Two of the best teams in the Canadian Hockey League will battle Thursday in Windsor as the puck drops on round two of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
The Windsor Spitfires, who finished ranked 10th in the CHL to end the regular season, face the Kitchener Rangers, the 8th-ranked junior hockey team in the country.
During the 2024-25 regular season, the Spitfires went 2-2-0 overall against the Rangers and are 4-5 in the playoffs over the last 5 seasons.
The Spits advanced after a 4-1 series win over the Soo Greyhounds, while the Rangers also eliminated the Flint Firebirds in five games.
Spitfires forward Noah Morneau says the Rangers are a very fast team.
"Really balanced throughout their whole lineup. They play quickly and pretty structured; it will be a good test for us, a good challenge," he says. "We're going to do everything we can to slow the game down and play to our strengths."
Morneau says they have to be very focused against the Rangers.
"Realizing that one mistake can win or lose a series. We're going to have to be locked in, and I know they're going to try to be as locked in as possible. We have to force them to make mistakes, limit our mistakes, and we should be alright," he says.
Morneau had 8 goals in the opening round of the postseason, which is tied for first in OHL playoff goal scoring, and says he's playing with a lot of confidence right now.
"It's always fun when you shoot it, and you feel like every time you shoot it, it feels like it's going to go in. It's going to be a different test with Parsons in the net; he's a fantastic goalie. I'm just going to do everything I can to keep it going," he says.
The Rangers will be leaning on overage goalie Jackson Parsons, who is nominated for the Red Tilson Trophy, given to the most outstanding player during the regular season.
In the playoffs, Parsons played in all 5 games, going 4-1-0, and had a 1.58 GAA and .939 SV%.
AM800 has the broadcast from Thursday's game at the WFCU Centre starting with the pregame show at 6:50 p.m.
Game Two will also be Saturday in Windsor.