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
PWHL Minnesota defeats Boston to win inaugural Walter Cup
Minnesota won the inaugural championship of the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Wednesday night, getting 17 saves from Nicole Hensley to beat Boston 3-0 in a winner-take-all Game 5 and claim the Walter Cup.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
B.C. mortgage broker ran $270-million Ponzi scheme, then fled Canada, bankruptcy trustee says
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
Oilers rally to beat Stars, tie Western Conference Final
With the Edmonton Oilers down two goals late in the first period of Game 4, Rogers Place was quiet, fans seemingly bewildered at the early, quick scoring of the Dallas Stars and the slow start by the home team. Ryan McLeod's marker with six-and-a-half minutes in the opening frame left changed all that.
McDonald's says $18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
'Targeted again': Montreal police investigate after gunshot fired at Jewish school
Police are investigating another building in Montreal's community was struck by gunfire.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.