First off sorry for the delay in posting this game report. I was writing this report on a new site we are trying out and it doesn't auto save long story short, blog goes up late. My apologies.
As the regular season winds down each game becomes more and more important for the bubble teams. The Guelph Storm defiantly fit into this category. As of Friday afternoon they were on the outside looking in. They were in 9th place in the West, one point out of a playoff position. After upsetting the 67's last Friday on the road the Storm were looking for an encore at home against the Sarnia Sting.
The Storm's power play unit got on the ice early as Sting forward Craig Hottot received a minor penalty for clipping, as he was skating to the sin bin he let the officials know what he thought of the call. In response the officials let Hottot know what they thought of his opinion by slapping him with an extra two for unsportsmanlike. The extra minor would be costly for the Sting, with just seconds left in the second minor penalty Scott Kosmachuk wired a shot high short side over Sting goaltender J.P. Anderson to put the home team up 1-0. For the remainder of the period the teams exchanged power plays and scoring chances. Late in the first Sting defence men Alex Basso went for a big hit along the boards but only got half man, half boards. He would take a couple shifts in the second but would eventually leave the game for good. Both Sparks and Anderson came up with big saves to keep the score 1-0 in favor of Guelph after one.
Sarnia would start the second on the power play but couldn't find the back of the net. Just a minute after killing off the Pedan minor Guelph Defence men would get his stick up high on a Sarnia forward which would give the Sting a four minute advantage of their own, Sting forward Brett Thompson would get called for hitting from behind erasing the later half of the advantage. Just moments into the Thompson infraction Hottot would take a stick to the face in his own end, instead of staying down he got right back up and headed up ice with his teammates and was rewarded when he put the puck past Sparks to tie things up at one. Spencer Turcotte and Justice Dundas would drop the gloves with Turcotte getting the decision. Guelph it would seem had stolen the momentum back, that was not the case though as a minute later Ludvig Rensfeldt would take a pass from Thompson and put the puck around Sparks and into the net putting Sarnia up 2-1, a lead they would not relinquish. Again the teams would exchange power plays but the score after two would stay 2-1 for the Sting. Despite the score the Storm really controlled most of the play in the second period but they just couldn't capitalize on their chance's.
Early in the third the Storm would take a few minor penalties that seemed to really take away the momentum they had built late in the second. At the 11:07 mark of the period things started to look good as Dundas would run Sparks and it looked like Guelph would head to the power play but Sparks would proceed to feed Dundas's face with blocker shots. After things calmed down Sparks would get a minor for roughing much to the delight of the Storm faithful who cheered for Sparks and enjoyed the one sided exchange. With both teams sending a player to the box, it was four on four hockey. Sarnia would send the puck down the ice and a foot race between Sting forward Domenic Alberga and Guelph goalie Garret Sparks, Sparks won the race and with a spin-o-rama tried to fling the puck out of the zone with his trapper instead of hanging on to the puck. Before the puck could clear the zone however Charles Sarault picked it up and had a wide open net and didn't miss his chance as he put it right in the net to make it 3-1 Sting. With their collective backs against the wall the Storm responded just fifty-five seconds later when Andrey Pedan fired the puck at the net but the shot was blocked and went directly to a wide open Cody McNaughton who fired the puck into the empty side of the cage to make it a one goal game again. However the final nail in the Storm coffin came with just under 3 minutes to go when Zack Mitchell would take a penalty for tripping. Just after the penalty expired Hottot attacked the net from the goal line and slide it behind Sparks but the puck went straight across the goal line and stayed out, but as Sparks was searching for the puck his pad accidentally bumped the puck across the line with only forty-five seconds remaining. The Sting won the game 4-2.
The news got worse for the Storm and their fans after the game as Windsor collected two points for beating the Knights, the Soo came back and defeated Saginaw in OT so the Soo were awarded two points and the Spirit managed to get one. The Storm are now 3 points back of the Grey Hounds for the 8th and final playoff spot, but have 3 games in hand on the Hounds.
Projected first overall pick Nail Yakupov looked really good at times going past and through Storm players, but Matt Finn and the Guelph defence did a great job of holding Yakupov goalless. Sparks also had to be sharp and held up his end of the bargain making big saves on a few occasions stoning Nail.
Next up for the Storm are the Plymouth Whalers in Plymouth. I just checked the score and Guelph was victorious 9-1. Cody McNaughton had a hat trick and two assists on the night. Garret Sparks made 30 saves on the evening, if the Storm hope to make the playoffs they have to beat teams ahead of them in the standings which is the majority of the league. Guelph wrap up their tough weekend on Monday against the third place Kitchener Rangers.
Give me a follow for in game tweet's and updates @ChrisMcdonald91
The Storm Get Stung, Hottot Pots Two. A Storm Hits Plymouth
Can Kitchener Survive with Franky Palazzese
The Rangers have a pretty impressive goaltender. In fact he was a gift that has paid off for Kitchener. He ranks tied for 10th in wins, 6th in Goals against and second in Save Percentage. He is John Gibson. The Kitchener Rangers rookie goaltender (Drafted by the Anaheim Ducks this past june) who has been an absolute stud in net for Kitchener. His counterpart, former Kingston Frontenacs scapegoat Frank Palazzese, is tied for 11th in wins, 13th in Goals Againast and 3rd in Save Percentage. Who is the back up and who is the starter? That has been a question asked amongst many a media members this year. The Rangers faithful will always answer that Gibson is your number one netminder and Frank is not the backup, but the second goalie.
‘I don't get nervous or even think about anything negative like that, I'm just looking forward to playing, and only taking one game at a time And do the best I can in every game’
Doing his best is what he does, I don’t think I have to try and sing the praises of him anymore. With Gibson out for another period of time, the Rangers will hope Palazzese can help guide them to at the bare minimum solidifying the 3rd seed in the east.
The London Knights are 10 points ahead of Kitchener, but Kitchener has a game in hand. The Rangers do not have to worry about losing ground in their division with Owen Sound 14 points behind them, but Sarnia is expected to start climbing the rankings and pressure Kitchener. The only unofficial time table that has been given for Gibson is that he would be able to resume training/rehabilitation in 7-10 days after his surgery.
Taking a look at their upcoming schedule. From the time that Gibson has surgery to the time when he should be healed, the Rangers would have played 6 games, 3 of those 6 will be against Division leaders Plymouth and London. 8 of their final 19 games are against their division. This is not the time to be having a key injury to the lineup and Palazzese says that there should be no negative thoughts withhim in net,
‘…not thinking anything negative just worried about one game at a time, and trying to win every single game.’
