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!!

ITO Three Stars & Power Rankings: Week 10

Welcome back for another edition of the ITO Power Rankings, as well as our Three Stars for the week of November 21^st-27^th. As the end of November nears, we are starting to get a good idea of which teams are real contenders this season, which teams are pretenders, and which teams never were. The next six weeks is absolutely critical to teams around the league, as decisions need to be made between now and the January 10^th Trade deadline.

ITO 3 Stars

1. Malcolm Subban (Belleville Bulls) – Often overlooked by his big brother’s success in the N.H.L., Malcolm is quickly becoming known on his own merits. Already the leading Goaltender in the Ontario Hockey League on GAA, Subban has been a large part in the success of the Belleville Bulls this season. Malcolm played in all three of his team’s games over the last week, allowing just two goals while posting a shutout over Guelph. Malcolm would stop 87 of 89 shots he faced, for save percentage of .978. Clearly the best player in the league this week, ‘The Subban Wall’ is this week’s ITO First Star.

2. Brendan Gaunce (Belleville Bulls) – While Subban was stopping nearly everything he saw, someone was still needed in Belleville to put pucks in the other net, and that’s where Brendan came in this week. Riding a super-hot stick, Gaunce would strike for five goals in his three games, as well as adding an assist. Starting with a two goal performance on Thursday night in Erie, Brendan would follow up the next night, scoring another pair of goals in a whitewashing of Guelph. To round out the weekend, Gaunce would score a goal and an assist in a win over Oshawa. By scoring five times, and registering six points, along with a +5 rating, Brendan Gaunce is the ITO Second Star for Week 10.

3. Tobias Rieder (Kitchener Rangers) – Not to be outdone, Tobias Rieder was equally as important to the Kitchener Rangers this week, scoring five times and adding an assist of his own. Tuesday night, Tobias would start the week right, scoring a hat trick in a big win over Guelph. Friday night, Rieder would add another marker, as the Rangers would send Erie to defeat. Tobias would wrap up his weekend by adding another goal, as well as an assist, in yet another big victory, this time over Sarnia. For this, as well as his +3 rating this week, Tobias earns his spot as the ITO Third Star for November 21^st-27^th.

ITO Power Rankings

1. London Knights – (Last Week: 1) By winning two of their three games this past week, the London Knights retain the top spot in the ITO Power Rankings, which they have held since the beginning of the season. The lead is beginning to diminish, however, as many teams have set their sights on the league leaders. After a loss on home ice to Barrie, the Knights would rebound with victories in Erie and Brampton. London hosts Saginaw on Friday night, then travel to Owen Sound for a contest the following evening.

2. Kitchener Rangers – (Last Week: 4) With wins in all three contests this week, the Rangers vault into the number 2 spot in the OHL Power Rankings. 9-1 in their last ten, and points in 13 of their last 14 games, Kitchener has become one of the most feared teams in the league. The Rangers would outscore their opposition 17-5 in three victories this week, knocking off Guelph, Erie, and Sarnia along the way. Kitchener plays three games in three nights this week, starting Thursday night in Brampton. After returning home to face Mississauga, the Rangers will finish their week in Erie on Saturday night.

3. Plymouth Whalers – (Last Week: 2) The Whalers find themselves down one spot this week, after losing two of three. A win over Saginaw on Wednesday kept the Whalers’ streak intact, but losses to Peterborough and Guelph over the weekend caused the team to slide. Plymouth has a pair of home games this week to try and steady things, hosting Sault Ste. Marie on Friday and Guelph on Saturday.

4. Belleville Bulls – (Last Week: 8) A big jump into the top five for the Belleville Bulls this week, as they win three straight games, improving to 9-2 in their last 11 games. The Bulls started the week with a strong 3-1 victory in Erie, then blanked Guelph the next night. Belleville would return home for a Sunday afternoon matinee, defeating Oshawa handily. Looking ahead, the Bulls host Kingston on Wednesday night, beginning a home and home series that wraps up on Friday night. Belleville returns home the next night to take on Windsor to end the week.

