Ontario Reign: Three takeaways from 3-2 OT loss to Henderson

The Ontario Reign got a point but fell in overtime to the Henderson Silver Knights, as not everyone seemed engaged.

Goal Breakdown

First period:

ONT: TJ Tynan (5), ASST: Martin Chromiak (6), Charles Hudon (8)

HSK: PP Adam Cracknell (12), ASST: Brendan Brisson (10), Grigori Denisenko (14)

Second period: 

HSK: Jakub Brabenec (3), ASST: Grigori Denisenko (15), Jonas Rondjberg (8)

ONT: Taylor Ward (2), ASST: Samuel Fagemo (8), Cole Krygier (5)

Third period: 

None

Overtime: 

HSK: Jakub Brabenec (4), ASST: Lukas Cormier (7)

Stats

Goals: 

HSK: 3

ONT: 2

Shots: 

HSK: 23

ONT: 21

Power plays: 

HSK: 1/2

ONT: 0/2

Here are the three takeaways from last night’s 3-2 overtime loss:

Not everyone showed up

The Ontario Reign never got into a good rhythm. Outside of the first line, nobody came to play. The fourth line of Andre Lee, Samuel Helenius, and Jacob Doty had two shifts with extended offensive zone time, but they weren’t effective. The third line couldn’t generate much offense as they recorded only one shot on goal. While the second line had a goal on the rush, they played decent in spurts. Overall, the first line was the only consistent line for the Reign.

TJ Tynan opened the scoring with a quick shot from the left circle on the game’s first shot on goal 3:15 into the game. That line of Tynan, Martin Chromiak, and Charles Hudon was the only line that looked engaged throughout the whole game and had constant lengthy shifts in the offensive zone. Of the 21 shots on goal for Ontario, 14 of them came from the forwards, and nine of those 14 came from the first line (Chromiak led the team in shots on goal with five). You won’t win many games if three of your four lines are sleepwalking the whole game, especially for a team that likes to roll all four lines like the Reign. The Reign were lucky they got one point for their performance.

Make the most of your opportunity

With injuries up front and on the back end, the Reign’s depth will be tested. With that comes opportunity. Ontario, for the past month, had TJ Tynan, Mikhail Maltsev, Alex Turcotte, and Samuel Helenius at center. With Maltsev being loaned to the KHL and Turcotte missing the last two games due to an injury, head coach Marco Sturm has had to move players around. One of those moves was elevating rookie Francesco Pinelli to third-line center due to Turcotte’s absence.

Pinelli, who has played wing on the fourth line, will now have a bigger role for the foreseeable future. The Reign have sheltered Pinelli as he gets accustomed to the professional level, but that plan has to be scrapped. Pinelli has played third-line center these last two games and has seen time on the penalty kill, which were situations Turcotte was used in. This is an opportunity for the 20-year-old to get an opportunity to learn on the fly and understand how to play the game at the professional level. After all, the AHL is a developmental league, right?

Tobias Bjornfot’s conditioning assignment ends

Last night was the game of Tobias Bjornfot’s conditioning assignment with the Reign. His assignment would’ve ended sooner if he wasn’t on the wrong end of a dirty hit against the Coachella Valley Firebirds three weeks ago. During his time with the Reign, Bjornfot saw top four minutes, time on both special teams units, and no points in nine games. While he started slow, he did improve slightly as his assignment neared the end. Now we’ll see what the Kings’ plan is for him going forward.

Notes:

*Jakub Brabenec’s two goals for the Henderson Silver Knights was the rookie’s first two-goal game of his professional career.

*Brandt Clarke recorded no shots on goal for the second time this season.

*TJ Tynan’s goal in the first period now has him tied with Clarke for the team lead in points with 25.

*Samuel Fagemo’s assist in the second period gives him seven points in his last five games.

UP NEXT: The Ontario Reign are back in action at home for their first Saturday game of the season as they take on the Colorado Eagles. The game starts at 6 PM, can be seen on AHLTV, and it’s the annual Teddy Bear toss!

Featured image credit: Ontario Reign

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