Ranger nation may have gasped about the initial thought of running with Palazzese instead of Gibson. Heck, he understands, but the Rangers are probably better with Palazzese given the fact he has had to run lengthy spans of being the starter with Gibson out.
‘…with the boys we have, we all have confidence in each other to get the job done on any night’
If Kitchener happens to lose ground it will not be because Palazzese couldn’t win the game. Not only will he prevent the Rangers from falling down the standings, he will help improve them as he always rises up to the challenge. Then again… I have been saying this since last January… Just Saying.
ITO Hot-Stove: who is the best goaltender in the OHL?
Considering we at InTheORadio.com have been debating who the best teams in the league are as of late, I figured it was time to examine who the best goaltender is. Joining me in this week's hot-stove is Matt Leacy, Brandon Sudeyko, Thayne Hallyburton and Alex Quevillon.
Without further ado I'd like to introduce you all to this week's debate question: who is the best goaltender in the OHL?
Todd CordellI'm going to go with $cott 'Money' Wedgewood of the Plymouth Whalers. He's one of, if not the most well-rounded goaltender in the OHL and his skill level is off the charts. His movement is fantastic, he's a very good puck-handler and has an outstanding glove-hand. He's always extremely aware of what's going on and can read plays like a book. It always appears as though he's one step ahead of the oppositions offensive players and for that reason I think he's the best. When you factor in the numbers Wedgewood has put up during his career in the OHL I think you can certainly make the case that he's the best.
Matt Leacy
The OHL's best goalie is without a doubt John Gibson of the Kitchener Rangers.
Brandon Sudeyko
5750.JPG)
Statistically speaking how do you not go with Subban. He is a stud. and some Belleville players admit that he is the reason they had such a great start to the season. I don't think he is the best goaltender in the OHL though.
Mark Visentin... I'm sorry did you expect me to say Jack Campbell. HA!
Why would I go against my boy Vizzer now? He is still a top level goalie, and don't give me that 'he isn't elite' garbage. How about we try to deflate some stats from these goalies playing on super teams. Take a look at the recent string of games where he has notched 3 straight shutouts, or never lost a game in January. Technically speaking he is the best goaltender in the OHL. His mental state is far superior to everyone else's in the league right now. All the tools are there, and show me one instance where he had two back to back stinkers in net. you can't. it hasn't happened. This kid takes a lot of flack from everyone for you know what, but all he has done is say, 'ok, I will shut you up' and he has. Hands down best goalie in the OHL.
Thayne Hallyburton
Alex Quevillon
It would be easy for me to say our very own Petr Mrazek and pump his tires with references to the World Juniors. I love the way Mrazek plays but Ottawa has been involved in far too many 6-5 games with him in net and while he is impressive down low, he lets in far too many goals from far out, to be considered the best in the OHL. It would also be easy to give the honors to one of Canada's goaltenders, but Visentin's been pulled too many times, early in games this season and it's hard to say Wedgewood is the league's best when he shares duties with Matt Mahalak.
JP Anderson had been impressive in his time with Mississauga, although backstopping a team that consistently played a defensive system. If he can go back to the Memorial Cup for a second year in a row with Sarnia, I may change my vote to him. But for now, I'm going to have to say Michael Houser. 34 wins? Few goalies are going to get that many wins all year, let alone in 44 games. If you can find another goalie that can play in 94 percent of his games and win consistently, I'll listen. Bobkov gets honorable mention because he has started in the same number of games with a much weaker defense in front of him.
Max Iafrate - January 27th Prospect Report
by Brandon Sudeyko
Thayne Hallyburton is the main prospects guy for ITO and by no means am I looking to outshine him. It is that time of the year where the draft prospects are watched a little closely and Friday night I was able to watch Kitchener Rangers defenceman Max Iafrate.
The Kitchener Rangers traded for Max before the puck dropped on the season, paying a price for the big offensive defenceman. Kitchener and Plymouth swapped 1st round import selections in ’12 and ’13 while the Rangers GM Steve Spott also gave up a pair of 3rd round draft picks in 2015 and 2016. The price was large but the payoff could be huge.
Max started the season off slow and some injuries have halted his progress this season but as of Friday January 27th, Max Iafrate looked like a complete player. Even though Max was a -3 on the night, stats do not tell the whole story. Entering the season Iafrate was an offensive defenceman. He was known for his offensive prowess, his big booming shot and his knack for getting shots on net to generate big rebounds. Entering the season the Kitchener Rangers wanted to change that and make him a possible first round selection, much like Spott did with Carolina Hurricanes prospect Ryan Murphy.
Max has had a string of games where he has looked like he deserves to be ranked higher than 78th amongst NA skaters (NHL CS) and definitely a more complete player. Max has learned to use his size (6’2” 220lbs) to gain positioning on the opposition who are standing in front of the net. If he is unable to move them from the net, he does a great job at tying up the players stick and gives the goaltender a chance to come up with the save.
Even though Max and the Rangers are focusing on the defensive side of the game, Iafrate still has his offensive flare as he demonstrated with a few rushes, one leading to a Michael Catenacci goal. Iafrate shows poise with the puck, looking for a way to get the puck from the point to the net, a skill his father was very good at.
The most impressive part of Iafrate’s game on Friday night had to be his shot blocking and decision making. Max has no fear, whether it is standing up straight, or laying down to block shots, he will do what he has to do help out his goaltender and team when it comes to protecting the lead, or just stopping scoring opportunities. Iafrate’s deicision making ability was evident as many a time an offensive defenceman would have jumped for that loose puck and have a 50/50 chance at allowing the opposition to have a breakaway in his attempt to pinch. In 4 scenarios where he could have won the foot race, Iafrate analyzed the situation quickly and decided that his best decision was to play defense first. Max credits Steve Spott and the system for improving his decision making abilities.
It isn’t all positives for Max as he does need to work on his skating ability. He is quick for a bigger man but does not currently have NHL caliber skating , but that is the easiest of all skills to teach and improve on. Max will need to get a bit more physical in front of the net as there were some opportunities where shots got through and could not push the player around resulting in scoring chances off rebounds.
No one is going to question the skill that Max possesses, but it is scary to watch him grow and improve this season. Currently rated 78th by NHL CS, look for him to be a late 2nd round pick in this years NHL draft.
Have a listen to the post game interview I had with Max after his game Friday night.
Wednesday January 25th - Game Preview
Standing Pat: Why the Plymouth Whalers Made the Right Deadline Move
Sometimes you don’t mess with a good thing.
Case in point: The Plymouth Whalers.
Leading up to the OHL’s Trade Deadline, many watched as the Sarnia Sting turned their roster upside down to a dangerous degree, the London Knights snapped up two powerful pieces, and the Kitchener Rangers added a big, tough overage forward that cost them some experience on the blueline.
