Five different players scored for the Ontario Reign as the AHL’s top power-play continued their dominance in a 5-2 win on NHL All-Star Friday.
Goal Breakdown
1st Period
ONT Jaret Anderson-Dolan (15) ASST: T.J. Tynan (39), Jordan Spence (24)
2nd Period
ONT Austin Wagner (10) ASST: Aidan Dudas (10), Jordan Spence (25)
GRG Dan Renouf (1)
ONT Martin Frk (20) ASST: T.J. Tynan (40), Jordan Spence (26)
3rd Period
ONT Samuel Fagemo (6) ASST: Alex Turcotte (9), Gabriel Vilardi (15)
GRG Joe Veleno (4) ASST: Jonatan Berggen (20), Taro Hirose (23)
ONT Alex Turcotte (6) ASST: Tyler Madden (11), Samuel Fagemo (6)
Tip: When the goalie is out of position simply put it in
Alex Turcotte: ✅ pic.twitter.com/263fW3biBG
— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) February 5, 2022
Stats
Goals
ONT: 5
GR: 2
Shots
ONT: 28
GR: 37
Power-play
ONT: 3/4
GR: 1/4
Here are three things that stood out in Friday’s win:
1. The power-play stays strong
Special teams won the game for the Ontario Reign on Friday, and this seems to be the bread and butter for this team as they continue to hold their place in the standings heading into February.
The work on the man advantage gives the Ontario Reign a 29% Power Play success rate, clearing the top of the league by a full 3.1%. This is how you win games when you need them. For as abysmal as the penalty kill has been of late, the power play is truly something to behold.
Just a tap in finish for JAD! pic.twitter.com/0wgvi8PmXs
— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) February 5, 2022
The usual suspects lived on the power-play as Vilardi and Turcotte both ended up with a +1 to finish the game. Jordan Spence continued his run of dominance as he collected three assists in the game, putting his point streak at 18 over the last 13 games.
2. Depth is key
The Reign are proving that they are an incredibly deep team at the moment. T.J. Tynan is the top scorer and has as many assists as Martin Frk has points. That’s incredible for a team with a few rookies and younger contributors in general.
They are also a team that is shuffled around quite a bit because of injuries, COVID, and taxi squad relegation but are still so point-dominant. Of players who have played at least 15 games, only four players have less than 10 points.
Tynan is on pace for 108 points this season, including 84 assists, which would put him within reach of the AHL assist record set by George Sullivan during the 1953-54 season. Tynan has become a truly dominant force in the AHL and controls play, dishing the puck so well he is a threat every time he is on the ice.
The depth shows up in the plus-minus on the year as well as only three players hold a minus rating over the year—a stick tap to Samuel Fagemo, who has managed a +16 for the season.
3. Decisions need to be made
It’s time for their parent organization to make some decisions about these players. Recently, the Making it Reign Podcast discussed the future of some of these players, and the team is showing the relevance of that discussion.
Making It Reign Episode 19 – Evaluating the Ontario Reign at the Halfway Point
How much longer can Gabe Vilardi be listed on the AHL scoring sheet before it becomes too apparent that a call-up is warranted? If Jordan Spence is putting up 13-game point streaks at just 20 years of age – at least for another few days – when will he get a look with the NHL club?
Per CapFriendly, six forwards, two goaltenders, and four members of the D corps will need new contracts at the end of the year. These players include Frk, Anderson-Dolan, Matt Villalta, and Austin Strand. With the Kings beginning the march toward playoff contention, the roster slots on the big club will be coveted, and it’s going to take a serious amount of skill to crack the lineup.
With the “Next Man Up” line pretty much worked out, we can only assume that certain players will get their time to shine soon. If they make the best of it, they could find themselves in a position to make an impact on a roster that is trying to win a playoff series instead of rack up points.
The Reign are back in action Saturday for another game against Grand Rapids. Puck drop at 4:00 pm PT.