Can they win the series at home? Rangers look to eliminate Windsor Spitfires at the Aud this week
The Kitchener Rangers are bringing the playoffs back to home ice after taking down the number one-seeded Windsor Spitfires in back-to-back game action.
The Rangers are now looking to make the most of home-ice advantage as the best of seven first-round Ontario Hockey League (OHL) playoff series comes to The Aud on Tuesday.
Team Captain Francesco Pinelli said he thinks the Rangers could take the series and move into the second round.
“We know who we are in the room and what we're capable of doing so I think we have a really good chance to take the series, but we just have to stay focused and keep chipping away every game,” he told CTV News Monday.
Pegged as the underdog, the Blueshirts left Windsor on a high after securing a 5-3 win in game one and dominating in game two with a 4-0 shutout.
If the Rangers can keep up the pressure at home and take game three, they have a chance to eliminate the Spitfires on home ice Thursday night.
“Our details have been good, [and] we've been playing hard, so stick with the formula that's been getting us there and don't start reverting into bad habits and thinking it's going to be easy, it's easy to do, but we're going to see a desperate team tomorrow night fighting for their lives,” said Mike McKenzie, interim coach and general manager of the Kitchener Rangers.
McKenzie said he knew the Rangers had a challenge ahead of them going into the playoffs.
“We knew whoever we got was gonna be tough. It ended up being Windsor. So, we knew it was going to be a big challenge for us. They've been in first place basically the whole season, start to finish,” said McKenzie.
MATTHEW SOP GOES FROM FAN TO PLAYER
Kitchener native Matthew Sop has found his scoring touch, netting two of the team's nine goals over the opening two games in Windsor.
“I like our energy in our room, and I think we're bringing that into every game, we've got that underdog mentality, and it seems to be working out so far,” said Sop. “It felt great. I always love scoring for the boys. I mean, I know everyone gets hyped up for it, and I get just as hyped when they score, so it feels good.”
Sop is expecting a raucous crowd to fill the Aud Tuesday night.
He knows the passion of cheering on Rangers-greats first-hand, something he did as a young fan.
“I can't put any fingers on it 'cuz I was so young, but I mean, I just remember how loud, getting loud, doing the wave, in the nosebleeds every single time, and yeah, I just loved it. I was a huge fan, so it's crazy to be where I am right now,” said Sop.
TICKETS ARE SELLING FAST
More than 5,000 tickets have been sold for the contest, and with ticket sales climbing, the team is hoping for a deep playoff run.
“A playoff run for the Kitchener Rangers is a big deal for the city as a whole, for the building, for the economy and revenues that it brings into our city,” Dominic Hennig, senior director of communications for the Kitchener Rangers said.
The Rangers, facing off with a desperate Windsor team, may mean leaning on the fans for a boost.
Meanwhile, Pinelli said the Rangers are excited to get back to the Aud
“I felt that way this whole season. I knew we had more to give and we're starting to give a lot more. We just got to keep going with that and stay focused,” he said.
Pinelli added that the last 20 games are when the Rangers really hit their stride and started playing how he knew they should be.
Information on getting tickets can be found by clicking here.
The Rangers will look to take another stride toward a first-round upset Tuesday night with a 7 p.m. puck drop.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Iran President Ebrahim Raisi still missing after helicopter accident in mountains
A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister and other officials apparently crashed in the mountainous northwest reaches of Iran on Sunday.
Court eases internet restrictions for Sask. man who matched with a 15-year-old girl on Tinder
A Saskatchewan man who had a sexual encounter with a 15-year-old girl he met on Tinder successfully appealed to shorten release conditions barring him from online dating.
Stittsville residents seeking answers as bylaw cracks down on street basketball nets
Stittsville residents on Kearnsley Way are seeking answers after an unusual bylaw crackdown on Friday. Every home with a basketball net received a ticket instructing homeowners to remove their nets from the road.
'A horrible way to start the summer': 3 killed in serious boat crash on lake north of Kingston, Ont.
Three people were killed and five others were injured Saturday night following a boat crash on the Buck Bay area of Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont., the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said.
What do we know so far about the mysterious crash of the helicopter carrying Iran's president?
The apparent crash of a helicopter carrying Iran's president and foreign minister on Sunday sent shock waves around the region.
Ex-partner charged with first-degree murder after 55-year-old woman killed in Montreal
Less than 24 hours after Montreal's 12th homicide investigation began, Montreal police confirmed that a 55-year-old woman's death in St. Michel is the island's 13th homicide. The woman's ex-spouse has been charged with first-degree murder.
Walmart, Costco refusing to sign grocery code of conduct 'untenable': industry minister
Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says it's 'untenable' for 'smaller players' like Walmart and Costco to delay signing on to the government- and industry-led grocery code of conduct, now that industry giant Loblaw has agreed to do so.
VIDEO Born without front legs, this dog has been inspiring the world for 3 years: Dresden farm owner
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
Toxic drugs circulating in northeastern Ont., police say
Canada’s largest First Nations police service, the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service issued a community safety alert as extremely toxic drugs are likely circulating in many of the communities it serves.