Those teams surrounded (and continue to do so) Plymouth in the standings, and they all made moves. The Knights have led the West for much of the season, with the Whalers in tow, while Kitchener and Sarnia round out the top four. The Whalers though, stood pat at the deadline, comfortable with what they had accomplished earlier in the season.
In a hockey world hungry for moves and changes when we see the word ‘deadline’ pop up, the Whalers did the unpopular thing and…did nothing.
Then again, it’s not like they had any pressing needs anyhow.
In net, the story of Scott Wedgewood came to the forefront at the World Junior Hockey Championships and he’s now been thrust into the spotlight. But behind him is the trustworthy Matt Mahalak, ready for an ascension of his own to a starting roll, owning the second-best goals-against average and save percentage in the OHL and two personal win streaks of five and six games this season. No need there.
On defense, the Whalers have just one player that isn’t a 1993 birthday, and that’s rookie defenseman Mitch Jones who has made it into just one game this season. Overager Beau Schmitz (the only ’91 birthday on the Whalers’ blueline) is in the midst of a career-year offensively, while Colin MacDonald and Austin Levi have punished opposing forwards all season long with bruising size. Up and down the depth chart though, a defense that features one defenseman officially under 5’11’ (Schmitz) and one under 170lbs (Jones) has been protecting their netminders all season long and preventing teams from establishing any kind of pressure-generating fore-check.
Just twice in the past six games have the Whalers surrendered more than 30 shots, while Wedgewood has faced 35 or more just six times in 24 games. Mahalak has faced 35 or more seven times in his 20 games this year.
Up front, it’s more of the same size and experience that has made the defense so good this season. A whopping nine forwards weigh in at 190 lbs or more, and 11 are listed at 6’0” or taller. Nine of them are 1993 birthdays or older, including overagers Jamie Devane and Andy Bathgate.
In terms of their scoring prowess, Stefan Noesen leads the team with 48 points, putting him in a four-way tie for 18th in the league race. While the Sting and Knights both have two players in the top-16 with 50 or more points, neither boasts the able depth Plymouth does.
Plymouth has five players with 40+ points and two with 39. London incumbents Seth Griffith and Vladislav Namestnikov both have 50+ points, but the Knights had to acquire Greg McKegg (42 points) and Austin Watson (36 points) to even come close to Plymouth’s numbers. Sarnia’s Charles Sarault and Nail Yakupov both boast more than 50-point years already, but it took scooping up Brett Thompson (44—37 of them in 27 games with Sarnia), Tyler Brown (39), Ryan Spooner (38), and Adrian Robertson (36) to boost the rest of the numbers of an injury-riddled team.
In fact if you look around the OHL there are just two teams who have four players with 40+ points that didn’t have to acquire one of them during the season: The Niagara IceDogs (Andrew Agozzino-51, Dougie Hamilton-50, Freddie Hamilton-48, Alex Friesen-43, David Pacan-40, and Ryan Strome-40) and Barrie Colts (Tanner Pearson-67, Colin Behenna-56, Zach Hall-45, and Mark Scheifele-41).
The lack of needs for the Plymouth Whalers probably helped in preserving their biggest asset being traded away at the deadline: Chemistry and familiarity.
Plymouth has just seven players on the roster that weren’t with the team last year. Four are rookies, one is Bathgate (acquired during the off-season from Belleville), another is forward Cody Payne (acquired at the beginning of November), and then there’s American forward J.T. Miller, signed in the off-season after he was made a first-round pick by the New York Rangers. They’ve developed a locker room that sticks up for each other and won’t let any member fall behind, and General Manager/Coach Mike Vellucci knows it.
So….why mess with a good thing?
The Sarnia Sting’s chances in the West are based on the new pieces on the roster gelling. Any success the Knights and Rangers have will be based on young rosters stepping up and playing above their heads, and while there are upset specials in the West ready and waiting, each has key questions that need to be answered for a long playoff run.
The only team without any questions that needed answering at the deadline was the Plymouth Whalers. Now they have one.
Will the status quo be good enough?
January 14th OHL Game Previews
Kingston @ Sarnia
Kingston travels up the highway after beating the #1 team in the OHL. The Fronts led the game 2-0 until late in the 3rd period. London pulled their goalie – but the Fronts warded them off and then popped another goal to finish the game off 4-1. Bobkov was huge against his old team stopping 49 of 50 shots directed his way. Kyler Nixon with a 2 point night received third star honours.
Sarnia is coming off a huge home ice win against the Mississauga Majors 7-1 (JP Anderson’s previous team). Sarnia played with their foot on the pedal all night – 5 players with multipoint efforts. Domenic Alberga with the hat-trick (last goals for him were on Dec 30 and Dec 9). The return matchup in Kingston happens on January 29. This is game #3 of a 5 game home stand for the Sting.
My prediction Sting 6 – Fronts 1
Guelph @ Peterborough
Guelph was thoroughly defeated by the visiting Windsor Spitfires last night 5-0. The Storm offered the visitors 9 powerplay chances and the Spits were successful on 3 of those situations.
Peterborough finds itself in the middle of the Eastern conference race whereas Guelph is struggling to stay in a playoff position. Their records in the past 10 games are almost complete opposites – Guelph is 3-6-1-0 and Peterborough is 6-3-1-0.
My prediction Guelph 2 – Peterborough 4
Mississauga @ Plymouth
Missy comes off a defeat at the hands of the Sarnia Sting (7-1) – see above for some comments on that match. Plymouth returns home after dismantling the Kitchener Rangers last night 6-1. Their balanced, potent offence came from many players and all of their goals were scored at even strength. (Plymouth only had 1 powerplay all game). Plymouth now has earned a tie with the London Knights for the #1 spot in the Western Conference. Missisauga finds themselves clinging to an 8th place tie with the re-energized Oshawa Generals.
My prediction Whalers 5 – Majors 0
London @ Saginaw
London was surprised at home by the visiting Kingston Fronts (see comments above). They travel across the border to Saginaw Michigan to take on the slumping Spirit squad. Saginaw returns from Sault Ste Marie after dropping a close contest 5-4. Four Sting players registered 2 points in that game.
Look for Houser to get the start in the nets for the visitors as the Knights try to bounce back on the road.
My prediction London 5 – Saginaw 1
Niagara @ Barrie
Niagara travels to Barrie to complete their 3-in-3 weekend. Barrie played Thursday night but not Friday. Thursday night’s game in Niagara was a fabulous goaltending performance by the Colts’ Alex Fotinos – he was peppered with 24 shots in the 3rd period (48 in the game) and only surrendered two goals. He was awarded with the first star of the game in a losing 2-1 effort. The Dogs are still getting used to each other and the line juggling by Coach Williamson to find the right combinations.
