Kitchener Rangers 2024-25 Season Thread, Part I

[Krangers08]

No clear timeline to return for Arquette, Headrick, or Anstis. Weston Cameron is also hurt

 

[Squirrel88]

Is MacNeil injured or a health scratch? I get wanting to play Bilecki, although he and Dirracolo had a couple rough shifts.

 

[StingUpdates]

Ahokas has my pick for best coach in the league. What he has done back to back years is nothing short of spectacular. I'm not sure he's long for this league.

Who knows if you guys keep it up, but you've already surprised most, especially myself. Crazy what team cohesion & team buy-in for a great coach can do.

 

[Krangers08]

The Stark Lam combo is fun to watch. What a shot on his 2nd goal

 

[GeoBlue]

The Stark Lam combo is fun to watch. What a shot on his 2nd goal

.........AND his 1st !!!

 

[bobber]

Not many players in the OHL score on that shot Lam took last night. That was an incredible shot. Reid looks like he is on the cusp to transition into one of those special players that can take control of games.

 

[Squirrel88]

Nice comeback win this afternoon. Good to bank some points early in the season. Easy to see some of these wins becoming losses in the second half if a couple trades are made.

I have said it before, but the '07s (and Ellinas) are learning that it is tougher to perform when you are the guy that the other team is focusing on. Not a bad thing for them to start learning that this year. I thought the bottom 6 looked good both games. D was a little more sketchy. I thought Ando was a little sloppy on Friday (maybe trying to do too much) but was very effective today. He looked like the type of dependable defenseman contenders should be interested in adding!

Nice to see another 3rd line goal and good to see Mercer get his first of the season. He deserves it. It is a little disconcerting to see that there isn't much of a difference between him and Grisolia, given that they got Gris for the proverbial bag of pucks. Take that as a positive or negative, I guess.

Going to be fun watching the two goalies from todays game battle it out over the next 3+ years! Neither played like rookies with minimal starts.

If I was on the coaching staff, I give Campbell the day off tomorrow. Not because he played poorly or anything, but he had the shot block in the mid-section and got hit hard shortly after returning. Its a long season, give him a little R&R, and maybe give Schneider a chance at some minutes. Two wins in the first two games of a 3 in 3, so you ae playing with house money anyway.

 

[EvenSteven]

No clear timeline to return for Arquette, Headrick, or Anstis. Weston Cameron is also hurt

What happened to Cameron?

 

[Krangers08]

What happened to Cameron?

Undisclosed. Has missed the last 5 games

 

[Rangers True Blue]

Looking forward to the game tonight vs Guelph. It was a Rangers steal yesterday and absolutely, I can now see why Schaubel is the #2 at age 16. Calm, cool, collected. He was a huge part of that steal with some stellar saves. I can see now why Team Canada gave him a look and are likely watching him grow here with the Rangers.

Lam is another player that had a look for the Hlinka Gretzky. He's right in there with Reid and Romano. The sky is the limit for this kid. That shoutout goal was a beaut.

On the plus/minus side, it's great to see our new acquisitions up at the top:

The Rangers are bottom of the OHL Power crap....er....stat but they have powered their way to the top section of the standings. It will only get tougher as the season wears on BUT it's a much better look for the team who floundered at the start of the season. Frankly, I could care less if Sale reports. I'd much rather see this young team have the ice time and experience.

 

[EvenSteven]

Nice comeback win this afternoon. Good to bank some points early in the season. Easy to see some of these wins becoming losses in the second half if a couple trades are made.

I have said it before, but the '07s (and Ellinas) are learning that it is tougher to perform when you are the guy that the other team is focusing on. Not a bad thing for them to start learning that this year. I thought the bottom 6 looked good both games. D was a little more sketchy. I thought Ando was a little sloppy on Friday (maybe trying to do too much) but was very effective today. He looked like the type of dependable defenseman contenders should be interested in adding!

Nice to see another 3rd line goal and good to see Mercer get his first of the season. He deserves it. It is a little disconcerting to see that there isn't much of a difference between him and Grisolia, given that they got Gris for the proverbial bag of pucks. Take that as a positive or negative, I guess.

Going to be fun watching the two goalies from todays game battle it out over the next 3+ years! Neither played like rookies with minimal starts.

If I was on the coaching staff, I give Campbell the day off tomorrow. Not because he played poorly or anything, but he had the shot block in the mid-section and got hit hard shortly after returning. Its a long season, give him a little R&R, and maybe give Schneider a chance at some minutes. Two wins in the first two games of a 3 in 3, so you ae playing with house money anyway.

The 07’s are doing fine. All about development and learning this year. I agree it’s tough for them to perform but the tough sledding this year is only going to make this group better. Look out next year!!

I get it that Mercer / Grisolia are more or less the same player. No disrespect to either, but they both are examples of players taken in the top end of the draft (3rd and 2nd rounds respectively) who have turned out to be decent OHLers and not much more.

But in a year like this year, to this team they hold value. Once MM gets around to moving out guys like Andonovski and Swick, it’ll be guys like Mercer / Grisolia, along with the remaining vets, who’ll help insulate the youth on this team.

I think this is the reason that MM recently brought in guys like Grisolia, Chromiak and Vermeulen. They are players with time punched in the league, vets, who’ll be around post trade deadline to complement the kids. And you can’t beat the price.

I’d like to see more of Schneider as well. We should be trying to get everyone who is healthy into games when we have 3 in 3 weekends. Hope to see him dressed today.