Kitchener Rangers 2023-24 Season Thread (Part 3)

[Rangers2022]

Rangers not only played with no sense of urgency after the first they also got roughed up by the Wolves with no answer. I Watched the Wolves play the previous game against the Bulldogs and both teams were physical with the Wolves coming out on top. Any team hoping to win a playoff round better be ready for a rough go. They are going to get banged around and should reciprocate. Rangers aren't built for this type of chippy hockey. After pulling Vandenberg the Wolves made an adjustment and kept the Rangers to the outside in the offensive end. In the defensive end the Rangers couldn't protect Parsons at all allowing the Wolves forwards to stand right in the blue paint and score at will. When they manage to get Martin and Mesar back they will have more scoring but that is not the issue. They need to find a way to tighten up the defense or they won't last too long when it counts.

Rangers started the game really fast and the Wolves started hitting the Ranger players about half way through the 2nd period all over the ice. Rangers defense in the 3rd was turning the puck over a lot causing goals.
The hard hitting plus like EvenSteven said by playing the top defensemen to much caused the turn overs. This Wolves team is very physical, we now have two guys that were injured in the game. I know it has been said here a lot but we really miss the two defensemen that were traded away.
Now in order to fix the problem we need to add two defensemen and for what cost ?
And yes we don't have a real physical team.
Like a lot of posters on this board have said MM in a real tough spot.

 

[GeoBlue]

View attachment 798193

Scott on the 4th line. We are definitely hurting.

I'm not sure how to bring this up diplomatically but I am getting the feeling that Mesar might be a bit of a, um, "problem child"? He sort of made it known in the past that he did not want to play junior and now is taking his time getting back to Canada? Just theorizing here as I know that there could be many other sets of circumstances. (i.e. Rangers letting him have some family time for the holidays) Anyone else want to chime in?

 

[Stellar29]

Scott on the 4th line. We are definitely hurting.

I'm not sure how to bring this up diplomatically but I am getting the feeling that Mesar might be a bit of a, um, "problem child"? He sort of made it known in the past that he did not want to play junior and now is taking his time getting back to Canada? Just theorizing here as I know that there could be many other sets of circumstances. (i.e. Rangers letting him have some family time for the holidays) Anyone else want to chime in?

There's other euro players around the OHL that aren't back yet either so I wouldn't read too much into it. Likely just an opportunity to sneak in a visit with family before returning to North America. I don't imagine they get much time with their families throughout the season if any at all. His national teammate Servac Petrovsky doesn't get back to Canada until January 9th just for reference.

 

[ddiclem]

Scott on the 4th line. We are definitely hurting.

I'm not sure how to bring this up diplomatically but I am getting the feeling that Mesar might be a bit of a, um, "problem child"? He sort of made it known in the past that he did not want to play junior and now is taking his time getting back to Canada? Just theorizing here as I know that there could be many other sets of circumstances. (i.e. Rangers letting him have some family time for the holidays) Anyone else want to chime in?

Dvorsky is also not back for Sudbury yet. Will be back for the game on the 10th

 

[OMG67]

Does anyone know who your fourth protected OA is?

 

[EvenSteven]

We don’t have one. The Schmidt trade brought us from four to three.

 

[OMG67]

We don’t have one. The Schmidt trade brought us from four to three.

AH, yes. Forgot about that.

 

[bobber]

Scott on the 4th line. We are definitely hurting.

I'm not sure how to bring this up diplomatically but I am getting the feeling that Mesar might be a bit of a, um, "problem child"? He sort of made it known in the past that he did not want to play junior and now is taking his time getting back to Canada? Just theorizing here as I know that there could be many other sets of circumstances. (i.e. Rangers letting him have some family time for the holidays) Anyone else want to chime in?

Personally I think Mesar loves playing in Kitchener. He is a leader here on the team and going by his performance at the Worlds where every hockey reporter and scout loved talking about his skill level I can't wait to see him back on the roster.

 

[Ward Cornell]

There's other euro players around the OHL that aren't back yet either so I wouldn't read too much into it. Likely just an opportunity to sneak in a visit with family before returning to North America. I don't imagine they get much time with their families throughout the season if any at all. His national teammate Servac Petrovsky doesn't get back to Canada until January 9th just for reference.

I actual hope that the teams almost promote the idea that their WJHC players do stay back for a few days. IMHO it would totally recharge them plus theyve played a whack of games in a short period of time.
Nice to see that the LeBlancs brought some of their Sarnia/Letang karma to NB for this game!

 

[blkhawk]

I think we forget these are just kids

 

[Krangers08]

Big game from Malboeuf and the bottineau line.

 

[Ward Cornell]

Big game from Malboeuf and the bottineau line.

I suspct by Bottineaus 4th yr he'll be a beast in this league

 

[bobber]

Mayer to Ottawa 2,3,5. Another player off the board. Saw this on the Petes thread.
Good game by the short handed Rangers defeating the Battalion in their barn. Hard fought win.