Last night the Dogs were in Sudbury to compete against Sgarbossa and the newly polished-up Wolves lineup. Niagara prevailed 5-2 on strong play by Dougie and Freddie Hamilton (3 pts each). Ritchie continues to be good on the puck as well as Kuhnhackl. Beukeboom was his hard into the boards in the first period and did not return.
Strome was mauled in front of the Sudbury net and had his nose broken – he returned to the game but did not play in the 3rd period. Dougie Hamilton was penalized for a head shot and will probably receive some attention from the league office – but should be able to play in this match. Dougie also hit Scheifele hard during Thursday’s match and he left the game favouring his arm and did not return. Without Scheifele the Colts will have a difficult time mustering up enough offence to keep up with the strong Icedogs. Festarini with the strong game last night should be watching Visentin in the pipes tonight. The depth of both rosters will be tested tonight.
My prediction Icedogs 5 – Colts 2
Sudbury @ Belleville
Sudbury comes off a home ice loss to the Niagara Icedogs (see above). They had a good first period but uneven play down the stretch allowed the visitors to capitalize on their mistakes and take the win away from the Wolves. Sgarbossa and Dodero with the goals. Sudbury and Belleville are in the very tight Eastern Conference standings. Sudbury with the same point total as the host Bulls – Belleville with one more regulation win. Both teams are 2 points away from 4th place and 3 points ahead of 9th place. Sudbury has been more successful in the past 10 games – but Belleville is coming off a strong win @ Brampton Thursday night. Since Nov 1 the Bulls have gone back and forth with wins and losses. 6 wins – 2 losses – 6 wins – 4 losses – 2 wins – 5 losses and now a win.
My prediction Belleville 3 – Sudbury 2 OT
Erie @ Owen Sound
In the rematch – back to back – doubleheader – daily double – etc etc etc ... the two teams tangle again. Last night it was 3-1 for the home team Owen Sound Attack. Erie had the first period lead on a goal from newly acquired Fox – but the Attack dug down and went ahead midway through the second period. Both teams had 6 powerplays but only Owen Sound would take advantage. In today’s game, look for the Otters to come out strong to start – and if their powerplay can capitalize they will stand a better chance to prevail.
My prediction Otters 3 – Attack 2
What Happened?
Well the season seemed a little too good to be true, and all of a sudden we're seeing the team everyone expected the Rangers to be; sloppy, unable to score timely goals (or goals at all really), and generally inexperienced. For lack of a better term, lets call it the curse of 2012.
Seems that when that clock flipped over to January 1st, the team simply put seemed confident. They only lost twice in the month of december, and both times by one goal margins (both times were also the first 2 friday's of the month, ironically). Heading to Guelph on new years day saw a team that struggled for puck control, took stupid penalties, and let the Storm come within one goal of winning the game. Had it not been for Tobias Rieder's quick goal in the final minute, I'm almost certain the Storm would have pulled out the win. They certainly deserved the extra point for on OT loss, had it gone that far. But The Rangers got lucky.
Last Friday, they fall behind 2-0 to the Generals early in the first, and never come back, eventually losing 6-3. Saturday night in Erie, they fall behind 4-2 but thanks to some strong play from Franky Palazzese they come back to win it 6-4. Thursday in Peterborough, they get badly outplayed 95% of the game, but thanks to one miscue from former Ranger Mike Morrison they eke out the win. Come back to tonight against Plymouth, and it's all gone again, falling behind 3-0 in the first period, eventually losing 6-1.
First word that came to my mind tonight: Pathetic. Second? Commitment. When the team is not ready to commit, they play pathetically. It's just that simple.
What's pathetic about the Rangers play? Their power play. Simply put, it was brutal tonight against Plymouth. Kitchener went 0/6 on the man advantage. They set 18th overall in the league with a lousy 14.8%. The one consolation is that they have allowed the fewest shorthanded goals against, at only 2. The penalty kill also needs a lot of beefing up, as the Rangers sit 19th. Again, there is a consolation, as the Rangers have the third most short handed goals for, at 11.
So where do they need to go from here? First, they need to get healthy and stay healthy. It currently looks like Matia Marcantuoni will either have surgery on his shoulder and be gone for the whole season, or do rehab and be back in about a month. That decision will be made on Monday. Regardless of whether it's for the season or a month, it's a huge loss for a guy who was projected to be selected by Carolina in the first round (Maybe Faksa now instead?). What a tough season for #91, certainly he can't be blamed for being injured, it's simply bad luck.
John Gibson needs to get back in between the pipes. Franky Palazzese could use a break. He's made the last 9 starts for Kitchener, going 7-2 in that time. That's pretty good, except those 2 losses he allowed at least 5 goals. My conclusion is, and it's not a knock at Franky's skill at all because he's very talented, he's simply tired and needs a game or two off. Gibson was away at the world juniors and now has a concussion, but hopefully he'll be back next weekend. The Rangers could really use his services.
Secondly, this power play needs a serious overhaul. For the past 2 seasons the Rangers have been trying the same system over and over again. It's not working. The special teams are easily the biggest hole in the Rangers game right now. Had they converted on a couple of those opportunities tonight, maybe it would have been a different game. Something to work on next time.
And finally, Ryan Murphy needs to get back in to it. He absolutely has the potential to be the best player in the western conference, hands down. He proved it over the last 2 seasons, he proved it with Carolina at their camp this summer, he needs to prove it now for this team to get going. If he can find his stride, maybe the rest of the team will start to build off it and the team as a whole will get better.
Here's hoping for a strong effort on Sunday.
Rangers vs. Oshawa, Looming deadlines
As we move closer to January 10th, it almost seems like everything that happened prior to the deadline doesn't matter. With teams like Sarnia and London getting significantly better (at least on paper) and Saginaw and Erie getting significantly worse (again, at least on paper), where will things go from here?
Saginaw and Erie weren't really making a lot of noise this season. The teams sit 9th and 10th respectively in the Western conference, so it really wasn't a surprise to see them sell the farm and land numerous key draft picks and young players. The otters have only won 5 games this season, and the Spirit aren't much better at only 16. Both teams will certainly be looking to make some noise over the next couple seasons.
The most surprising move for me, is the Sarnia Sting. Here's a team that has gone 3-7 in there last 10 without Nail Yakupov in the lineup. To me, that screams that the team lacks depth. During the gold medal game on Thursday, Yakupov left with a knee injury on crutches, and is likely to miss a significant amount of time. So they bet the future of the franchise, by sending picks as far away as 2017, to try and make a championship run when they sit in 4th at the half way point. It really doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but i've been wrong before.
