The Guelph Storm will be looking for revenge against their Highway 7 rivals, the Kitchener Rangers, in a rematch of last year’s OHL western conference quarterfinals.
The two teams will meet again in the OHL playoffs for Game 1 of their first-round matchup on Friday at the Sleeman Centre at 7:30 p.m.
READ MORE: Guelph Storm finish regular season with 2 wins over Erie Otters
The Storm want to avoid another early playoff exit after being eliminated by the Rangers in six games a year ago.
But unlike last season, Guelph is coming in as the favourites after finishing the season in fourth place of the western conference with 90 points and a record of 40-18-6-4.
Kitchener was a distant fifth place with a record of 34-30-3-1.
Their eight-game season series was evenly split for the most part, with the Rangers picking up a 4-3 victory in overtime on Jan. 11.
The Storm are considered “all in” this season after bolstering their roster — which already features top-scorers Nate Schnarr and Isaac Ratcliffe — by acquiring Nick Suzuki, MacKenzie Entwistle, and Sean Durzi at the trade deadline.
READ MORE: 2019 OHL playoff preview
Guelph finished the season with an impressive record of 17-6-3 since that trade deadline but Kitchener has beaten them three out of the last four times during that stretch.
The Rangers were quiet at the deadline in comparison, but expect to see big performances from Greg Meireles and Jonathan Yantsis, who are undrafted and playing for contracts.
The Rangers also boast the OHL’s best power play but gave up the most shorthanded goals among playoff teams, tied with the Hamilton Bulldogs.
BELOW: The Kitchener Rangers defeated the Guelph Storm 5-2 in their last meeting on March 10
On the injury front, Guelph expects to have Durzi along with fellow defenceman Jack Hanley and forward Cedric Ralph back in the lineup for Game 1.
The team also said injured Storm forwards Keegan Stevenson and Cam Hillis are expected to return sometime during the opening round.
READ MORE: Kitchener Rangers split weekend series with Owen Sound Attack
Game 2 is on Sunday in Guelph at 2 p.m. while Games 3 and 4 are at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium next Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m.
Larry Mellott will have full coverage and play-by-play live on 1460 CJOY.
— With files from 980 CFPL’s Mike Stubbs
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