Ontario Reign: Three takeaways from 3-1 loss to Calgary

A better effort from the Ontario Reign, but the result stayed the same in a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Wranglers on Saturday night.

Goal Breakdown

First period:

None

Second period:

CGY: PP Jakob Pelletier (2), ASST: Adam Klapka (12), Matthew Coronato (20)

ONT: Taylor Ward (5), ASST: Akil Thomas (17), Kevin Connauton (8)

Third period:

CGY: Yan Kuznetsov (5), ASST: Ben Jones (14), Adam Klapka (13)

CGY: EN Ben Jones (14), ASST: Jakob Pelletier (1)

Stats

Goals:

CGY: 3

ONT: 1

Shots: 

CGY: 30

ONT: 27

Power plays:

CGY: 1/5

ONT: 0/2

Here are the three takeaways from Saturday’s 3-1 defeat:

Better but the same result

After getting off to slow starts against the Colorado Eagles in the past two games, the Reign got off to a better start against the Wranglers. The transition game was much better, and there weren’t many turnovers that led to rush chances. Through 40 minutes, the game was even with the score tied at one and Calgary having a slight edge in the shots on goal department, 19-17.

However, the Wranglers came with a push to start the third, which put the Reign on their heels. It didn’t hurt them, but Yan Kuznetsov’s goal on a follow-up chance off the rush put the Wranglers up for good with 5:08 to play. The Reign couldn’t get the game-tying goal against Dustin Wolf, the reigning AHL MVP, and Ben Jones sealed the deal with an empty-net goal for Calgary.

The effort was better, but the result stayed the same for the Reign.

Portillo bounces back

Tuesday night was rough for Erik Portillo, as he allowed six goals on 32 shots faced. Not all the goals were on him, as the team didn’t play well in front of him, and Colorado was given too many rush chances to begin with. While all the goals weren’t solely on him, there were instances of being overly aggressive and out of position several times.

Last night was a good bounce-back game for him and the team’s play, even in a loss. Going up against Wolf, one of the top goalies in the league, provided a bit of motivation, too. The rebound control, positioning, and poise from Portillo were much better in this outing. There weren’t many second-chance opportunities given up either. It was a goalie duel throughout the game as both stood their ground. In the end, it was a late goal that decided this one. Portillo’s final stat line was 27 saves on 29 shots faced.

Take a break

The all-star break couldn’t come at a better time for the Reign. They’re currently on a four-game skid and have fallen to sixth place in the division standings. This break is an opportunity to rest, hit the reset button, and come back to practice fresh. It’s also a good time for players struggling to produce offense, like Martin Chromiak and Francesco Pinelli, to get away from the game for a few days. Seven of the next ten games will be at home, so the Reign will need to find a remedy for their home woes, as they are 29th in win percentage.

NOTES:

*Jacob Moverare returned to the lineup after missing the last four games with injury.

*Dustin Wolf improved his record against the Reign to 15-3-2.

*Three Wrangler players record two points (Jakob Pelletier, Ben Jones, and Adam Klapka).

*Taylor Ward recorded his second goal in three games during the week.

*Erik Portillo’s .918 save percentage on the season is third among qualified rookie goalies in the AHL.

UP NEXT: The Ontario Reign hit the all-star break before returning to action on Friday, February 9th, at home against the Henderson Silver Knights. The game starts at 7 PM and can be seen on AHLTV.

Featured image credit: Ian Kelly/Ontario Reign

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