So what do the Rangers have to do? Well in order to go anywhere this season they need more than Radek Faksa to score goals. Last night against the Generals, they were badly outplayed and outshot the entire game. Could it be that the team chose to take an off night? Could be, or maybe it's just good luck ending at the same time as December did.
One thing is for sure; this team needs to get its special teams going. The power play is a joke most of the time, and the penalty kill also needs a significant amount of work. The Rangers went 1/4 tonight, while Oshawa when 2/5. Kitchener had plenty of opportunity on the power play when they were down by only a goal, and they failed to capitalize. Down by 2 heading in to the third, they failed to generate any good scoring chances and allowed a goal against. Suddenly this high flying Ranger squad looked a lot like the team everyone expected them to be pre-season, ie lackluster efforts, and essentially getting run over by the competition.
Of course this was only one game, so it's not time to panic. But this needs to be the stinker of a game that is also a wake up call to the boys in blue: you can't take a single night off in this league.
Attack Week in Review (12/28-1/1)
The Attack didn't get off the start they wanted as they fell to the visiting Ice Dogs on Wednesday by a score of 2-1. With four of Niagra's top players not in the lineup ( Strome, D.Hamilton , F.Hamilton, Visentin ) this was a good chance for the Attack to play a solid home game and collect the big two points to keep pace in the midwest division, unfortunately the Ice Dogs had other plans as they played a near perfect road game and came out on top. Attack power play goes 0-4 on the night and was hard to watch at points as they could not muster any solid chances.
Two nights later the Attack find themselves playing a huge game against long time rival Kitchener Rangers at the Aud. I don't know if we are far enough along into the season to start labeling games as must wins but I feel this one was a must win for the Attack. With the power play unit still not clicking well and the Rangers playing their usual crash and bang style the Attack just couldn't find the energy to keep up with the Rangers as they fall 4-1 and fall 11 points back of the Rangers and 15 back of London.
Fast forward to the new year and we find the Attack traveling to Oshawa to take on the Generals in the first game of 2012 looking to get off to a good start. The Attack jump out to an early lead with their first power play goal in 4 games from captain Mike Halmo, his 22nd of the season. Oshawa would tie the game 1:18 later and eventually take the lead with a late goal to end the period. 2-1 Gens after twenty minutes.
A relatively quiet second period saw Blandisi get his 12th of the year and Keevin Cutting scraping with Maggio after a check to the head. Game all square at 2 after 40 minutes.
The third period would see a lot of back and forth play between both sides and the Gens would score twice on goals from Thomas and Graves. The attack would draw within one goal as Halmo would score his second of the game and 23rd of the campaign.
Another tough loss for the Attack as they have now lost 4 of their last 5 and have fell into a tie with Sault St.Marie for 5th in the Western Conference.
Power play and penalty kill will win you games and it can most certainly lose you games as the Attack struggle with the man advantage over the past 5 games going a combined 3-27 on the power play. Penalty kill was respectable killing off 26 of 30 over the last 5.
Next up for the Attack is Friday in Niagara for a rematch with the Ice Dogs and returning home to host the Brampton Battalion on Saturday night at the Lumley Bayshore game time as always 7:30pm.
Defense: Murphy: and scoring
You can't help but wonder what exactly is up Steve Spott's sleeve nowadays. The Rangers have one of the strongest blue lines in the league, already loaded with Ben Fanelli, Ryan Murphy, Julian Melchiori, Cody Sol, Max Iafrate, Evan McEnemy, Cory Genovese, Jared Gilbert and Jesse Young. In addition they also added two defenders over the past week and a half, picking up Mitch Eden in a trade from Oshawa and Stephen Midensky from free agency.
Moves like these point to a trade. So what could Spott look to be landing? My opinion is no different than last week. 2 more players who can score are all this team needs to raise a banner in September. I have no doubt in the goaltending tandem of Franky Palazzese and John Gibson, and the defensive core speaks for themselves. Up front you've got Tobias Rieder and Radek Faksa who can score almost every time they touch the puck, as well as Andrew Cresenczi and Michael Cattenaci who provide lots of secondary scoring, but I think this team could use a guy who can score like Faksa and Rieder. Maybe a guy who will come back as an OA next season (currently the only potential OA for next year is Cresenczi). A bit more experience and a few more goals and this team will be flying.
The Rangers started the week very strong, winning 6-1 in Mississauga on Sunday afternoon (Reports have it that the Major's fan went home very disappointed). Melchiori had his first of the season , Zach Lorentz scored twice, and John Gibson made 35 saves against the defending Eastern Champions.
Gibson will certainly be missed while he plays at the WJC in Calgary and Edmonton, while another surprise return will certainly help the Rangers blueline. Ryan Murphy was sent home by team Canada on Wednesday morning. Certainly this was unexpected, but maybe not shocking. Murph has changed his playing style this season, which could be expected coming in. However a lot of fans have thought he may now be overthinking his playing style. He said he wishes he had played more of his style at the WJC selection camp, and he played a lot more like he did last season tonight against the Soo. I think this is what he needs to do. Play his style, stay calm and work hard. This is what got him noticed by the NHL in the first place. Hopefully he can turn around his dismal point total so far this season and show why he is the best defenseman in Canadian junior hockey.
ITO Selects Team Canada for the WJHC
In the O is off to the World Juniors, but before they start or we get there, Canada has to trim the 43-man selection camp roster to 22. 13 forwards and 7 defensemen has been the usual for this team and I set my projected lineup to mirror that. Ladies and gentlemen: my projected 2012 World Junior Hockey Championship entry for Team Canada.
Centres:
Mark Scheifele [OHL]– The undisputed number one on this team. He will have to lead the team. He has game-breaking stuff and is capable of carrying a team on his back.
Ryan Strome [OHL]– An elite level offensive talent, Strome will be relied on to provide secondary scoring for the team as the tournament goes on. Strome is just too talented to leave off of this roster.
Zach Phillips [QMJHL]– Last year he was a beast through the QMJHL playoffs and into the Memorial Cup. Again he will be depended on as a checking centre that is also able to chip in offensively.
Michael Bournival [QMJHL]– Bournival is someone that will be asked to play an energy role on this team after being the last man cut last year. The nice thing with him is he has the scoring chops to move up in the lineup if needed.
Left Wingers:
Jaden Schwartz [NCAA]– Jaden comes back and will be looking to get the gold medal that eluded him last year. He will play a top line scoring role on this team. For Canada to win gold, Jaden will have to lead the way.
Jonathan Huberdeau [QMJHL]– Dynamic, electric, talented; these are adjectives that describe Jon’s game. He should be one of Canada’s leading scorers and will fit right in with Ryan Strome on a powerhouse second line.
