The Reign Train keeps on rolling, defeating the Abbotsford Canucks 4-0 in game two of round two.
It was an important game two for the Ontario Reign since they have to travel up north to Abbotsford for the last three games of the series.
Ontario capitalized on their first power play of the night. A costly turnover by Cole McWard allowed TJ Tynan to feed Akil Thomas from behind the net, who beat Zach Sawchenko in tight for the early lead.
Charles Hudon then gave the Reign some insurance a few minutes later. The Reign forced a turnover leading to Hudon streaking down the middle of the ice with no defenders near.
Abbotsford was a couple of ticks behind Ontario in the first period, they just simply could not keep up with their pace.
The Canucks put some pep to their step in the second, but without reward. Erik Portillo made a string of great saves in the final five minutes of the period, keeping Abbotsford scoreless.
Like the second period, the third was tightly contested again. Abbotsford was playing desperate, but Ontario was not letting anything get past their blue line.
With 5:26 left to play in the final period, Andre Lee shot a long wrist shot from the middle of the zone, sneaking past Sawchenko.
Tyler Madden would twist the knife, scoring an empty net goal with 3:06 remaining, sealing the win for Ontario.
Here are my three takeaways from the game
Erik Portillo Pitches A Shutout
The six-foot-six Swede has been nothing short of dominant in his first four AHL playoff games.
Portillo’s playoff statistics look like video game numbers. 0.75 GAA, 105 SV, 108 SA, .972 SV%.
Not bad for your first professional playoff tournament. He now adds a shutout and another win to his resume.
His two spectacular saves at the end of the second period were particularly impressive.
The first save came with 3:47 remaining in the middle frame, robbing Max Sasson with his left pad, who was wide open in the slot.
His second save happened with less than a minute left, as Tristen Nielsen set up Sheldon Dries on the doorstep, but Portillo again kicked out his right pad, keeping the game scoreless.
These two saves were the best looks Abbotsford got all game, and were game-changing, to say the least.
Portillo’s 29-for-29 performance earned him a deserving first star of the game, and that had to feel good with Kings management in attendance.
Physicality Paying Off
Sturm mentioned in his postgame interviews that he thinks the team has surprised not only Abbotsford, but the Bakersfield Condors too, with their “different style of play.”
There have been some questions on why Sturm would scratch guys like Francesco Pinelli and Martin Chromiak, two guys who played consistently all year.
As mentioned in previous articles, Sturm has gone with more physicality and hard hitters rather than skill and speed in the playoffs, and so far, it has paid off.
When asked about their extra physicality, Thomas also brought up how he feels like the Reign “bully teams mentally”.
“Whether it’s in a scrum, or Hodgson throwing big hits or Doty getting in guys' faces. Guys don’t want to play against us, and I think it's good knowing that.” Thomas said.
Not only are the bottom six getting into the other team's heads, but they are also putting up points.
In all four playoff games, the bottom six have lit the lamp. Not only are teams trying to not get blasted against the boards, but they are also struggling to keep them off the scoresheet.
Give Tynan His Flowers
TJ Tynan has become sort of an unsung hero throughout this whole season, and it has transitioned into the playoffs as well.
Tynan led the Reign in points this season, with 66, including 57 assists. So far in the playoffs, he is tied with Brandt Clarke for second on the Reign with four points.
The captain has been a glue to this team the entire year, finding the open skater, and playing really smart hockey.
A perfect example of Tynan’s play is the first goal of this game. Tynan creates a turnover behind the net, then immediately turns and finds Thomas out in front.
There is a reason why he is on the first line and power play unit, he creates opportunities out of nothing.
He is not the flashiest guy and does not score a lot of goals, but without Tynan, this team would not be where they are right now.
The Ontario Reign will travel across the border to finish the series up in Abbotsford, starting with a potential clinching game three on Wednesday night.