Somewhat recently, on Twitter/X, I made a bold statement following a dominant Kitchener Rangers victory over their rival London Knights.
This post was met with a bunch of hopeful fan support, but the consensus among those who disagreed was that the Rangers will be trounced by whoever comes out of the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Eastern Conference, whether that’s the Barrie Colts, Ottawa 67’s, or Brantford Bulldogs.
The primary reason is the Rangers’ weakness in net compared to other contenders around the league. At the time, I didn’t think much of it; it’s fair to say the Rangers may not have the best goaltending in the league.
However, recently, I stumbled upon a post from Jason Hagholm, the Rangers’ play-by-play broadcaster, in a Rangers’ Facebook fan group that read, “I don’t ever want to see a post in this group doubting Christian Kirsch ever again,” following Kirsch’s shutout against the 67’s.
Again, the comments were mixed, with some really dragging Kirsch to the point where Sean Furfaro, the Rangers’ rinkside host on Rogers TV, was in the comments trying to help correct the narrative after some criticism of Kirsch.
Seeing all the negativity around the Rangers’ netminders made me realize that the comments I got weren’t one-off, random opinions; they reflected a common belief that the netminders were a concern.
Is the Rangers’ Goaltending Still a Concern?
Coming into the season, Rangers media, including Hagholm and Furfaro, among others, unanimously said that goaltending was the team’s biggest concern when polled by the OHL.
A more than justifiable take when you consider that they lost the reigning Canadian Hockey League Goaltender of the Year, Jackson Parsons, and would have to rely on Kirsch, who is in his first season in the OHL, despite being a San Jose Sharks prospect, and Jason Schaubel, a 17 year old with just 18 games of OHL experience coming into this season.
However, after getting through October with Kirsch and Schaubel combining for a .916 save percentage (SV%), the Rangers’ goaltending concerns were gone a month into the season.
Following the hot start, both netminders’ numbers took a hit when the team battled with consistency, playing about .500 hockey through November and the early part of December. I’ve already given my thoughts on this stretch, and it’s more about the Rangers losing key battles in front of their goalies than the goalies not making timely saves.
Related: Kitchener Rangers Struggling to Regain Early Season Form
In the related piece, I wrote, “Most of the goals they’re [Rangers] giving up come from a lack of physicality in the slot and in tight to the goalie, and relying too heavily on their stick to win battles rather than their legs. It’s rebounds, it’s tap-ins, and it’s shots with too much traffic in front that’s hurting them.”
Since then, and more specifically since the trade deadline, none of this has been a concern after the Rangers rounded out their lineup with multiple additions, and that has translated into their goaltenders making enough saves to win games again.
Rangers’ Goaltending Is Good Enough to Win
This Rangers team certainly does not live and die by its goaltending. They have one of, if not the best, blue lines in the OHL, with the size and physicality of Andonovski and Woolley being invaluable, bringing it themselves and also other defensemen.
The additions of Sam O’Reilly and Dylan Edwards give the Rangers an elite top-six with Jack Pridham, Christian Humphreys, Luca Romano, once he returns from injury, and Gabriel Chiarot, who I think is still due to get hot.
Bringing these guys in up front has allowed the Rangers to slide Cameron Arquette, Tanner Lam, and Haeden Ellis down the lineup, and they have been thriving, getting some easier matchups.
The Rangers are just a complete team in every way, and it’s somehow being used to discredit their goaltending, with some suggesting you can’t point out their goals-against average and win-loss record because of the team they play behind.
Well, back to my original point, the Rangers can win the OHL championship. The only question that matters is, does your goaltender make enough saves to win you games?
They have proved it countless times this season. Early in the season, the tandem had to be near-perfect, as the Rangers’ offence was average through the first few months. The struggles happened, and then as the team started adding, they became much more consistent. Since the deadline, the Rangers have a 15-1-2-1 record.
I won’t argue that either of the Rangers’ goaltenders has had bad games or let in the occasional weak one where the team in front of them has bailed them out, but that’s what hockey’s about; they’re repaying the several games Kirsch and Schaubel stole earlier in the season in low-scoring affairs.
Are there better goalies in the OHL? For sure, I won’t argue that. But when it comes to trusting a goaltender, the only thing I am concerned with is making enough saves to keep you in the game. Kirsch and Schaubel have done that continuously throughout the season.
On top of that, they are heating up at the right time in the Rangers’ season, with only 11 games left on their schedule and the tandem having a .955 save percentage, including two shutouts from Kirsch in their last five games.
With that, opinions are probably changing; however, I was shocked reading about how some were evaluating the Rangers’ goaltending. For me, it’s simple: I trust them both, as they’ve consistently shown they’ll make enough saves to give the Rangers a chance to win almost any game, and that’s why I can’t understand where any concern with either netminder could come from.