Quinton Howden {WHL]– another returnee, Howden will be asked to play a checking role on this team. This is what he does well and if Canada wins gold, you can bet Howden will be a big reason why.
Tanner Pearson [OHL]– Maybe the one guy that can rival Spooner for the hottest player in the O. Pearson is leading the league in scoring but is also a dynamic penalty killer. He is a valuable player and would fit in nicely as the 13th forward.
Max Reinhart [WHL]- Max is my substitute selection for this team. He is able to play centre or the wing and that will make him a valauable player as injuries and poor play moves guys up and down the depth charts. He is a WHL boy and Hay likes that.
Ryan Spooner [OHL]– Maybe the OHL’s hottest player at this point, Spooner is a pure sniper. He can provide scoring on the 4th line in limited ice time, but he is also able to move up in the lineup if injuries or bad play takes over the aforementioned players. [ANNOUNCED THAT HE IS OUT WITH MONO]
Right Wingers:
Devante Smith-Pelly [NHL]– The Ducks have loaned DSP to this team and he will be looked upon to make a large impact. DSP is a banger with huge offensive touch. He will be the perfect winger for Mark Scheifele opening up plenty of ice for him and will be a pest around the opponents net.
Brett Connolly [NHL]– Another loaner from the NHL. Steve Yzerman and the Tampa Bay Lightning really wanted Brett to be on this team. An eye injury to Martin St. Louis seemed to spell disaster for those hoping he would be loaned, but Yzerman did it anyways. He will be asked to play a key role and should fit in nice with Ryan Strome.
Mark Stone [WHL]– Stone is an easy choice here as he would have been the undisputed #1 on this team without the NHL loaners. Stone is a superstar in the making and might be the best 3rd liner in this tournament.
Tyler Toffoli [OHL]– Many think that Toffoli’s chances of making this team were eliminated with the addition of the two big guns, but I just don’t see too many guys who are pure sniper’s on this team, not to mention how good he is in shootouts. Toffoli should make this team and as Canada likes to have….will be a 4th liner who can move up in the lineup if needed.
Defense:
Ryan Murray [WHL]– He’s draft eligible this year but you wouldn’t know it based on his game. He will be asked to play the shutdown role for this team.
Mark Pysyk [WHL] – Should be Murray’s defensive partner. He has offensive touch but will be asked to play against the other team’s best players in this tournament.
Brandon Gormley [QMJHL]– Gormley is the best Defenseman in the Q and will slot in nicely in the top 4. He moves the puck quick and takes the body. He is very tough to play against.
Dougie Hamilton [OHL]– Dougie is an offensive defenseman but he is able to take care of his own end as well as anyone in the O. At least one Hamilton should make this team.
Nathan Beaulieu [QMJHL]– Is another St. John Sea Dog that has a tonne of talent. He fits perfectly into the 3rd pairing on this team as Coach Don Hay loves puck moving defensemen.
Ryan Murphy [OHL]– I see Ryan as being kind of the Ryan Ellis of this group. He and Murray should run the 1st power play unit. Murphy will be important. He just has to buy in and accept a smaller role if Don Hay asks.
Jamie Oleksiak [OHL]– I feel like the big American-turned Canadian will make this team based on the fact that he switched his hockey allegiance from USA to Canada with hopes to play in this tournament for the Canadian side. I feel like he wouldn’t have made that decision if he weren’t guaranteed a spot. He should be the 7th defenseman.
Goaltending:
Mark Visentin [OHL]– you cannot leave your 2011 starting goaltender at home when he is still eligible. Yes, he had a bad third period in the gold medal game and yes he has not had a great season to date, but experience is at a premium on this team. He’s been there before and for a goaltender this is very important.
Tyler Bunz [WHL]– Is probably the best goaltender in the Canadian Hockey League this season. He deserves this place and if Visentin falters at all, Don Hay should have all the confidence in the world in him to go in there and do the job. He may even win the job pre-tournament.
What I could see happening on Don Hay’s team is that he substitutes some of the OHL players that I have slotted further down the depth charts like Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson for guys that he is more familiar with, like his stud right winger from his team, the Vancouver Giants, Brendan Gallagher or maybe inserting a big body in Brad Ross or Ty Rattie who is lighting the league up offensively, but is weak defensively. The final decisions will be very interesting!
Final Count:
8 OHL
6 WHL
5 QMJHL
2 NHL
1 NCAA
Where to Go From Here?
We're just about at that time of year again. Snow crunches under your feet, annoying Christmas music is played in every grocery store, and Bob McKenzie is causing controversy on twitter. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's junior hockey's second most glorious annual tradition, the World Junior Championship (some would argue the first most glorious, but I'm a big Memorial Cup fan)
So where does this leave the Rangers? Already short due to injury woes, the team now loses leading scorers Radek Faksa and Tobias Rieder, as well as defensemen Ryan Murphy and goalie John Gibson. Brent Pedersen will also play for Team Ontario at the World U17's in Windsor.
This becomes a true test of the team's depth. This is the perfect opportunity for Matia Marcantuoni (him more than anyone really) to step up and show that he really is worth all the pre-season hype after his rookie season last year. Brandon Francisco, Eric Ming, Zach Lorentz, and pretty much everyone else who plays forward for the Rangers has a huge opportunity ahead of them. Time to prove that they're worth it.
Of course it's also a great chance for Franky Palazzese. When I spoke with him at the beginning of the season, he told me he'd love to be the number 1 goalie in Kitchener. Then of course, John Gibson came around. No knock at Franky at all as he is a stellar net minder, but Gibson is just a little bit better. I'm sure Franky would love to prove me and everyone else wrong and show that he can be a starting net minder in this league. He's already proven that he's a strong goaltender. In 11 games played he has a save percentage of .932, and is 7-3-1. Not bad for a guy who was essentially hung and dried by fans in Kingston just a few months ago. So far Franky has proven to be very strong between the pipes in Kitchener, and I don't think anyone else would doubt that.
The final missing piece will be Ryan Murphy on defence and quite frankly, there isn't much to worry about there. Murph has been having his share of struggles this season. He was expected to lead the OHL in defensive points, yet only has 9 points as we get very close to the halfway point. Of course he has only played 14 games due to Carolina's camp and injury, and will now miss more due to WJHC, but there's been a few other defensive mistakes that, for a first round NHL draft pick, shouldn't be happening.
This is no big secret of course. On Tuesday night at the Aud it was obvious that Ryan was getting fed up with himself (and maybe the officials too.. i think everyone saw that slash except the zebras). He certainly puts more pressure on himself than anyone else puts on him. I fully expect Murph to make the world junior team, and return to Kitchener in January ready to take the league by storm.
