Kitchener Rangers 2023-24 Season Thread (Part 4)

[Tim Wallach]

Didn't he play against Guelph?

He did but there was no conflict with Leamington, who had a playoff game tonight. And Kitchener has to keep him under 10 games until Leamington is out.

 

[Krangers08]

Only suspensions that are 10-games or longer can be appealed in the OHL per Josh brown.

 

[Wolfman Jack]

I looked over the major penalty and I don't think its deserving of 5 games. First off he landed maybe two at most and the other punches missed. No big deal throw him out of the game. Max should of been 2 games if that. This league is ridiculous. Maybe the conspiracy theory is that the league doesn't want to see Kitchener beat London in the playoffs. Possibly they want to see London and Saginaw make it to the Men Cup. Just like taking it to the Wolves the league is taking it to Kitchener.

WJ

 

[rangersblues]

Only suspensions that are 10-games or longer can be appealed in the OHL per Josh brown.

If that's the case what a stupid rule. And ruling!

 

[EvenSteven]

I looked over the major penalty and I don't think its deserving of 5 games. First off he landed maybe two at most and the other punches missed. No big deal throw him out of the game. Max should of been 2 games if that. This league is ridiculous. Maybe the conspiracy theory is that the league doesn't want to see Kitchener beat London in the playoffs. Possibly they want to see London and Saginaw make it to the Men Cup. Just like taking it to the Wolves the league is taking it to Kitchener.

WJ

It looked at lot worse than it was. This league is all about optics.

 

[East Avenue Bully]

Hopefully Reid is good to go next week.

What I found interesting from last night's billet family ceremony was that Swick, Reid, and Sale were together and dressed in suits. Martin was not.

Take that as you will, but to me that says Martin is done and not coming back.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

Hope the kid is okay for the playoffs.

I tore tendons/ligaments in the thumb of my dominant hand once, had to have a little plaster shield covering it. Could barely fit in my hockey glove but the doc said it was ok to play as long as it fit in the glove. He wouldn't be at 100% in terms of puck skills but he'd be close enough with the rest of his game. Here's hoping. Really can't afford any D injuries, just don't have the depth in the top 4 to deal well with a significant loss.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

Jussi calls it like it is. In the Fixter interview, he said the boys were playing PeeWee hockey for the first two periods. He liked the 3rd much better and so did I. Parsons came up HUGE during the game and kept Oshawa off the scoreboard. I was surprised that Oshawa wasn't better than what they showed last night. I have no idea what to expect in Erie tonight but it could well be a preview to the playoffs.

 

[bobber]

What I found interesting from last night's billet family ceremony was that Swick, Reid, and Sale were together and dressed in suits. Martin was not.

Take that as you will, but to me that says Martin is done and not coming back.

I think the team left for Erie after the game. The ones in suits probably going on the bus. Martin maybe not travelling at this point. Who knows? Swick mentioned Martin in an interview after he started playing. Said nice to have him back even though he wasn't 100 %. Jussie wasn't happy after the game with the way the team played first two periods. Said they played like oeewee hockey. Fixter didn't agree with his assessment. He thought the short handed Rangers did okay holding the top east team to one goal.
Parsons kept it close.

Jussi calls it like it is. In the Fixter interview, he said the boys were playing PeeWee hockey for the first two periods. He liked the 3rd much better and so did I. Parsons came up HUGE during the game and kept Oshawa off the scoreboard. I was surprised that Oshawa wasn't better than what they showed last night. I have no idea what to expect in Erie tonight but it could well be a preview to the playoffs.

I think that game showed the top teams in the east would struggle to beat any top 3 in the west in a series. Rangers are midpack looking at the conference standings.

 

[East Avenue Bully]

Reid isn't playing in Erie. Neither is Swick. If they're not playing and wore suits because they're traveling with the team, why wouldn't Martin?

I hope I'm mistaken, but I'm not hopeful Martin is back, let alone at anywhere near 90%.

 

[bobber]

Reid isn't playing in Erie. Neither is Swick. If they're not playing and wore suits because they're traveling with the team, why wouldn't Martin?

I hope I'm mistaken, but I'm not hopeful Martin is back, let alone at anywhere near 90%.

Your probably right. Doesn't sound positive at all no matter how well it's framed. If Martin wasn't healthy enough to come back after 40 plus games and the team needs him at 100% for playoffs
I doubt we see him.

 

[GeoBlue]

Your probably right. Doesn't sound positive at all no matter how well it's framed. If Martin wasn't healthy enough to come back after 40 plus games and the team needs him at 100% for playoffs
I doubt we see him.

I feel he is done as well. I also think we need to look at how we do things organizationally. We had a choice which OA to keep and we kept Martin. Sure, it might have been a bad image to cast off a player because he is hurt but they must have known the severity of a pelvic injury back then and how difficult it would to be to recover from it. In hind site, we let Martin go and say, "Sorry". We keep Schmidt and have stronger defense. We see Ellinas develop into a "Martin like player" and we trade for a similar player at the deadline rather than Sale. I don't mind "Sally" but I feel we have enough scoring punch.

 

[nelli27]

Looks like Rangers are only resting Sale, and Parsons for game 68. I thought Sop and Rehkopf would get the night off. 4th spot is a lock.

 

[rangersblues]

Looks like Rangers are only resting Sale, and Parsons for game 68. I thought Sop and Rehkopf would get the night off. 4th spot is a lock.