 

[bobber]

Malboeuf looked solid when the pressure was on today. Huge effort by Bottineau. Some players stepped up when needed.

 

[Krangers08]

Mayer to Ottawa 2,3,5. Another player off the board. Saw this on the Petes thread.
Good game by the short handed Rangers defeating the Battalion in their barn. Har fought win.

Likely wanted to stay east and is playing close to home

 

[Krangers08]

“It’s a little slow right now,” said McKenzie, of the trade market. “We’re going to wait and see if something makes sense for us to do it. Then by all means we’re OK with being aggressive and doing something. That being said we’re not going to act desperately or do something really silly either.”
So, don’t expect the Rangers to part with one of their prized rookies or fistfuls of draft picks for a rental player.
Kitchener does have an open import slot and kicked the tires on Sarnia forward Sandis Vilmanis before the Latvian was shipped to North Bay for a package that included 2023 first-round pick Carter Kostuch.
One free addition could be highly-touted Rangers import Tomas Pobezal. The 17-year-old is back from a hand injury and currently playing in a Slovakian men’s league.

 

[Ward Cornell]

“It’s a little slow right now,” said McKenzie, of the trade market. “We’re going to wait and see if something makes sense for us to do it. Then by all means we’re OK with being aggressive and doing something. That being said we’re not going to act desperately or do something really silly either.”
So, don’t expect the Rangers to part with one of their prized rookies or fistfuls of draft picks for a rental player.
Kitchener does have an open import slot and kicked the tires on Sarnia forward Sandis Vilmanis before the Latvian was shipped to North Bay for a package that included 2023 first-round pick Carter Kostuch.
One free addition could be highly-touted Rangers import Tomas Pobezal. The 17-year-old is back from a hand injury and currently playing in a Slovakian men’s league.

I wonder if MM cant upgrade the d if he may actually sell??
I know sacrilege but Its obvious their shortcomings and why exit in second round with zero returns on assets?

 

[Krangers08]

So in other words if he’s making a move it’s for 05/06 players

 

[Ward Cornell]

So in other words if he’s making a move it’s for 05/06 players

IF he cant upgrade then yes, but just my opinion.
What would you suggest if he can't upgrade?? Just curious because I'm sure opinions are all over the place on this and none are wrong.

 

[Krangers08]

IF he cant upgrade then yes, but just my opinion.
What would you suggest if he can't upgrade?? Just curious because I'm sure opinions are all over the place on this and none are wrong.

I wanted to be sellers but that’s unrealistic at this point. Seems like if they make a move it would be considered an overpayment based on the market. Just run with what you have, take the early exit, and pray you get brzustewicz returned next year to trade.

 

[rangersblues]

I wanted to be sellers but that’s unrealistic at this point. Seems like if they make a move it would be considered an overpayment based on the market. Just run with what you have, take the early exit, and pray you get brzustewicz returned next year to trade.

I was thinking the same thing. But if we get Brzustewicz back we're likely to find ourselves in almost the exact same position in the standings. I think history would repeat itself.

 

[bobber]

Lots of trades popping up now on the OHL site. If a GM is a buyer some of the skilled vets are gone. If a GM is a seller some of the buyers are running out of assets. Rangers are in a holding pattern.

 

[RangerNation]

Even Ride went for a hefty amount of picks. Ruh roh.

 

[Gondrex]

I was thinking the same thing. But if we get Brzustewicz back we're likely to find ourselves in almost the exact same position in the standings. I think history would repeat itself.

Sooner or later ya gotta pay the piper. Maybe, just maybe, MM is realizing this based on the post further up in this thread. I can't say I've ever been a fan of standing pat, but this may be one of those rare cases (?)

Staying the course with a competitive squad could arguably go a long way in preserving a seemingly bright future. I saw many glimpses of that in today's game when so many 06's and 07's were playing in so many situations. If they were to hang on to these guys, and hang on to all of the 08 picks, we could have a good string of watchable hockey over the next # of years instead of the same old boom / bust cycle. .....and if MM got brave and sold a key piece now for a quality youngster, he could jumpstart this process into a Mississauga-Two-Point-Oh. Don't want to get anyone's shorts in a knot on that. Don't worry, that one will never happen.

 

[Jives]

Sooner or later ya gotta pay the piper. Maybe, just maybe, MM is realizing this based on the post further up in this thread. I can't say I've ever been a fan of standing pat, but this may be one of those rare cases (?)

Staying the course with a competitive squad could arguably go a long way in preserving a seemingly bright future. I saw many glimpses of that in today's game when so many 06's and 07's were playing in so many situations. If they were to hang on to these guys, and hang on to all of the 08 picks, we could have a good string of watchable hockey over the next # of years instead of the same old boom / bust cycle. .....and if MM got brave and sold a key piece now for a quality youngster, he could jumpstart this process into a Mississauga-Two-Point-Oh. Don't want to get anyone's shorts in a knot on that. Don't worry, that one will never happen.

Can’t stand pat and expect to win. Need atleast a D and a depth F. That is a minimum. I feel he will get something done for sure.