Ontario Reign/Los Angeles Kings goaltender Phoenix Copley (29) skates against the Edmonton Oilers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Source: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports)The Ontario Reign beat the Coachella Valley Firebirds 5-1 in Game Two to level the Pacific Division Semifinals in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Ontario started the game going on a 4-0 shooting run in the first 6:18 minutes of the frame. After that, Coachella Valley would put up six straight shots in a span of 6:24 minutes where the third one resulted in the game-opening goal by forward Lleyton Roed to put the Firebirds up 1-0. Ontario would have the last four shots for the final 3:21 minutes of the period where forward Logan Brown would put in the equalizer.
Despite the Firebirds outshooting the Reign 15-9 in the second period, forward Glenn Gawdin pocketed the game-winning goal for Ontario at the 15:17 mark of the frame to put the Reign up 2-1.
15 seconds into the third period, Ontario's Cole Guttman put the puck past Coachella Valley goalie Nikke Kokko to put in the insurance goal. The Firebirds would go on a power play 20 seconds later in hopes of pulling off a comeback, but things just went from bad to worse as the Reign's Francesco Pinelli scored a short-handed goal to add further padding to Ontario's lead at 4-1.
The Firebirds had the fight in them as they outshot the Reign 7-3 for the rest of the final frame, but they couldn't find the all-important back of the net. An Ontario empty-netter in the end laid the game to rest.
Ontario goalie Phoenix Copley made 34 saves off 35 shots for a save percentage of 0.971.
Coachella Valley goalie Kokko made 19 saves off 23 shots for a save percentage of 0.826.