Rangers Talk
The Coaches Show | November 29th, 2024
[MUSIC] Friday mornings, about how far away from game time are we? Eight and a half hours, we check in at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium with the head coach of the hockey club, UC Ahokas joins us for the coach's show. UC Good morning. >> Good morning, morning. >> You had the chance this week along with the entire team to travel to London, to watch Cameron Reed play in that showcase of top prospects, Canada, the CHL, and the US national program. What does it mean for the players to have that opportunity to go and support a teammate like that? >> Well, I think it was a good get together with the team who had dinner before, before Ed London, and then we went to watch the game. It's just the good time the guys spent together and connect, we have a couple new guys, so that was a good thing also. And just to watch the play, I kind of see what level of the game is when those kind of guys are playing. So it was, it did really good for the team. >> Does it speak to how these players feel about their teammate Cameron Reed as well? >> Yeah, we're a tight group and of course, God's, they had a chance, it was our chapter award, what the guys got, and they had a chance to choose from a couple different things and they choose that. So I think that was a good choice and it just shows, yeah, we're a tight and connected group. >> As a head coach, you see, when you're watching a game like that and one of your players is participating in it, do you coach from the stands? Do you like, reader, why did you do that? You should have done this, is that what it's like? >> No, not really, no. I watched the game and kind of just wanted to see how they play. And all in all like, what's the level of the game and what how the talent does, I think in those games, reader played a little bit too defensively. He could have showed his offense way more of what he can do. But I thought he had me played, played good, of course. The CHL was just way better than the US team, like there, it wasn't even close. I was like, and we're playing against boys. That's, I think, that's how big the difference was in the game. But that's just my opinion. >> It's interesting that you mentioned chapters a moment ago. And the players had the chance for this reward after completing a chapter with the team. I know three games isn't a chapter, but you did have a pretty big test last week. London, Windsor, Erie, all in the same week. How do you feel your team did in that little mini chapter? >> Not really a chapter for us, but London, I thought we didn't play well. We didn't play our game. Windsor, we played a really good period, but stopped a little bit playing and that could have gone better. And Erie, of course, when Ellie got hurt right away, we were missing three of our first centers. And still we found a way to win that game. And I thought that's so good, a lot of good things from our team. And that was a good win for us. But definitely want to be better against the, well, we'll be playing Windsor soon. So Windsor and London actually soon. So that's good. We get to play them again because I think we're a better hockey club, what we showed showed in those games. >> You talked about Ellen is getting hurt and then missing your three top centers. That would include Luca Romano, who was unavailable on Saturday. And Cameron Mercer, who missed back-to-back games. Are you any healthier coming into this weekend? Will we see any of those guys? >> Yeah, we will. Yeah. We're actually, I think, the healthiest one we've been the whole season. So it's a good thing. >> So what's the game plan? What do you have to do to be successful against the Owen Sound attack tonight? >> And you have to play physical and you have to get to the net. You have to get to hard areas. They have a great goalie. And all in all, we have to be better in this special team if we have to beat them. That's, I think, the most important things for us today. >> If you're right now, you see as healthy as you've been all season. That means there's a lot of competition for spots on the team. How do you keep guys engaged during practices during the week leading up to games to compete for those spots? >> Well, it's just normal. Normal, that's good when you have guys that you really have to fight for your spot. And it's good we have competition. And it's pretty much the first time the whole year. It's always, like, we have a lot of forwards, but they're still, like, head ricks out, starks out. So we have still guys who are not available, but it's good. You have depth in your roster. And I think it's always good when you have to fight for your spot. And it's the inner competition is really good for the team. >> You've had five days off to get ready for own sound. After that big week, we just talked about those three big games last week. How do you keep the team focused when they're coming up now against some opponents that are lower than they are in the standings? >> I don't really think about that. That's a fan talk when you look at the standings and every game's a new game. And you go day by day and we want to keep getting better. And it shouldn't matter who do we play against. We should keep getting better the whole season, and that's what we try to do. And yeah, it's just different opponents. But the biggest thing is how we improve our own game the whole time. >> Always look forward to a Friday night at