The Rangers also made a trade with the Generals this week, sending a 4th round pick in the 2012 OHL Draft, a 4th round pick in 2015 and a conditional 3rd round 2017 pick, in return for Mitch Eden, a 17 year old blue liner currently playing Junior A in Hunstville. Could this be a sign of more trades to come?
I believe Spott has to decide over the WJHC whether or not this team is going to make a serious run in the spring. If the team performs well without it's top guys, why not? If they don't well then just stay the course and wait until next year. If the team were to make a run this year though, they can't trade away rookies or unsigned draft picks that will be next years core. My opinion is that the best option would be for a couple more guys who can score. Not necessarily a big name forward, but someone who can put the puck in the net more often than not to give this team a little more secondary scoring. With that in mind I do not think, that at this point, it's entirely impossible for the Rangers to make a long post season run in March. But again that all depends on the how things go over then next few weeks.
Congratulations to all Ranger fans for raising 7662 bears on teddy bear night this past Tuesday! I'm already looking forward to next year where an extra 1000 seats will mean an extra 1500 bears!
Rangers Continue to Roll
For a team that was predicted to be middle-of-the-pack pre-season, the Kitchener Rangers have done just that so far, albeit constantly down a man. We're quickly approaching the midway mark of the schedule. The Rangers sit third in the west, 2 points behind Plymouth with 2 games in hand, and 6 points behind London. But the injury bug continues to bite the team, which has yet to have a full lineup at any point this season.
John Gibson and Ryan Murphy finally returned to the lineup Thursday night in Brampton, and the team rallied after allowing a goal with 30 seconds to play. The ended up winning the game 2-1 in the shoot out.
Friday night with Mississauga in town was a different story. With top scorer Tobias Rieder out of the lineup with a banged up shoulder, the Rangers lost 3-2 after going down 3-1 by the end of the first period. How much does #9 mean to this hockey club right now? I guess we'll find out when he leaves for the World Juniors in a weeks time.
With Rieder gone, the Rangers add him to a list that includes Matia Marcantuoni, Andrew Cresenzci, Evan McEnemy, and Josh Gilbert. All players are currently watching from the press box.
Radek Faksa, the Rangers second highest point scorer, was named OHL Rookie of the Month for November. Faksa put up 16 points (8g,8a)in 10 games to earn the Czech import the honour. Hopefully he can continue to put on a show down the stretch, especially when the big guns are gone over the next month.
One common theme of discussions lately is how good this team will be next season. The Rangers are only guaranteed to lose Sol, Melchiori and Cattenaci (or is it Captainacci?). Of course there's a high likelihood of losing Murphy, Rieder and maybe even Gibson to the NHL come next October. Of course the loss of Jeff Skinner and Jeremy Morin to start last season is still fresh in everyone's mind (I call it 53 syndrome), so the last thing anyone wants is a repeat. So what does this mean really? I'd like to think that the Rangers 50th season will be a big one. So don't get too distraught if things turn sour down the stretch, just remember the Rangers are probably better than Guelph and Windsor and the future is very bright.
Don't forget your teddy bears Tuesday night against London!!
Thoughts from the Editor - Week ending November 27th
Import Success and Injury Woes
At what point did things go from bad to worse in Erie? Last place in the league, 11 points behind their next closest basement dweller, what's happened there this seasons? Of course this blog isn't about the Otters so moving on...
The Kitchener Rangers pounded the Erie Otters 7-3 last night. Of course that isn't exactly exceeding expectations for this Ranger team, who now has 33 points on the season. Talk about exceeding expectations, and you have to think of Radek Faksa and Tobias Rieder. The Kitchener Rangers two import picks are leading the team lately. Rieder has 19 goals, and Faksa has 13. It's not unusual for a player to come here from Europe and take a year to adjust to Canada. They usually don't find their stride until their second season. But Faksa has jumped on the ice and fit in perfectly. With his 2 goals last night, he now has 26 points in 23 games, and this should continue as, for some odd reason, he is not expected to join the Czech team at the World Juniors.
Tobias Rieder has been firing on all cylinders so far this season. 19 goals in 24 games, giving him 32 points so far this season. Just to compare that, former Ranger turned NHL first round pick, All star and Calder trophy winner Jeff Skinner took 25 games to reach 19 during his 50 goal season, which was his last in Kitchener. Not to put too much pressure on Rieder (Who just got on twitter @TobiRieder9), but I'm pretty sure everyone on East Ave and a few folks in Edmonton would love to see this trend continue.
And he may have to keep that trend up with the Rangers defensive corps all banged up. Goalie John Gibson is out with a sore back, and when it gets better he'll likely be off to the USA World Junior camp. Carolina draft pick Ryan Murphy is still out with his concussion but is likely to return Thursday vs. Brampton. Rookie blue liner Jared Gilbert has a broken wrist, and add that to Evan McEnemy, who is sitting the whole season after hurting his leg back in October. If a goalie and three defenders down wasn't enough, Andrew Cresenczi also has a sore hand, and sophomore forward Matia Marcantuoni has a shoulder that is so swollen, doctors have yet to even look at it.
Yet with all these injuries the Rangers have yet to skip a beat. They've won 7 of there last 8, are sitting in 4th place overall in the OHL (one point ahead of the 67's with a game in hand), and even received an Honourable Mention in the CHL Top 10 this past week. Once a few of these guys get back from injuries and the World Juniors are over, expect this team to really take off.
One final thought, when was the last time so many Rangers were expected to play at the World Juniors for different teams? The most I remember in the past was in 2002/2003 when Derek Roy, Gregory Campbell and Steve Eminger all played for Team Canada, but this year we have John Gibson (USA), Ryan Murphy (Canada) and Tobias Rieder (Germany), and I believe the Czech's could really use Radek Faksa, although that probably won't happen. It's great to see the Rangers international scouting staff working so well! Just as long as they don't burn the Canadians come that gold medal game.
Don't Look Now
Two weeks ago I wrote about Ryan Murphy getting hit by Tom Kuhnackl, and how this would be a huge blow to the Kitchener Rangers... What was I thinking? The team has now won 5 straight, and are 8-1-1 in there last 10. Anyone seen the Midwest division standings lately? The boys in blue are only 4 points back of the mighty London Knights, a team they beat in a shoot out not too long ago.
So what's going on here? Has it been a lull in the schedule, playing only weak teams? Sarnia, Guelph, Erie, Oshawa and Sudbury (in no particular order) all fell victim to the Rangers over the last 5 games. Those teams, With the exception of Sarnia, are at the lower ends of their respective divisions, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they're bad teams. Regardless, the Rangers should have had 8 out of 10 points easy, and they got all 10. That's impressive. So whats with this sudden surge?