It's certainly different than other seasons. I think it's due to lack of players available due to injury and suspensions.

 

[All the Answers]

Well, outside of a delay of game penalty in the 3rd vs Guelph Kitchener has gone 6 periods without earning a PP. Refs in this league don't like being embarrassed, or their fellow refs embarrassed.

 

[Ranger77]

I feel he is done as well. I also think we need to look at how we do things organizationally. We had a choice which OA to keep and we kept Martin. Sure, it might have been a bad image to cast off a player because he is hurt but they must have known the severity of a pelvic injury back then and how difficult it would to be to recover from it. In hind site, we let Martin go and say, "Sorry". We keep Schmidt and have stronger defense. We see Ellinas develop into a "Martin like player" and we trade for a similar player at the deadline rather than Sale. I don't mind "Sally" but I feel we have enough scoring punch.

And Schmidt scores two for Kingston tonight, including the OT winner. Sigh!

 

[EvenSteven]

I feel he is done as well. I also think we need to look at how we do things organizationally. We had a choice which OA to keep and we kept Martin. Sure, it might have been a bad image to cast off a player because he is hurt but they must have known the severity of a pelvic injury back then and how difficult it would to be to recover from it. In hind site, we let Martin go and say, "Sorry". We keep Schmidt and have stronger defense. We see Ellinas develop into a "Martin like player" and we trade for a similar player at the deadline rather than Sale. I don't mind "Sally" but I feel we have enough scoring punch.

I understand going with Martin over Schmidt at the time of the Schmidt trade. Martin was expected back in early January and we know the type of player he’d be in the postseason.

But once Schmidt was moved, with he and Hamara out, our D went through the floor.

Therefore, it was evident leading up to the deadline that shoring up the D was vital. Because of our thin draft cupboard, swapping out Martin, no matter his health, for a top four OA D was the play. Period.

Punnett was right there. Sigh!!

 

[Slowpace]

Looks like Rangers are only resting Sale, and Parsons for game 68. I thought Sop and Rehkopf would get the night off. 4th spot is a lock.

May regret that move, after Erie win tonight, if Guelph doesn't get a point in London tomorrow, it's Rangers vs Erie.

 

[All the Answers]

May regret that move, after Erie win tonight, if Guelph doesn't get a point in London tomorrow, it's Rangers vs Erie.

Aside from the travel I think it's a saw off.

 

[Ward Cornell]

May regret that move, after Erie win tonight, if Guelph doesn't get a point in London tomorrow, it's Rangers vs Erie.

Doesn't matter to me. Priority one is to do everything to get Reid in the lineup.
I don't know the Rangers record without Reid, but I know it's atrocious.

 

[GeoBlue]

Martin was expected back in early January and we know the type of player he’d be in the postseason.

My point was that they should have looked at the injury for what it was. A serious one that can prevent someone from even walking properly. One that need a lot of time to heal properly. There are doctors that know this and there are case histories. They knew Martin coming back in January was a HUGE gamble that they should not have taken and I think they took it more as a vote of confidence for Martin.

I think back to the whole Connor Hall thing a few years ago. After a few difficult shoulder surgeries, one needs to cut their losses. We rushed Connor back only to have him play a few games and re-injure his shoulder again.

I hate sounding cold but some injuries you just don't gamble with, and there are experts in the field that can assess these. True, there are rare exceptions. There was a player with my beloved Calgary Flames, many years ago, that forced him to retire due to a serious injury suffered and subsequent surgeries. That guy was Gary Roberts. But he managed to become somewhat of a fitness guru and came back to a productive career.

 

[EvenSteven]

My point was that they should have looked at the injury for what it was. A serious one that can prevent someone from even walking properly. One that need a lot of time to heal properly. There are doctors that know this and there are case histories. They knew Martin coming back in January was a HUGE gamble that they should not have taken and I think they took it more as a vote of confidence for Martin.

I think back to the whole Connor Hall thing a few years ago. After a few difficult shoulder surgeries, one needs to cut their losses. We rushed Connor back only to have him play a few games and re-injure his shoulder again.

I hate sounding cold but some injuries you just don't gamble with, and there are experts in the field that can assess these. True, there are rare exceptions. There was a player with my beloved Calgary Flames, many years ago, that forced him to retire due to a serious injury suffered and subsequent surgeries. That guy was Gary Roberts. But he managed to become somewhat of a fitness guru and came back to a productive career.

Agree 100%. Misdiagnosis perhaps? Not so much on the injury but on the recovery time?

As you say, it may have been cold to move on from him. Or as I compared when comparing it to how London operates, shrewd.

At the end of the day, it’s team first. MM owed as much loyalty or more to the fanbase and the other players on the team to make this team the best it could be at the deadline if he wasn’t selling.

And he wasn’t selling, he was buying.

 

[GeoBlue]

Looks like Rangers are only resting Sale, and Parsons for game 68.

Sale 2 games in a row? Injury?

 

[Rangers True Blue]

If London rests a bunch of players today, we know who they want us to play.

 

[Rangers True Blue]

I don't think the Rangers were exactly pouring it on yesterday. They came out like gangbusters in the first and went up 2-0 (nearly 3) then took a holiday in the 2nd and somehow managed to get a tie out of it in the 3rd. Overall, a season I sure didn't expect! I'm looking forward to some top end adds at the draft and the build towards 2027.