the rink. We'll see you at the odd UC. Thank you. >> Okay, thanks, thanks a lot. >> You see a hocus, the head coach of the Kitchener Rangers joins us every Friday morning at this time for the coaches show just one way we help you get ready for the big game at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium tonight. They're all big games because it's Friday night in Kitchener. And that's what we do during the winter. We go to the Memorial Auditorium. We watch the Rangers tonight. It will be the healthiest team that you see a hocus has had in front of them all season. Taking on the own sound attack. I want to remind you that our friends and colleagues at Rogers TV are having this night in support of the new toys for needy kids toy drive through the nights of Columbus in Waterloo, which is just a fantastic initiative that has been going on for many years now. I think they just celebrated 25. I could be wrong on that. But anyway, it's a great initiative and you can bring a new unwrapped toy to the game tonight to support our colleagues at Rogers TV. And of course, Waterloo's nights of Columbus and that new toys for needy kids toy drive. So please do consider that as you make your way to the game tonight. And if you can't be there in person, we have got you covered Paul fixture and I will be on the air with your Harris law pregame show at six 30 on 570 news radio. You'll get to hear the fixes in for city cabs, all kinds of information during that pregame show to get you ready for puck drop. Then we'll bring you all the action and heck, Paul and I will even stick around late to take your calls after the game because Rangers talk happens after every Kitchener Rangers home game where Paul will share some stories and will hear your stories during the post game coverage that goes until at least 11 o'clock. So you are covered for Kitchener Rangers hockey right here on your home for Rangers hockey 570 news radio. Every Friday morning after the coaches show with UC Hocus, we hear from the other coach who also happens to be our color commentator for Kitchener Rangers hockey here on 570 news radio. Paul fixture makes time for the program eight hours ahead of puck drop morning fixie. Good morning, Mike. It's been a few days since I've seen you after a busy week. It has been and I was thinking the same thing and you know, even though that busy week ended, we had two home games and then one game on the road into Erie, it felt like a long trip and I hope you've recovered it did just the hours and you said it best to me, even though you're getting your six, seven hours of sleep, going to bed at three o'clock in the morning and waking up at nine or 10 isn't the same as going to bed at a normal hour. But that's the way the league works. It is. And yes, we do it to ourselves sometimes. I feel like teenagers when we're up so late in those hotel rooms, fixie. So I wanted to get your thoughts and I kind of had a feeling I knew, you know, where the head coach would be at when I asked about a chapter because they count chapters and much bigger segments. But last week was a big three games for the kitchen arrangers and all the talk going into it was okay. Let's see what this team's all about. Let's see how they measure up. How do you feel the team measured up last week against London Windsor Erie? I think the youth's assessment is pretty bang on, Mike. I didn't think they played real well against London and as he said, and we've covered this, he gave them too much information. They didn't play the game of hockey. They played the game of hockey with information overload and so they didn't react. They didn't, sorry, they didn't initiate. They just kind of reacted and they didn't go and play their game. The Windsor game, I don't know what happened. It was so bizarre. They were so dominant in the first period, didn't get a big enough lead, I guess, with the shot differential and then Windsor just turned the tables, momentum shifted and it was all Windsor's game. So I don't think I can give them a passing grade on either of those games than an Erie mic, lights out, great performance. I mean, they dominated from puck drop, the first puck drop to the last whistle of the game. I went on fire, obviously had the three nothing leads, six and a half minutes into the game and Parsons was his usual self. I will say this about Parsons and those games, Mike, Parsons was outstanding in all those games and there was some good individual play, but overall team wise, you know, maybe coming through that, see, you know, I don't think they passed the test with the first two and then Erie, they did so if I'm grading, I guess a see. I like, I'm glad you for sure it does and you see alluded to this too. Now he's already looking forward to the next time against Windsor and London because he believes his team has a little bit more to show still. Well, they can learn from the game that they just played, like I think you take, you know, the first Windsor game you take out of the equation. So you base it on the most recent games and they know what they have to do against London. Just go play hockey, really, and Windsor, they need to play 60 minutes. I mean, the first period, they were in complete control and then they stopped doing what they did or Windsor cranked it up. I think Windsor came out really flat in the first period for whatever reason and then they found their game legs in the second and third and kind of took control