Match-up preview: Rangers vs Spitfires
After a brief couple of days off for the holidays, The Kitchener Rangers are back on the ice tonight against the reigning Memorial Cup Champion Windsor Spitfires.
The Rangers are in a deadlock with the Owen Sound Attack for second place overall in the Western Conference. In 32 games played, Kitchener has a 20-8-3-1 record and 44 points. Windsor is two games up with a 21-12-0-1 record, and just trailing with 43 points.
Both squads will face a tough test in tonight's match-up, being without several of their top players who are participating at tournament events. Kitchener is missing three players and two staff, while Windsor has four of their most dominant players out of the line-up.
The losses will be felt starting with the absence of both team captains - Kitchener's Gabriel Landeskog and Windsor's Ryan Ellis. The teams will have to rely on their alternates for leadership, and the ability of their rookie players to step up.
Seasoned veteran Ellis is making his third the holidays, the Kitchener Rangers are appearance with Team Canada at the World Junior Championships, and has back on the ice again tonight against the reigning Memorial Cup Champion been named as the team's captain, while Landeskog is playing for Team Sweden Windsor Spitfires. and has been named as an alternate captain for his country.
Windsor's Zack Kassian will also be representing Team Canada, while goaltender extraordinaire Jack Campbell is looking for back-to-back gold medals with Team USA. Tom KuhnhackI will be making his first appearance for Team Germany, playing alongside Kitchener's Tobias Rider. Rangers' team trainer Dan Lebold will also be at the World Juniors in Buffalo, New York assisting Team Canada.
Matia Marcantoni and assistant coach Troy Smith will be with Team Ontario at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Winnipeg. Marcantuoni was named as the captain for his team, who earned a siver medal at last years tournament.
Without Landeskog, Rider, and Marcantuoni, Kitchener is fortunate enough to have Ryan Murphy back on the blueline. The 17-year old was one of the final players to be cut from a stacked Team Canada roster.
Murphy - along with Landeskog and Rieder - are 2011 draft eligible, and will have another chance to impress scouts prior to the NHL Entry Draft in June. The trio will participate in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects game along with 40 of the top players in the nation. The event will take place in Toronto on January 18th and 19th, and includes a skills competition as well as the game.
Windsor's missing players in tonight's match will be a tough void to fill. The "fab four" - Campbell, Ellis, Kassian, and Kuhnhackl - each play such a unique and key role on the Spitfire squad, from shut down defence and gritty play to scoring finesse.
Ellis, Kassian, and Kuhnhack account for three of the top four point leaders on their team, now Alexander Khokhlachev will be looked on for his scoring touch. The Moscow, Russia native has tallied 16 goals and 28 assists with a plus-7 plus- minus rating so tar this season.
For Kitchener, Jason Akeson continues to dominate as the league's leading point getter. He and fellow alternate captain Matt Tipoff will lead the team in Landeskog's absence. Players such as Evan McEneny, Ben Thomson, and Zach Lorentz will likely be seeing an increased amount of ice time for Kitchener.
Tonight's match-up will be a true test for both teams, as they face the adversity of having their best players gone.
Kitchener lost two of their last three games prior to the Christmas break, while Windsor won two of their last three.
The Rangers' are back in action Thursday in Plymouth, and on New Year's Day in Oshawa.
