The Kitchener Rangers finished week three of the OHL season with an 11-2 drubbing of the Windsor Spitfires. This puts them up to 5-2-0 on the season and tied for the division lead. And while they knew they would be banking on their young guns, the Kitchener Rangers offence has been even better than expected.
Kitchener Rangers Offence Red Hot in 2023
The Results
With Sunday’s 11-goal performance, the Rangers now have 48 goals in seven games played. They sit at a goal differential of 48-21, for a +27 on the season. Even more impressive? There is one outlier game that makes it even closer than it could be. The Rangers lost 8-2 to the Saginaw Spirit. You obviously can’t remove games, but the Rangers have been close to perfect outside of that game so far this season.
While it is early, the Rangers lead the OHL in goals scored by a large margin. No other team is in the 40’s yet at the time of writing. The next closest team is the Soo Greyhounds with 38. Notably, 16 of the 20 teams in the OHL have yet to even reach 30 goals on the season, despite playing similar games as Kitchener. In fact, at the time of writing, five teams have less than 20 goals total.
Standing Out
So how is the Kitchener Rangers offence functioning so effectively? Well, it is a mix of high-end players showing up as well as solid depth that really puts them over the top. Currently, the Rangers have the leading point scorer in the OHL as well as two other players tied for second.
Adrian Misaljevic leads the league with 14 points. He had two goals and an assist on Sunday. For comparison, Misaljevic had 11 points in 47 games with the Rangers all of last season. He has been excelling with an extended role on this team. The other two standouts are Carson Rehkopf and Hunter Brzustewicz. Brzustewicz is a Vancouver Canucks prospect who was drafted 75th overall in last year’s NHL entry draft.
He is continuing a strong campaign from last season where had 57 points in 68 games and now looks like he will be in the conversation for best defenceman in the OHL. Rehkopf is also a familiar name for this Kitchener Rangers offence. Last season, he had 59 points in 67 games. He too is looking to expand his role with this team and is showing capable of that so far.
Lots of Depth
The thing that has made this Kitchener Rangers offence special so far this season is the amount of depth they have had. Matthew Sop, Mitchell Martin, and Kyle Morey all have three or more goals already this season. Additionally, Matthew Andonovski, Tanner Lam, Lucas Ellinas, and Trent Swick all have three or more assists.
The Kitchener Rangers offence is keeping teams on their toes by running a full lineup that can effectively move the puck and get in dangerous spots to score. When Brzustewicz is not on the ice, Ottawa Senators prospect Tomas Hamara jumps on. While Hamara hasn’t had massive point totals, his ability to move the puck and increased confidence vs last year has been noticeable.
The Rangers have now scored five goals or more in three of their seven games. That depth is a key reason why. At times last season, it felt like the Rangers really relied on their top line to produce the offence. If their big-name players weren’t driving it, they were in trouble. This season, the team feels deeper. They have players on all lines that can make a difference depending on the night.
Lots of Season Left
While this start is encouraging, the team will no doubt remember that this is a long season. The Kitchener Rangers offence won’t continue to average almost seven goals a game. However, if they continue to show that they can find scoring from anywhere in their lineup, this team will be a dangerous opponent for anyone in the OHL.
The Rangers upcoming schedule does get tougher as well. So far, they have faced a few teams that are expecting to be near the bottom of the standings. The Sound Attack, Steelheads, and Sting are three of their next four opponents. This will be a great test for the team to show what they are made of. However, for now, the Kitchener Rangers offence has been on fire.
Main Photo Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
