Wednesday evening brought a disappointing opening to the Calder Cup Playoffs for Andrew Lord’s Ontario Reign, as they were shut out 3-0 by the visiting Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 1 of this best-of-five series.
It was an eventful first period, even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect it. The Reign generated three breakaway chances but couldn’t capitalize on any of them.
From that point on, the Firebirds simply took over. A string of penalties in the second period stalled any momentum the Reign might have built heading into the middle frame.
During the final 20 minutes, Coachella Valley took control, scoring twice while dictating play in all three zones. Just like last year against the Barracuda (in a game played at Crypto.com Arena), the Reign were shut out in their Calder Cup Playoff opener.
Three Takeaways from the loss:
Too Much Rust, Not Enough Rush
A common concern for teams coming off a bye is how much time off is too much. For the Reign, 11 days without game action may not have done them any favors, as they struggled to find their footing across all 60 minutes.
It’s not an excuse — nor is it necessarily the reason. But it’s a fair question.
“I think there was a little rust,” said Reign veteran Andre Lee. “But, I mean, we should be fresh.”
No matter the stance, it’s hard to ignore the reality. Ontario looked out of sync — especially on home ice, where the team had been the AHL’s most dominant club during the regular season.
Opening Blow, Not the Final One
Before speaking to the media postgame, Lee summed it up simply: “Back in 48 hours. Long series.”
Game 1 losses are never easy to swallow, but there’s perspective to be had. Just last week, the Firebirds dropped the opener of a best-of-three, then rattled off two straight to move on. That Game 1 loss? A 6-1 blowout that forced them to pull Nikke Kokko — the same goaltender who just blanked Ontario.
This series is anything but decided. A win in 48 hours changes everything, turning it into a best-of-three with the scene then shifting to Coachella Valley for Games 3 and 4.
Sharp in Net, Short on Support
In his first playoff start since 2024, Kings prospect Erik Portillo delivered, stopping 30 of 33 shots.
Ontario had its moments offensively in the opening period, but Coachella Valley created just as many chances. Through it all, Portillo remained steady, giving his team a chance across the full 60 minutes — even if the result didn’t reflect it.
“Especially early there, he kept us in it the first five minutes,” agreed Lord. “There were certainly some other looks as the game went along; on the [penalty kill] and a few other times. He had a good night.”
In a game that didn’t offer many positives, Portillo’s performance was one the Reign can build on.
Game 2 on Friday night is scheduled for a 7pm puck drop at Toyota Arena. A deeper series preview, with more comments from Lord, can be found in the articles below.
Follow @mayorsmanor
Lead photo by Blanca Garcia
MORE LA KINGS NEWS:
Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com
Continue reading...