Played on Oct 11, 2025
Game Played in Wendler Arena at the Dow Event Centre
General Game Notes: Kitchener travelled to Saginaw and earned the 3-1 road win. Kitchener held the edge in shots 32-25 and also benefitted some a strong goaltending performance. Here is a report of the top performers in this game:
Christian Kirsch (G, L, 6’3″, 204, Kitchener Rangers, 06/18/2006, UMass Amherst)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Christian earned the 3-1 win, allowing just one goal on 25 shots. He is a big goaltender who plays with calmness and smooth movements. He does not have extra movements or get caught out of position very often, keeping the play under control. He could get quicker in some of his movements but his size tends to make up for any lack of quickness in his game. His pushes and edgework around the crease are strong and powerful. The one goal that he gave up was on a powerplay shot from the top of the umbrella with a lot of traffic between him and the shot. It was a strong shot that was well-placed and went off the inside of the post and in. He denied some great in-tight scoring chances and shots to earn the win.
Jakub Chromiak (D, R, 6’0″, 199, Kitchener Rangers, 11/02/2005)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Jakub is a steady defenseman who commands the play, moving the puck with a high level of awareness, being solid defensively, and taking opportunities to contribute offensively as well. He is a composed and calming presence on the ice for his team, slowing the play down when needed. He passes the puck well on the breakout and regroup, using his partner especially well for D-D passes and hinge plays. Defensively he uses his stick well as he goes into the corners to defend, taking away passing lanes and play-making opportunities for the opponnent. Jakub took many chances to jump into the play offensively doing a good job recognizing when he had space in the offensive zone to walk in for a better shooting angle. On one play he receieved the puck along the offensive zone blue line from his partner, drove down into the zone and after no good lanes opening up he wheeled around the net and attempted a wrap around. He also possesses a hard one-timer that he uses while on the flank on the powerplay. He assisted the final goal of the game by making a nice pass to stat the play.
Cameron Arquette (RW, R, 5’8″, 171, Kitchener Rangers, 04/27/2007)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Cameron has a relentless work ethic that allows him to disrupt plays all over the ice and cause turnovers. He goes hard on the forecheck, moving his feet all the way until he gets to the puck. He has quick feet and a jump in his step that make him able to continuously pressure pucks. His strong work ethic was also on display in the defensive zone as well where he came out hard to the point to defend and also was quick to engage in board battles. As the winger in the defensive zone he made smart plays and recognized when he needed to make simple chips out of the zone. He has a quick transition mindset when he does get the puck and will take shots even from bad angles. Cameron had a nice play on a zone entry where he showed some patience, delaying and then cutting into the middle.
Cameron Reid (D, L, 6’0″, 192, Kitchener Rangers, 04/08/2007)
Game Rating
A
1 Viewing
Comments: Cameron is an elite, dynamic defenseman who uses his strong skating and offensive instincts to be a factor every time he is on the ice. He is shifty and deceptive, using his solid puck-handling skills in combination with his strong edges to maneuver around people with ease. While in the defensive zone, he is always ready to jump up on the breakout if there is a lane. He does not wait for the play to develop in front of him and simply act as a tailer but instead he jumps into lanes and receives breakout passes to lead the rush. He is comfortable getting into the middle of the ice and also using delays to create zone entry opportunities. Cameron is also a force from the offensive blue line where he is very deceptive and able to get around wingers coming out to pressure him. He made one play where he deked around an approaching winger to his backhand and then quickly got the puck to his forehand and shot the puck with strength. His good edges and footwork allow him to make plays like this as he can quickly move around players and still get the puck into a shooting position. He quarterbacks the powerplay for his team where he is both a passing and a shooting threat. He registered 5 shots on net in this game and helped to lead his team offensively despite not recording a point.
Jack Pridham (RW, R, 6’1″, 182, Kitchener Rangers, 10/08/2005)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Jack is a speedy, top-line winger who contributes to his team in many ways on both sides of the puck. He has a good skating stride and uses both his straight-line speed and powerful edges to push the pace of the play when the puck is on his stick. He drew a penalty by chipping a puck around a defenseman and using his speed to get the defender to interfere with him. On the zone entry he has good chemistry with his linemates and moves the puck well with them. He executed some good bump and drive plays and went hard to the net. Jack scored a goal on a backdoor tap-in, being ready for the puck and quick to get his stick on it. He also recorded an assist by reading the pressure well and making a nice board pass to a linemate low in the zone who then made another pass for a goal at the net-front. Jack almost had another goal as he one-timed a sauce pass off of the post. He is an important piece of the powerplay and gets a lot of shots and chances from his position on the flank where he takes powerful one-timers. He also does a great job on the forecheck of pursuing the puck hard and defends with purpose. In the defensive zone he works to stay in position and takes away skating and passing lanes into the middle.
Tanner Lam (RW, R, 5’10”, 163, Kitchener Rangers, 07/17/2007)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Tanner is a crafty winger who has excellent vision and an ability to make slick plays in tight spaces. He is the bumper on the powerplay, because of his strong ability to read pressure and distribute the puck accordingly. He created a scoring chance on the powerplay with a nice pass to the backdoor from his bumper position. He registered two assists in this game, the first of which was a play he entirely created by walking off of the wall and into the middle before slipping the puck under the defenseman’s stick and putting the puck towards the net where it was tapped in by his linemate on the backdoor. His other assist came on a zone entry where he was able to thread a puck through a diving defenseman to a teammate on a 2v1. He had another notable zone entry where he created a scoring chance by saucing the puck over the defenseman’s stick to an open teammate. Tanner is an undersized winger but he does not shy away from contact. He one play in the game where he was going to retrieve a puck and saw a much larger defenseman approaching him and he executed a nice reverse hit to give himself some time and space with the puck. He is not as effective in board battles because of his small size but once he has the puck on his stick he is a threat to make plays.
