KITCHENER, Ontario (Interstat) — A tightly contested Ontario Hockey League Western Conference race will be in focus Friday night when the Kitchener Rangers host the Windsor Spitfires at Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

The matchup features two of the league’s top teams, separated by just one win in the standings. The Rangers (31-16-0) hold a slight edge over the visiting Spitfires (30-16-0) in what will be the second meeting between the clubs in 10 days.

Kitchener edged Windsor 3-2 in overtime on Jan. 21 in the most recent head-to-head game. The Interstat game simulator projects a higher-scoring affair in the rematch, forecasting a 5-3 Rangers victory.

Both teams are looking to rebound from overtime road losses in their last outings. Windsor fell 3-2 to Kitchener on Jan. 21 before beating Flint 4-1 on Jan. 24, led by a goal and an assist from forward Liam Greentree. Kitchener is coming off a 3-2 overtime loss in Owen Sound on Wednesday.

Greentree, a top prospect for Windsor, has been a consistent offensive force. He has recorded points in five of his last eight games, tallying four goals and five assists in that span. He scored a goal in the Jan. 21 loss to Kitchener.

The Rangers counter with their own high-flying forward in Sam O’Reilly. The center is riding a seven-game point streak, having notched six goals and eight assists since Jan. 10. He had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win over Sarnia on Jan. 27 and scored Kitchener’s lone goal in its recent overtime loss.

In net, Windsor’s Joey Costanzo stopped 29 of 30 shots in the win over Flint. Kitchener’s goaltending tandem has backstopped the team to wins in seven of its last 10 contests.

Following Friday’s game, Windsor will host Sarnia on Sunday. Kitchener’s next game is Feb. 4 on the road against the London Knights.