OHL 2019 Playoff Preview – Round 1: Rangers vs. Storm

In the words of Yogi Berra, “It's deja vu all over again.”

It’s the second year in a row the Kitchener Rangers and Guelph Storm will face each other in the opening round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.

This year, the fourth-seeded Storm are the major favourite.

“I’m looking forward to going into the playoffs as an underdog,” said McKee. “That’s a role I've been in as a coach and as a player. When you win a series as an underdog it feels better than when you win as a favourite. I'm excited. I think the guys are too.”

Understandably. The Rangers have won three-of-the-last-four against the Storm. Guelph loaded up at ahead of the trade deadline adding defencemen Fedor Gordeev, Markus Phillips, Sean Durzi and forwards MacKenzie Entwistle, Nick Suzuki, and Zachary Roberts.

The Rangers were one of the 12 teams in the OHL that didn't “load-up” ahead of the deadline, but instead moved Nick McHugh to the Mississauga Steelheads.

Kitchener’s offense has been buzzing lately to say the least. Jonathan Yantsis became the first 50-goal scorer in a Blueshirt since Jeff Skinner in 2010.
Greg Meireles scored in the final game of the season marking a league-best 20-game point streak, notching 38 points. Joseph Garreffa is riding a 15-game point streak. Meireles, Garreffa, Yantsis, Riley Damiani and Rickard Hugg have all set career-highs in goals, assists and points.

REGULAR SEASON TEAM STATS

	Kitchener Rangers (5th)	Guelph Storm (4th)
Record	34-30-3-1 (72 pts)	40-18-6-4 (90 pts)
Home Record	17-13-3-1 (38 pts)	23-9-1-1 (48 pts)
Road Record	17-17-0-0 (34 pts)	17-9-5-3 (42 pts)
GF	251 (6th most in West)	308 (1stin West)
GA	267 (5th most in West)	230 (7th most in West)
PIM	616 (4th fewest in West)	674 (5th most in West)
PP %	29.0% (1st)	25.8% (3rd)
PP% Home	30.5% (2nd)	25.3% (5th)
PP% Road	27.5% (1st)	26.5% (2nd)
PK %	76.9% (15th)	79% (8th)
PK% Home	76.0% (17th)	77.8% (15th)
PK% Away	77.7% (8th)	80.2% (7th)

REGULAR SEASON TOP SCORERS

Kitchener Rangers (8-4)	Guelph Storm (8-3)
(C) Greg Meireles: 36-61–97pts	(RW) Nate Schnarr: 34–68–102pts
(LW) Joseph Garreffa: 32-55-87pts	(C) Nick Suzuki: 34-60-94pts
(C) Riley Damiani: 30-55-85pts	(LW) Isaac Ratcliffe: 50-32-82pts
(RW) Jonathan Yantsis: 50-23-73pts	(C) Liam Hawel: 37-41-78pts
(LW) Rickard Hugg: 33-40-73pts	C) MacKenzie Entwistle: 30-27-57pts

 

 

REGULAR SEASON GOALIE STATS

KITCHENER RANGERS	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	GAA	SV%	GA	SO
Luke Richardson	50	28	19	2	1	3.52	0.890	161	3
Lucas Pfeil	27	6	11	0	1	4.2	0.870	93	0
GUELPH STORM	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	GAA	SV%	GA	SO
Anthony Popovich	52	30	13	5	2	3.29	0.899	164	1
Nico Daws	20	10	5	1	2	3.25	0.893	61	0

 

REGULAR SEASON RECAP:

October 19: Richardson perfect, but Rangers lose Hall and McHugh

October 21: Rangers fall to Storm 5-2 Sunday

October 30: Confidence key for kids ready to rejuvenate Rangers

December 2: Keepers are questionable capping Kitchener’s rocky weekend

January 11: Rangers use some trickery to shock Storm in OT

February 15: It was the game of the year for the Kitchener Rangers
 

March 3: Storm blasts Kitchener

March 10: Rangers stop Storm in possible first-round match-up

 

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE:

Game 1: Friday, March 22 – Kitchener at Guelph 7:30 pm Game 2: Sunday, March 24 – Kitchener at Guelph 2:00 pm
Game 3 : Tuesday, March 26 – Guelph at Kitchener 7:00 pm
Game 4 : Thursday, March 28 – Guelph at Kitchener 7:00 pm
Game 5: Friday, March 29 – Kitchener at Guelph 7:30 pm*
Game 6 : Sunday, March 31 – Guelph at Kitchener 6:00 pm*
Game 7: Tuesday, April 2 – Kitchener at Guelph 7:00 pm*

*If necessary

Story by Chris Pope