Look no further than John Gibson, Radek Faksa, Tobias Rieder and Zach Lorentz. Why Lorentz? As the kids say, he's got mad shoot out skillz bro. He came in to camp determined to be a better player and he has improved over last season, and he's continuing to get better.
Gibson has been incredible between the pipes, and Rieder and Faksa seem to score on almost every shot lately.
So far in the Month of November, Gibby has a 2.17 GAA and 0.941 Save percentage. When was the last time a Rangers net minder had those stats? Steve Mason? The guy is stopping and blocking almost everything out there and impressing everyone around the rink. He proved it even more on Thursday against Sarnia, when he outplayed former Rangers tender Brandon Maxwell. Maxx got pulled in that game after allowing 3 goals, while Gibon only allowed 2 goals on 40 shots.
Faksa has 9 points in seven games so far this month, good enough to get him placed on the top 5 of the OHL's Preliminary draft list for the upcoming NHL draft this summer. It seems he's found his stride in this country and is on his way to a great season.
The other import playing on East Ave, Tobias Rieder, has 10 points in the last 7 games including A three point night last night against Erie. In his sophomore season in Kitchener, Rieder has really stepped his game up and impressed all the fans in Kitchener. I'm sure there's a few scouts in Edmonton who are quite happy too.
The return of Captainacci (Rangers captain Michael Cattenaci) has been great as well. In his two games back the captain has 5 points including 4 last night against Erie. Hopefully this team can start getting healthy soon and we'll get Creszenci and Murphy back soon (and maybe McEnemy for the playoffs).
One more topic of note, City Council approved the expansion the the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, so at this time next year there will be an additional 1000 seats plus all new media boxes (more leg room for people 6ft tall maybe?) and private boxes. It only took 2 months to get this approved. Maybe Niagara's city council should pick up the slack too?
Trade Talk, 4-3 win over Niagara, and Ryan Murphy
While 3 of the biggest trades of the season took place this week, it was business as usual in Kitchener as the rangers didn't move anyone. Was this really a surprise to anyone? I don't think so. I think the trade for Jack Campbell was too much too soon for the greyhounds. Only 15 games in to the season for most teams and I think it's not quite time to start blowing up the roster. That's why I'm glad the Rangers stayed dormant for now.
Last night the Rangers cruised to a 4-3 victory over the Niagara IceDogs. Strong performances from John Gibson, Radek Faksa, and Ben Thompson kept the Rangers in charge for most of the game, with the exception of a sloppy first period. Gibson stayed strong in goal though, and the Rangers pulled out the win. Only real disappointment? Max Iafrate was unable to bury an empty netter which would have secured free chili for the masses in KW.
Of note though, midway through the second period, Tom Khunackl,, former Windsor Spitfire, came flying off the wing, and leaped in to Ryan Murphy, hitting him square in the face with the elbow. Khunackl left the ice and was assigned a 5 minute major plus a game misconduct. Murph stayed out for a few shifts, and even got an assist, before leaving the bench and not returning. This would be a huge blow to the team, who already has Captain Cattenaci out of the lineup, suffering from a concussion.
Hopefully Murphy is ok and returns to the lineup soon. However what is to happen with Khunackl? He broke a big rule by leaving his feet and aiming directly for Murphy's head. This is the exact sort of stuff that the OHL/CHL and in fact, almost everyone in hockey, has been trying to remove from our game. It is absolutely unacceptable at any level of hockey. Here's hoping Mr. Branch makes the right decision.
from the CCHL to the OHL
Daniel Altshuller – Oshawa Generals (Nepean Raiders):
Warren Steele - Kingston Frontenacs (Smiths Falls Bears):
Nathan Pancel – Sudbury Wolves (Gloucester Rangers):
Zach Lesile – Guelph Storm (Gloucester Rangers):
Brandon Lesway – Kitchener Rangers (Kemptville 73s):
Adam Lloyd – Brampton Battalion (Gloucester Rangers):
For more information and to ask Chris some questions about the CCHL or its Graduates follow him on Twitter @cmessina85
Time for Leaders to Emerge
*please note, this post was written prior to the Rangers game against the Otters on friday night*
Who exactly is leading the Kitchener Rangers right now?
Overall, the team isn't doing bad. Middle of the pack, a little over .500, exactly what was expected of them. But in Kitchener, that isn't a very good excuse. It was expected that Matia Marcantuoni would have an explosive season, leading the team in points and showing that he's worthy of a first round pick come June. Ryan Murphy was supposed to come back from Carolina and show everyone how to run a power play. Looking shortly after training camp, a lot of people expected a very strong defensive core which includes Ben Fanelli, the aforementioned Murphy, Winnipeg Jets property Cody Sol and Julian Melchiori, Max Iafrate, Evan McEnemy, as well as promising rookies Cory Genovese and Jared Gilbert. So what's wrong?
Well firstly, McEnemy is out for the season after an injury earlier this month in Saginaw. That's a huge blow to the Rangers after he started out so strong. Secondly, Murphy, who was expected to lead the OHL in points by a defenseman currently sits 42nd amongst OHL blue liners. Obviously he needs to step his game up. Critics have long said that Murphy takes too many risks and doesn't pass enough. We have seen a bit of evidence of that this season. Murph likes to skate the puck and move quickly. He's constantly thinking shot when he should start thinking pass a little more often. He's also had quite a bit of pure bad luck around the net this season, missing a couple glorious opportunities on Tuesday against London. On a brighter note for Murph, he was selected to team OHL to play against the Russians in the Subway super series. The game will surely be a test for him as he tries to crack Canada's world junior squad in December. Surely all of this is something Murph is already very much aware of and is definitely trying to get better.
The second issue i've seen is with Marcantuoni. MM was touted as being very improved over last season but hasn't really shown much in that department. In 8 games played this season he only has 3 points and is a minus 1. He missed a few games early on with a concussion, and unfortunately for him he has struggled in the past with injuries. But if he wants to make a strong impression with NHL clubs this year, he's going to have to step it up and start putting pucks in the net. The fans in Rangers Nation won't put up with poor play, from someone who's supposed to be amazing, for very long. Just ask Brandon Maxwell.
Hopefully these 2 guys have woken up through out the week and step it up against the Otters this weekend. On a positive note, Captain Cat (Michael Cattenaci) has been showing signs of improvement and will hopefully be back with the team soon. Cat suffered a concussion two weeks ago against the Owen Sound Attack. Having him back in the lineup will help this team immensely, as he is the smallest guy with the biggest heart in the OHL.
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