and let's not make them. That's not forget. Froggett was outstanding. He was. Like, Froggett made some big say that game could have been a much different score if it wasn't for Froggett. You mentioned Parsons as well as part of that terrific performance by the Rangers on Saturday in Erie. I don't have the numbers right in front of me, but I crunched them during the week because I have little doubt that Jackson Parsons is going to be meant going to be named the OHL's goal tender of the month. If he's not for the month of November, there's something wrong. Somebody was robbed because the numbers are in and around. But I think it's just under one point two for a goals against average and a save percentage of nine sixty Paul. Like this gives other worldly right now. He certainly has and it kind of coincides like with his decision about his future going forward next season when he made the decision to go attend Clarkson University, his mind is at ease. He's just playing hockey. He gives a lot of credit to his partner who pushes them. He's in a he's in a different zone right now he's he's he's all world right now quite honestly and he's getting getting a lot of action because he's played. I believe it's six in a row now. Six in a row and seven of eight. You are absolutely right about that. So I'm going to go out on a limb here, fixie because this is what I like to do and it crossed my mind yesterday. And if it crosses my mind, I'll just blur it out on the radio. You and I have talked about this in the past and I think it was just sort of behind the scenes off the air. But I was passing through the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium complex and when I see the building, I think of the team and I've referenced to you before the last championship team that the Rangers had in '08 under Pete DeBore was just a team that and they won 53 games. Every time you went to the rink, you just expected that the Rangers were going to win. Now make no mistake, I'm not saying this team's going to win 53 games. I'm not saying this is an OHL championship team, but I am saying or what I want to put out there. The limb I'm standing on is I'm starting to get that feeling Paul that you just because the team has been consistent, I guess is what I'm getting at. And yes, maybe they're not quite there with London or Windsor yet, but the coach just told us he thinks they've got more to show. They showed us against Erie. I'm looking at these games this weekend, Owen Sound and Guelph, and you still have to be dialed in, but this team has been so consistent. I'm starting to think, you know what, when you go to the rink, they're not even going to win every game they should on paper, but gosh darn it, more often than not, it seems to me they're starting to do that. Mike, you're going down that road. I know. He, he, no, but I love you think you called it fan talk. Yes. Well, and I'm a fan too, so I guess there you go. I chuckled when he said that's fan talk, we just go game by game. Yeah, I get what you're, I get what you're putting down because it, it does have that feeling that vibe and this team, it's a confident group. We get to spend time behind the scenes with them at team meals on the bus, just being around the hotel and it is a confident group and when you have that confidence Mike, you truly believe you can beat anybody and win every game. They're not going to win every game as, as we're well aware, they're probably not going to win 53, but they're going to win a heck of a lot of games, put themselves in the playoffs and when you're in the playoffs, anything can happen, as you know, and with a hot goaltender and we just talked about having the hottest goaltender in the league, that can take you a long way. So why not ride this wave and see where it takes us. I thought that might just be a little bit of fodder for Rangers talk tonight. You know, give people something to think about before we open the phone lines after the game. You just never know with this team right now. And those people listening, let's get some new callers out there and see their perspective on the things that we've discussed. You know what? Josh Piercy hosted the show for us last week because we had to get on the road and I happen to be in my car for 30 seconds, maybe, maybe 90 anyway. And the first caller I heard was somebody named Zach, Zach has never called us Fixie. I don't know what's going on. Zach, give us a call. That's right. We're throwing down the gauntlet. I'm actually looking forward because you said we're healthy again, but he mentioned Stark and Hedrick would be, you know, non, not playing, uh, be interesting to see with Ellenness because he said we're healthy again and meaning put his name in the non healthy category. I thought the same thing. That kid's tough though. Tough as nails that boy. He is. And the other comment I really like Mike is the CHL was way better. Couldn't have been better timed after that NCAA change, right? That's a big shot of the NCAA. All right, Fixie, always looking forward to seeing you friend and we'll see you at the rink tonight. Sounds good. Thanks, Mike. All right, Paul. Paul Fixter, our color commentator on Kitchener Rangers hockey on 570 News Radio and joins us for the other coaches show every Friday morning as we get you set for tonight's game. Remember, pregame coverage, if you can't be there, be here on 570 News Radio. The Harris Law pregame show gets underway at 630.