After a brutal 5-1 loss to the Henderson Silver Knights this past Sunday, the Reign looked to bounce back for round two Friday night, this time in Henderson.
The Reign got on a power play within the first few minutes of the game, but they could not capitalize on it.
Although they did not score, the two units showed adjustments, as they looked much more promising than in prior games.
Fortunately, the Reign would have another power play try two minutes later, in which they scored. Reilly Walsh handled the puck off a rebound and quickly released a wrist shot from the left circle, giving Ontario a 1-0 lead.
That power-play goal would make them 2-26 this season on the man advantage, with the other tally coming on October 18 against the Bakersfield Condors, a game they lost 4-1.
Right before the first period ended, Shawn Element tipped in a wrister from Jack Millar, giving the Reign insurance.
It was the perfect period following three bad losses in a row. The Reign needed to bounce back early and strong in this game.
The second period started with Mason Morelli scoring a hard rebound off the back wall, which caught Erik Portillo off guard and made it a 2-1 game.
Throughout the second period, the Reign had multiple grade-A chances, highlighted by a missed opportunity from Taylor Ward, who had a wide-open net off a scramble but shot it over the net.
Despite these chances, the fourth line stepped up again, as a clean-shaven Jacob Doty scored his first of the year, and the Reign would make it 3-1.
It was a scary third period for the Reign. Henderson made a valiant effort to tally some goals, but Portillo was spectacular.
An empty net goal from Charles Hudon sealed the win for the Ontario Reign, leaving Lee’s Family Forum with a 4-1 victory.
Here are my three takeaways from the game.
Portillo’s Big Return
Erik Portillo started between the pipes for the first time since opening night and did not disappoint.
Portillo was out for 3 weeks due to an illness.
The Reign outshot the Silver Knights 18-5 at the end of the first period. At the final buzzer, the shot total was 38-35.
In the third period, Portillo stood on his head, making multiple spectacular saves. The Reign will not win this game without Portillo in net.
It was nice seeing Portillo back in the crease for Ontario. He was a massive part of their playoff run last year, and they need him to play well to get back on track.
Fast Start, Slow Finish
In the past couple of games, the Reign have come out looking solid and energetic, as if they have an extra motor. Then they start to lose their energy throughout the game and fail to re-energize
Ironically, last year was the complete opposite. The Reign would never come out hot but always made strong efforts late in games.
Starting this season, they have had issues in the latter half of games, not being able to find the extra juice to tie up a game, or worse, it looks like they simply lack effort.
This game was no different. The only difference was Erik Portillo was in net, not Pheonix Copley or Jacob Ingham.
Head coach Marco Sturm may have to talk to his players about starting and ending strong and not tailing off at the end of games.
Faceoffs Has Been Outstanding
If there is one non-issue the Reign has had this year, it is their faceoff numbers. All year, the Ontario Reign has been nothing short of remarkable.
All four centers are putting together an excellent year as far as faceoffs go, and that can go a long way as the season progresses.
Regarding all faceoffs in this game, the Reign went 37/64 (58%). If the Reign can keep this up, it will be an excellent recipe for success.