ERIE, Pa. (Interstat) — The Kitchener Rangers will visit the Erie Otters on Saturday for an Ontario Hockey League game at Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pa. Kitchener enters with a 1-2 record, while Erie is 2-0. The Otters are unbeaten early in the season and will look to protect home ice against a Rangers club searching for consistency. Erie will play its first home game of the season after opening with two road wins. Kitchener has played two of its first three games at home and one on the road.

Kitchener opened its season with a 4-1 win at Owen Sound before falling 1-0 at home to Owen Sound. The Rangers then dropped a 4-3 decision to Erie in their most recent game. In that meeting, Charlie Puglisi scored one goal and recorded three shots on goal to go with two penalty minutes. Luca Santala also scored and had five shots on goal, while Luca Romano added a goal and three shots on goal. Puglisi, Santala and Romano were Kitchener’s goal scorers in the most recent meeting.

Erie has won both of its games, including a 5-1 victory at Guelph and a 4-3 win at Kitchener. The teams have met once this season, with Erie taking the one-goal decision. Liam Beamish has been a central figure for the Otters. In the most recent meeting at Kitchener, Beamish scored two goals and recorded two shots on goal. Mclean Agrette contributed two assists and four shots on goal, and Michael Dec added three assists and three shots on goal. Beamish also recorded four penalty minutes in the win at Guelph.

Santala remains a player to watch for Kitchener. His goal and five shots on goal in the latest matchup against Erie made him one of the Rangers’ most active offensive threats. His five shots on goal led Kitchener in the most recent meeting, and he was one of three Rangers to score in that game. Kitchener has scored seven goals through three games. Erie has scored nine goals and allowed four through two games. The Otters have received production from Beamish, Agrette and Dec.

The Rangers’ upcoming schedule includes a home game against Kingston, followed by a home matchup with Saginaw and a trip to Guelph. Erie is set to travel to Peterborough, Ottawa and Kingston in its next stretch. Both teams are in the early portion of the OHL schedule, and this game is the first meeting between the teams in Erie this season.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Kitchener 4, Erie 1. Interstat’s ELO system gives Kitchener an 81.3 percent probability to win.