A Strong 60-minute Effort Propels the Ontario Reign to a 5-2 Victory Over the Abbotsford Canucks

The Ontario Reign put together their best 60-minute performance of the season, finishing with a 5-2 win over the Abbotsford Canucks.

Scoring

First period:

ONT: SH Francesco Pinelli (3), ASST: None

ABB: PP Chase Wouters (2), ASST: Kirill Kudryavtsev (8), Braeden Cootes (5)

ONT: Lane Pederson (6), ASST: Martin Chromiak (3), Jack Hughes (4)

ONT: PP Martin Chromiak (7), ASST: Lane Pederson (11), Cole Guttman (9)

Second period:

None

Third period: 

ONT: Francesco Pinelli (4), ASST: Kenny Connors (7), Kirill Kirsanov (7)

ONT: Cole Guttman (5), ASST: Angus Booth (3), Kirill Kirsanov (8)

ABB: PP Kole Lind (4), ASST: Ben Berard (4), Riley Patterson (6)

Stats

Goals:

ABB: 2

ONT: 5

Shots: 

ABB: 25

ONT: 30

Power plays:

ABB: 2/4

ONT: 1/7

Here are my takeaways from last night’s 5-2 win:

An overall 60-minute performance

From the start, the Reign looked like a different team. They played with pace, were direct, and got behind the Abbotsford defensemen. In the opening 20 minutes, Erik Portillo made nine saves on ten shots, and the Reign scored three goals, with two coming on special teams.

Those 20 minutes carried into the next 40, culminating in a 60-minute performance before 6,908 fans. The Reign got 23 saves on 25 shots (.920 SV%) from Portillo, and a goal from five different skaters, including multi-point efforts from Francesco Pinelli, Martin Chromiak, Lane Pederson, Cole Guttman, and Kirill Kirsanov. The Reign controlled most of the night, and it was their best 60 minutes of the season.

Returnees make an impact

What probably made this the Reign’s best 60 minutes was getting two familiar faces back from the Kings (Chromiak and Kenny Connors), plus Jared Wright returning to the lineup from injury.

All three made an immediate impact in various ways.

Chromiak recorded a goal and an assist, giving the Reign an added weapon on offense and the power play. Fittingly, he scored the lone Reign goal on the man advantage. Wright was held off the scoresheet, but his speed added a dynamic element on the forecheck and on the penalty kill.

And for Connors, what can I say other than he does it all. He recorded one assist, and his line (Pinelli–Connors–Wright) was matched up against Abbotsford’s top line (Lind–Cootes–Fix-Wolansky), holding them scoreless at 5v5. While their goal is to be up with the Kings, and we would all love to see them there, they add depth and strengthen the Reign lineup.

Goaltending shines again

Portillo’s 23-save performance added another strong night of goaltending for the Reign. In the last seven games, the Reign goaltending has posted a .922 sv% (200/217 saves). The trio of Portillo (three games), Carter George (three games), and Hampton Slukynsky (three games) has given the Reign a chance to win nightly. They’ve made the big saves when needed, and if the team’s overall performance matches their goaltending, they will win more games.

Pinelli strikes twice

It’s no secret that Pinelli’s season hasn’t started well, but in his last two games, he found a way to scratch the scoresheet. Pinelli’s short-handed goal, which went into the top corner, opened the scoring, and he later added a second goal early in the third period. Pinelli was in on the chippy play and has looked better offensively these last two games.

Could this get him going?

“Yeah,” the 23-year-old said after the game. “I think I’m just moving my feet more. That’s just opening up the game, making it easier on me for making plays and scoring.”

Pinelli entered last Saturday with one goal in 12 games. Now he has three goals in his last two games. Maybe he likes playing against Abbotsford, but unfortunately the Reign will face them only once more this season (Wednesday).

Booth and Kirsanov keep knocking on the door

Angus Booth and Kirill Kirsanov are a perfect match together. Paired last season, the duo took on huge minutes, killed off penalties, and formed a shutdown pairing. While they didn’t start the season as a pairing, they still played solid hockey. Now, they have reunited for the past six games and have given the Reign a formidable pairing on the backend.

Their mobility, stick placement, defensive instincts, and penalty-kill details stand out. They’ve been sensational, and head coach Andrew Lord couldn’t help but heap praise on the two prospects.

“I don’t know if you’re getting a better shutdown pair than that in this league,” the Reign bench boss said after the win. “They’re right there. They’re knocking on the door [to the NHL]. I think they complement each other really well. They can log big minutes, PK, and shut down teams’ top lines. They’re doing a heck of a job.”

It’s only a matter of time, but unfortunately their path to a roster spot is blocked by Brian Dumoulin, Joel Edmundson, and Cody Ceci.

NOTES:

*Cole Guttman recorded his fifth goal of the season.

*Lane Pederson recorded his sixth goal of the season.

*Jan Jenik made his Reign season debut. He was injured at the start of the season and was loaned to the Reign earlier in the week after clearing waivers. He recorded two penalty minutes.

*Like Jenik, former Reign Akil Thomas made his season debut for Abbotsford. He recorded one shot on goal and a -1 rating.

*The Reign have outscored the Canucks 9-4 (+5) in the three meetings.

*This was the Reign’s second win on home ice in seven games this season. That is a good way to kick-start a five-game homestand.

UP NEXT: The Ontario Reign are back in action today with a 5 PM matchup against the Colorado Eagles. You can see that game on FloSports or listen on the Ontario Reign Radio Network.

Featured image credit: Megan Sanders/Ontario Reign

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