Ontario Reign: Four Takeaways From 5-4 SO Win Over Tucson

The Ontario Reign survived a late Tucson Roadrunners rally with a 5-4 shootout win heading into the all-star break.

Goal Breakdown

First period:

TUC: SH Cameron Hebig (15), ASST: None

ONT: Taylor Ward (7), ASST: Andre Lee (4), Jack Studnicka (14)

Second period:

ONT: Taylor Ward (8), ASST: Glenn Gawdin (25), Angus Booth (10)

Third period:

ONT: Jeff Malott (11), ASST: Glenn Gawdin (26), Samuel Fagemo (9)

ONT: PP Jeff Malott (12), ASST: Reilly Walsh (17), Charles Hudon (20)

TUC: Travis Barron (4), ASST: Curtis Douglas (9)

TUC: PP Austin Poganski (9), ASST: Kailer Yamamoto (20), Max Szuber (8)

TUC: Cameron Hebig (16), ASST: Austin Poganski (13), Egor Sokolov (16)

Overtime:

None

Shootout:

Round one:

TUC: Kailer Yamamoto – NO GOAL

ONT: Glenn Gawdin – GOAL

Round two:

TUC: Egor Sokolov – NO GOAL

ONT: Jeff Malott – GOAL

Stats

Goals:

ONT: 5

TUC: 4

Shots: 

ONT: 39

TUC: 31

Power plays:

ONT: 1/7

TUC: 1/9

Here are the four takeaways from Saturday night’s shootout victory:

Ward and Malott each score twice

Taylor Ward and Jeff Malott both hit the twine twice. Ward scored the Reign’s first two goals, while Malott scored the last two in the third period. Ward has been playing on a line with Jack Studnicka and Andre Lee, and that trio has been successful for Marco Sturm. Used as a shutdown line against the opposition’s best line, they have also provided offense for Ontario. They have scored at least one goal at five-on-five in six of the last seven games and have been Ontario’s consistent line in that span as the first line has gone into a dry spell as of late.

Speaking of the first line, Sturm shook up that line last game, making a combination of Malott, Glenn Gawdin, and Samuel Fagemo. They found the net once during the third period at five-on-five on Malott’s goal redirection after the initial shot came off the stick of Gawdin, which came shortly after a power play. Malott would score three minutes and 27 seconds later on the power play on another re-direction goal. Malott has filled up the stat sheet this year with his assists but has been a force in front of the net and has made a living in that area of the ice and did so again twice last night.

Ontario relies on their depth and will need those contributions throughout the lineup after the all-star break.

Lack of discipline this weekend

The Reign got a sweep this weekend, but it wasn’t pretty. The Reign found themselves short-handed 14 times this weekend – almost as many power plays combined in this game (16). It was a parade to the penalty box for both sides. Ontario boasted the league’s best penalty kill on the road entering the weekend at 88.7% and needed every successful penalty kill they could get. Being short-handed can probably drive a coach crazy, and if it doesn’t, having to kill off five straight penalties and three five-on-three Tucson power plays during the game will do so.

Taking that many penalties can take a team out of rhythm and often swing momentum. The Reign penalty kill killed off 12 of 14 (85.7%) Tucson power plays this weekend, but it’s not a recipe for success to constantly rely on your goaltending and penalty kill units. You need them to come up with big kills, but asking them to do it nine times in a game and three five-on-three attempts, is playing with fire.

Good job on the penalty kill units and goaltending for coming up big multiple times.

Third-period collapse

The third period has been the Reign’s strongest period this season. Ontario entered the contest with a +21 goal differential (50-29) and led 4-1 with 11 minutes to play after two third-period goals. All is well, right? No. Tucson stormed back with three goals in a span of seven minutes and 10 seconds. Curtis Douglas, from behind the net, found Travis Barron alone in front of the net to cut the lead to 4-2 with 8:44 to play.

Austin Poganski would make it a one-goal game nearly five minutes later on Tucson’s third five-on-three attempt. However, Tucson pulled Matthew Villalta for the extra attacker, thus making it a six-on-three. Erik Portillo didn’t have his stick on the play after he lost it moments earlier making a save. It’s survival mode at that point and Tucson capitalized on the opportunity.

Tucson would tie it with 1:34 remaining in regulation on Cameron Hebig’s second goal of the game. The unthinkable happened. The Reign saw a three-goal lead evaporate with under nine minutes remaining. Lack of discipline and being hemmed in their zone swung momentum for the Reign. It’s unfortunate for Portillo because he played well this game despite the box score saying four goals against. He made key saves on the penalty kill and had to be relied upon heavily with the Reign on their heels constantly in the final nine minutes.

Shootout excellence continues

The Reign needed to win this in a shootout and did so. Gawdin and Malott scored on their attempts, while Portillo denied Kailer Yamamoto with the left pad and Egor Sokolov’s missed attempt. Gawdin (3/3) and Malott (2/2) remain perfect in shootout attempts. Having those two, Samuel Fagemo and Taylor Ward to choose from in the shootout is a nice luxury any coach can have.

Speaking of luxuries, having a brick wall in net is also a plus. Opponents are 1-for-14 against Portillo in shootouts this year. He’s been stellar in those situations and was again last night.

NOTES:

*Glenn Gawdin snapped his four-game pointless streak with two primary assists.

*Taylor Ward and Jeff Malott each recorded their first multi-goal game of the season.

*Charles Hudon picked up an assist on Malott’s power-play goal, bringing him within three points of 400 in his AHL career.

*The Reign post a record of 16-8-0-1 the following game after a win.

*Samuel Fagemo will represent the Reign in the all-star game.

UP NEXT: It’s the all-star break. The Ontario Reign will return to action on Saturday, February 8th, against the San Diego Gulls.

Featured image credit: Kate Dibildox/Tucson Roadrunners

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