5. Sarnia Sting – (Last Week: 3) Playing without star forward Nail Yakupov for much of the week, the Sting suffered, losing all three contests. After losing in a shootout to Barrie on Thursday, Sarnia would be dropped in back to back contests over the weekend, first to Niagara, and then in Kitchener. The Sting hit the road for a pair of games, starting in Peterborough on Thursday, and playing the following night in Oshawa. Sarnia comes home for a Sunday afternoon contest against Sault Ste. Marie to finish the weekend.

6. Ottawa 67’s – (Last Week: 7) Ottawa continues to impress, sitting atop the East Division, and climb one spot this week, despite earning a split from their two games. The 67’s opened the weekend on Friday, losing on home ice to Oshawa, but would come back in the third period on Sunday to defeat Kingston in a shootout. Ottawa has a three game weekend in front of them, starting at home to Windsor on Friday night, and playing games in Peterborough on Saturday, and in Mississauga Sunday.

7. Niagara IceDogs – (Last Week: 13) With three straight wins this week, the IceDogs leap back into the top ten in the OHL Power Rankings. Once considered a contender, Niagara is fighting to erase a slow start. Big wins over Brampton, Windsor, and Sarnia this week vault the IceDogs up the ranks, and Niagara will look to continue the rise with three games this weekend. The IceDogs host Erie on Thursday and Barrie on Saturday, before playing Sunday afternoon in Brampton.

8. Brampton Battalion – (Last Week: 6) Right in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference, the Battalion continue to keep pace with the top teams in the OHL. Brampton could only muster one win in three games this past week, causing a small drop in the Power Rankings. After a win Wednesday in Mississauga, the Battalion would lose back to back games to Niagara and London. If Brampton is to get back on pace, they start Thursday, when they host Kitchener. A game in Sudbury on Friday is followed by a Sunday afternoon contest at home to Niagara, finishing three games in four days.

9. Peterborough Petes – (Last Week: 5) After a good start to the week, Peterborough would struggle, and find themselves down four spots this week in the OHL Power Rankings. The Petes would earn two points in Plymouth on Friday night, but would be on the wrong end of scores in Saginaw and Windsor, stalling the teams’ momentum. A big week lies ahead for Peterborough, as they play host to Sarnia on Thursday and Ottawa on Saturday, before traveling to Oshawa to wrap up the weekend Sunday evening.

10. Barrie Colts – (Last Week: 10) No change for Barrie, though the Colts did win two out of three games this week, both against top opposition. After winning in Sarnia on Thursday, the Colts went into London on Friday and earned two points again. A tough loss on home ice to Sudbury on Saturday prevents Barrie from gaining ground this week. The Colts hit the road for three games this week, starting in Owen Sound Wednesday. Barrie also takes on Erie on Friday, and plays in Niagara Saturday.

11. Sudbury Wolves – (Last Week: 15) After falling four spots last week, the Wolves make that ground back this week, after winning both games they played. The victories over Owen Sound and Barrie help Sudbury move up the Rankings, but for the Wolves to continue upwards, they will need a good week coming up. Sudbury hosts Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday evening, and will have Brampton in town for a contest on Friday.

12. Owen Sound Attack – (Last Week: 12) Still at number 12 this week, the Owen Sound Attack were able to earn three points from a pair of games over the last seven days. After the Attack lost a shootout contest in Sudbury Friday night, Owen Sound retaliated by winning a night later, knocking off Sault Ste. Marie. This week, the Attack hosts Barrie on Wednesday night, then plays in Guelph on Friday. Owen Sound finishes the weekend back at home on Saturday night, when London comes to visit.

13. Guelph Storm – (Last Week: 9) The Guelph Storm are one of many teams that have seemed to settle into the middle of the pack in their conference. They would win two and lose two over a four game week, but slide four spots landing at number 13. Guelph would start the week with a lopsided loss in Kitchener on Tuesday, and would be whitewashed by Belleville on Friday night. The Storm replied over the weekend, picking up victories over Plymouth and Mississauga to salvage an even record for the week. No rest for Guelph this week, as they play three games in three days over the weekend, starting with a visit from Owen Sound on Friday. The Storm then take to the road for weekend stops in Plymouth and Saginaw.

14. Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds – (Last Week: 11) After an impressive start, the Greyhounds have begun to falter as of late, and dropped both decisions this past week in the process. While the Hounds would pick up a point from a shootout loss to Saginaw on Friday, a loss the next night to Owen Sound would continue the Soo’s downward trend. The Greyhounds hit the road for four games in the next seven days, starting Tuesday when they play in Sudbury. With three more games over the weekend, starting Friday in Plymouth, and making stops in Saginaw and Sarnia, this could be a make-it or break-it week for Sault Ste. Marie.

15. Windsor Spitfires – (Last Week: 16) The Spits continue their slow trend upwards, climbing another spot this week, after earning a split in a pair of contests. A loss to Niagara on Friday night would start Windsor’s week on the wrong foot, but the Spitfires rebounded to take down Peterborough on Sunday afternoon. Windsor is another team that plays three times from Friday to Sunday this week ahead, playing contests on the road in Ottawa, Belleville, and Kingston.

16. Mississauga St. Michaels Majors – (Last Week: 14) It has been a long steady fall for a team that was one game away from winning the Memorial Cup on home ice this past May. The Majors got off to a terrific start to the season, but have since won just five times in their last twenty contests. Mississauga would fail to earn a point over the last week, dropping all three of their games. A midweek loss to Brampton was followed with defeats at the hands of Kingston and Guelph, and the Majors are in full free-fall. If that weren’t enough, the Majors will have their hands full this week, with two contests, both against top teams in the OHL. Mississauga plays in Kitchener on Friday night, before returning home to tangle with Ottawa on Sunday.

17. Oshawa Generals – (Last Week: 17) Contenders no more, the Generals are now vying in hopes of simply making the playoffs this season. A sluggish start would cost Chris DiPiero his job behind the bench, and Gary Agnew has fared little better, as Oshawa continues to sputter. They would split their games this week, starting Friday with a big road win in Ottawa. The Generals would fail to string together consecutive wins, dropping a game in Belleville Sunday afternoon. Oshawa has a pair of home games this week to try and right the ship, starting Friday night when Sarnia comes to town. The Generals also host Peterborough on Sunday evening.

18. Saginaw Spirit – (Last Week: 18) Saginaw remains planted at number 18 this week, as they continue to play inconsistent hockey. The Spirit would win two of three games this week, improving on a record that needs work. After a loss in Plymouth, Saginaw would get a shootout win over Sault Ste. Marie on Friday, and picked up another win a night later against Peterborough. The Spirit will look to keep winning this week, starting with a game in London on Friday night. After that, Saginaw returns home for the weekend, with games against Sault Ste. Marie and Guelph.

19. Kingston Frontenacs – (Last Week: 19) While playing better as of late, the Frontenacs have dug themselves quite a hole, a hole that may be too much to get out of in Kingston. The Fronts would earn three out of four possible points last week, defeating Mississauga on Friday, but losing in a shootout to Ottawa on Sunday. Three games await Kingston this week, starting Wednesday in Belleville. Belleville returns the visit to Kingston on Friday night, and the Frontenacs wrap up the week hosting Windsor on Sunday afternoon.

20. Erie Otters – (Last Week: 20) There is an OHL team that plays in Pennsylvania, but they haven’t given us much to talk about this season, and have become a league afterthought by November. Now with just three wins in their first 25 games, the Otters are already relegated to playing for pride, and maybe some of them who might be dealt off to contenders before the January trade deadline. The losing streak would hit ten games after three more losses this past week, as Belleville, Kitchener, and London would all take turns earning victories over Erie. The Otters play three games in three nights from Thursday through Saturday of the week ahead. After playing in Niagara, Erie comes back home for games with Barrie and Kitchener.

The ITO Three Stars and Power Rankings can be found every Tuesday here at In The O… The Radio Show. Be sure to check back next week to see where your favourite team ranks, but if you can’t wait for your OHL fix, find me on Twitter, @N24Nicholson.

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?