU Centre. The Rangers will return to The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium for Games 3 and 4 on Monday, April 14th.

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

Check out the Kitchener Rangers Statistics



Ontario Hockey League Stories from April 9, 2025


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