Building Blue: Gabriel Chiarot’s Two-Way Play Helps Kitchener Rangers Carry Momentum into Third Round

The Kitchener Rangers are heading into the third round of the OHL playoffs with momentum, and forward Gabriel Chiarot is doing a bit of everything, which has been translating to wins.

After dropping just one game through the first two rounds, Kitchener has played a tight game in the postseason.  

"We were just really good on the forecheck, and our special teams helped out a bunch,” Chiarot said. “They only scored two power play goals in five games, which is really good. So, I think special teams definitely played a factor. Always putting the pressure on them constantly and getting scoring from all our forward lines, our depth really helped us on that series.” 

Chiarot has been a key contributor in all scenarios, playing on both special teams’ units as the Rangers’ penalty kill clicked at an impressive 88.9 percent (16 of 18) in the second round. 

After sweeping the Saginaw Spirit in the opening round, the Rangers lost their close-out game to the Greyhounds. Chiarot said it reinforced the importance of staying dialed in for a full 60 minutes, something that Kitchener responded to in Game 5, setting the tone early and controlling the play. 

“Our mentality is to be good on the forecheck, because that's where we thrive. Getting pucks on net, getting in on the forecheck, and cycling it low, and I think those are the things that at least I try and do to set the tone early, getting on the other team's D and getting the puck in, making sure I'm doing all the right things,” Chiarot said. 

“We were barely in our defensive zone, which helps out a lot because they can't score, and we get our chances to score. We played not being afraid to get scored on; playing to win, not playing to lose.” 

With a 2-2-1-1-1 playoff format and the Rangers as the higher seed, they finished the series at home at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium in front of nearly 7,000 fans. 

“Game five at the Aud in Kitchener against the Soo was the loudest game I've ever heard,” Chiarot said. “I keep saying that with the other games, but it just keeps getting louder.” 

Chiarot had 3 assists through five games, helping generate offence with great vision, with his passing and that resulted in he and his teammates getting pucks on net. 

Chiarot assisted on the first goal of the series, driving play down the right wing for a shot on net, while his teammate Haeden Ellis grabbed the rebound and wristed it past Soo goaltender Carter George.

For the second goal of the series, the 19-year-old recovered the puck, threading a pass through four Greyhounds to Alexander Bilecki coming down the right side, Bilecki finding Ellis net front for the goal.

The Rangers’ coaching staff has been happy with Chiarot’s reliable play and his dog-on-a-bone mentality. He’s focused on helping the team win and being a player that’s tough to play against. 

“I'm not going to give up chances or not have a bad turnover, but sometimes maybe the offence isn't going, and that's okay. If I can still be a shutdown player and get on my D quickly when we're in our own zone or things like that,” he said. 

The Rangers take on the Windsor Spitfires in the Western Conference Final, a team that finished atop the Western Division with a 44-15-6-3 record and plays a physical, aggressive style. 

“They're a tough team, they’re really aggressive, and they play hard. I think they're going to try and bully us, because that's what their style of hockey is,” Chiarot said. “If we just build on the success we had in the regular season against them, we will be fine. We just have to try not to get caught up in their shenanigans, with after-whistle stuff will be a huge thing for us, and just playing our game.”

The Rangers have had a week-long break to rest, recover, and prepare for Windsor, which Chiarot said is a nice reset for each round. The Hamilton, Ontario native says the rest days are so important in a playoff run. 

Kitchener will open the series Friday night at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, backed by a crowd that continues to grow louder with each round. 

Chiarot has had a big cheering section of his own through the playoffs, and it’s about to get bigger in the third round as his cousin, and Detroit Red Wings defenceman, Ben Chiarot is planning to attend the games.

“It's been nice to see my family. I got to go home this past weekend, which is nice to see them and talk to them, because that's also the thing about winning early, you get some time off.” 

The Rangers look to carry their momentum into a tough third-round test.