Ontario Reign: Four Takeaways From Game One’s 3-2 Loss

A close game saw the Coachella Valley Firebirds hand the Ontario Reign their first postseason loss with a 3-2 win.

Goal Breakdown

First period:

ONT: Andre Lee (4), ASST: Taylor Ward (4), Samuel Helenius (1)

CV: Max McCormick (4), ASST: Andrew Poturalski (4), Gustav Olofsson (3)

CV: Devin Shore (4), ASST: Connor Carrick (3), Marian Studenic (2)

Second period:

CV: Jimmy Schuldt (1), ASST: Logan Morrison (3), Jacob Melanson (2)

Third period:

ONT: PP Samuel Fagemo (2), ASST: TJ Tynan (4), Akil Thomas (3)

Stats

Goals:

ONT: 2

CV: 3

Shots:

ONT: 31

CV: 15

Power plays:

ONT: 1/3

CV: 0/2

Here are the four takeaways from Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat:

Andre Lee scores again

Andre Lee ended the regular season on fire after returning from a lower leg injury and has carried that over into the playoffs. The line of Lee-Helenius-Ward has been one of the Reign’s better lines when it has come to getting contributions from the offensive end. They struck first on a good forecheck in the corner by Ward. Ward caused a turnover and found Lee in the left circle, who buried a wrist shot by Chris Driedger. The goal was Lee’s fourth in six playoff games.

Rapid fire

The Firebirds can strike quickly and when they do, it can lead to a small flurry. The Reign found that out toward the final ten minutes of the opening frame. Max McCormick, the captain of the Firebirds, knotted the game up at one after his shot from the high slot changed direction and fluttered by Erik Portillo.

Devin Shore put the Firebirds on top, 2-1, 62 seconds later re-directing a Connor Carrick shot in front of a screened Portillo after the Firebirds had an extended shift in the Reign zone. That sequence was the difference in the game.

The bottom six were solid

One of my concerns entering this series was how the heavy bottom six players for the Reign would play against a skilled Firebirds team with speed in transition. I thought one of Francesco Pinelli or Martin Chromiak would draw into the lineup to match the speed and skill of Coachella Valley. Marco Sturm stood with the same lineup and the bottom six sometimes played better than the top six.

The Reign got some strong shifts in the offensive zone from the bottom six of the lineup throughout the game but will need the top six to string some together, too. Any time the Reign needed momentum Sturm went to the third or fourth line. I don’t think there will be a lineup change to the bottom six after their strong game last night but it wouldn’t surprise me if Sturm does in case he wants to match up against the speed and skill against the Firebirds. I guess we’ll have to wait.

First loss of the playoffs

The Reign suffered their first loss after starting the playoffs 5-0. Teams will never go undefeated in the playoffs because sweeping everyone is impossible. It just won’t happen. At some point, a team will lose a game and that time has come for the Reign. Even with a solid performance in which they outshot the Firebirds 31-15, I don’t think they had a strong 60 minutes. They were good in spurts, but not the whole game. Now, after facing their first loss and a must-win game to avoid being on the brink of elimination for game three, we’ll see how they bounce back by facing adversity for the first time these playoffs.

NOTES:

*Samuel Fagemo recorded his second goal of the playoffs. It was his first power-play goal of the playoffs as well.

*Akil Thomas and Fagemo each recorded five shots on goal to lead all skaters in the game.

*Jimmy Schuldt’s goal in the second period stood as the game-winner.

*Kevin Connauton missed last night’s game. Cole Krygier was inserted into the lineup and was penciled in on the third defensive pair, while Kim Nousiainen got moved up to the second pair in Connauton’s spot. Per the broadcast from Josh Schaefer and Jared Shafran, Connauton is listed as day-to-day. We’ll see if he is back in the lineup for game two

*Jacob Ingham served as the backup goalie.

*The Firebirds were limited to 15 shots on goal. They led the league in the regular season averaging about 35 a game.

UP NEXT: The Ontario Reign and Coachella Valley Firebirds are back at it for game two on Friday at 7 PM PST. The game can be seen on AHLTV.

Featured image credit: Mike Zitek/Coachella Valley Firebirds

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