Luca Romano (C, R, 5’11”, 178, Kitchener Rangers, 06/25/2007)
Game Rating
B-
1 Viewing
Comments: Luca is a speedy, playmaking center who moves the puck well with his linemates and plays a role on the powerplay. He likes to drive the middle and then bump it wide and drive the net hard. He can push the pace of the play with his speed through the neutral zone and draw defenders deep into the zone. He played on the flank on the powerplay and attempted many shots from here though he was not able to get them on net, too often shooting into the penalty-killer approaching him. His best play of the night came off of a pass he made in the offensive zone across the top of the crease for a grade-A scoring chance. Luca struggled with turnovers in this game, making one very dangerous pass through the middle of the ice on his backhand that was picked off. He needs to get stronger to be more of a force on both sides of the puck.
Alexander Bilecki (D, L, 6’1″, 181, Kitchener Rangers, 05/09/2008)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Alexander is a steady defender who made an offensive impact in this game with a goal and an assist. He is not a flashy player and often goes unnoticed, quietly doing his job shift after shift. He scored a goal from in close to the net as he was left alone and received a pass that he tapped into the net. His assist came off of a give and go play on a zone entry that he made with his teammate who received the puck back and scored. Alexander did a great job of getting up the ice in this game to be a part of rushes and he also got four shots on net.
Stepan Shurygin (G, L, 6’5″, 207, Saginaw Spirit, 08/26/2007)
Game Rating
C+
1 Viewing
Comments: Stepan made some great saves in the 3-1 loss to Kitchener, being challenged all game. He had a lot of trouble catching the puck early in the game, leading to bobbles and unnecessary rebounds. He tended to stay down on the ice for a long time, even when the puck was near the half-wall. He also tends to get deep with his feet wide which limits his lateral movements. He gave up a goal on a pass that crossed just above the top of the crease. He tried to poke the puck before realizing it was out of his reach and then his 5-hole was exposed on the goal. He handles the puck well and can make passes and start the breakout for his team. He was forced to make some very tough saves on the powerplay. Stepan has potential but has a lot of parts of his game that he needs to improve.
Levi Harper (D, R, 5’11”, 172, Saginaw Spirit, 10/03/2008, Minnesota)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Levi is an offensive-defenseman who creates a lot of chances for his team from the offensive blue line and on rushes. He has good skating and edgework which combines with his strong puck-handling to allow him to dance around defenders on the rush. He had some plays through the neutral zone where he manuevered through people with ease. He passes and shoots the puck with strength and accuracy. Levi scored a goal on the powerplay off of a shot from the top where he took a few steps in and wristed the puck through traffic, navigating it past shin pads and just off of the inside post and into the net. He quarterbacks the powerplay and was relied on at the top in the 6v5 situation at the end as well. He needs to work to tighten up the defensive side of his game. He allowed a player to stand behind him in front of the net and receive a pass for a tap-in goal against as he drifted towards the corner getting too focused on the puck. His offensive talent and potential are very high but he needs to improve the defensive side of his game, particularly his awareness.
Carson Harmer (C, L, 5’10”, 193, Saginaw Spirit, 01/13/2007)
Game Rating
B-
1 Viewing
Comments: Carson is a hard-working center who also possesses some skill. He forechecked and backchecked hard, tracking all the way back to the puck and angling players off. He protected the middle of the ice well with his body and his stick. On one forecheck he caused a turnover and then attacked quickly in transition, cutting above the goal line and pulling the puck and shooting through his legs.
Egor Barabanov (LW, L, 6’0″, 173, Saginaw Spirit, 05/01/2006, Penn State)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Egor is a highly-skilled center who is confident with the puck. He has good speed through the neutral zone which he uses to push the pace but he ultimately relies on his hands and good decision-making to execute plays. He had an assist on his team’s only goal on the powerplay, giving the puck to the top of the umbrella for the shot. He had other scoring chances in the game including on the powerplay and on rushes. Egor also drew a penalty in the offensive zone by handling the puck around someone and getting hooked.
Dimian Zhilkin (RW, R, 5’10”, 183, Saginaw Spirit, 10/21/2008)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Dimian finds ways to get into the middle of the ice and create chances. He is skilled and looks to get pucks to the net, getting four on net in this game against Kitchener. He created a nice chance on a cross and drop play on a zone entry, crossing up the defenders and causing confusion. He knows how to be dangerous and plays with an urgency to get pucks into the middle of the ice. He made a nice steal in the offensive zone with a stick lift and then attacked.
Nicholas Sima (C, R, 6’3″, 206, Saginaw Spirit, 03/31/2005)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Nic is a big, hard-hitting, winger who relentlessly pursues pucks. He had many hard forechecks and backchecks where he disrupted the play and finished his checks. He angled players off on backchecks and was a standout defensively for Saginaw. He can possess the puck well and did so in traffic a few times. He took a low shot on net from a bad angle for a rebound chance. He has the ability to make some plays offensively and was on the ice at the end of the game for the 6v5 situation but he was much more noticeable for his defensive play.
Nikita Klepov (LW, L, 6’0″, 178, Saginaw Spirit, 06/27/2008, Michigan State)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Nikita is a skilled winger who can deke around defenders to create chances and also make skilled passes in pressured situations. He occasionally overhandled the puck and lost possession of it but overall he made a lot of good plays with his hands. He walked out of the offensive zone corner with the puck and pulled the puck through the triangle of the the defenseman’s stick before shooting just off the top of the goalie’s shoulder. Nikita also made a nice behind the back pass on a zone entry to a player lower in the zone, drawing the pressure in towards his forehand and then putting it behind himself with his backhand. He also had a scoring chance from the slot on a one-timer attempt.
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images