Ontario Reign: Pluses and Minuses From Week 4

Week four came and went for the Ontario Reign as they went 2-1-0-0 in their three games. Ontario started the week with a 3-2 comeback win over the Calgary Wranglers before splitting a two-game road series against the Texas Stars.

As in the previous three weeks, there were some good and bad, but I think the good outweighed the bad this time. With that in mind, here are the pluses and minuses from the Reign’s fourth week.

Positives:

+: Martin Chromiak wins AHL Player of the Week

Cole Guttman and Lane Pederson delivered strong performances, but Martin Chromiak’s play stood out. Chromiak scored four goals, all in the third period in the Reign’s wins, and added two assists for six points in three games. Chromiak’s role is simple: put the puck in the net. Over eight games, he’s done that, leading the team with six goals.

+: Carter George continues to show poise and confidence

Carter George may be a 20-year-old rookie, but you wouldn’t know it by watching him in both starts. In George’s only start of the week, he turned away 24 of 26 shots, helping backstop the Reign to a 3-2 win over the Wranglers. George made several key saves, showing his composure and confidence.

+: Staying out of the box

The Reign have made the penalty box their second home this season; not last week. Ontario was shorthanded nine times, an average of three times a game, and gave the opposition four or more power plays only once in the three games. Staying out of the penalty box is huge because they like to roll all four lines and six defensemen, and constantly parading to the penalty box mixes the lines and the ice time for certain skaters

+: Penalty kill continues to dazzle

Speaking of penalties, the penalty kill keeps heating up. The Reign went 8-for-9 (88.9%) and 26-for-28 (92.9%) in their last six games. After an abysmal first two games on the penalty kill, that unit continues to right the ship.

+: Taking 2/3 games

Despite dropping the second game of the back-to-back in Texas, the Reign took two of three games, marking the first time they’ve had a winning record in a week with two or more games.

Negatives:

-: Playing from behind again

Same old, same old. The Reign continue to surrender the opening goal. They did that in all three games and have done so in seven straight. Sooner or later, they have to score first and play with a lead instead of chasing the game, right?

-: Power play squanders opportunities in Texas

The Reign went 1-for-2 in the win over Calgary, but went 1-for-11 (9.1%) in the two games against Texas, the AHL’s dead-last-ranked penalty kill. The Reign not only squandered chances against a lethargic penalty kill, but also allowed two short-handed goals in the series. That can’t happen.

-: Hampton Slukynsky still looking for his first win

It hasn’t been sunshine and roses for Hampton Slukynsky through three starts. Slukynsky has a 3.78 GAA and .847 sv% and is still searching for his first win of the season. However, I do believe he will turn it around eventually. I’ve said before that for him and George, there will be some growing pains, even with the exciting potential they have. That growing pain for Slukynsky appears to be right now.

Featured image credit: Christopher Mora/Ontario Reign

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