Friday night saw a huge bounce-back win for coach Andrew Lord’s Ontario Reign squad, as they defeated the visiting Firebirds 5-1 in Game 2 — now sending the series to Coachella Valley tied 1-1.
Similar to Game 1 a few nights earlier, it was a rocky start to begin with for Ontario when Lleyton Roed struck first to give the Firebirds an early edge.
Yet from that point on, the game flipped in favor of the home team. Logan Brown found the equalizer late in the opening frame, and the Reign never looked back.
Five straight goals, highlighted by a huge shorthanded marker from Kings prospect Franky Pinelli early in the third period, carried Ontario to its first playoff win since Game 3 of the 2024 Pacific Division Semifinals.
Three Takeaways from the Win:
Copper was Golden
A ripple of surprise moved through Toyota Arena when veteran netminder Pheonix Copley led the Reign onto the ice for warmups. Given that Erik Portillo made 30 saves in Game 1 — and was called out by Lord as one of the evening’s bright spots — the decision to swap netminders raised more than a few eyebrows.
That said, Copley delivered. He stopped 34-of-35 shots en route to the win and first-star honors.
Postgame, Lord was quick to note the team has rotated goalies all season, and this was no exception. When asked if that meant Portillo would get the nod in Game 3, Lord simply replied, “We’ll have to wait and see,” flashing a wry smile.
When it Reigns it Pours
No, not the Luke Combs song. After 77 minutes without a goal, Ontario finally broke through late in the first period. From there, it felt like a weight lifted. The floodgates didn’t just open — the Reign started to pour. Pressure mounted shift after shift, and this time, it translated into results.
It had felt like once that first one went in, more would likely follow. There had almost been a belief of ‘not if, but when’ surrounding the team’s collective firepower. Better late than never.
After an abysmal showing in Game 1, this was the offensive response they needed. So, maybe the rust was real.
Head coach Andrew Lord alluded to that postgame, calling Game 1 “a funny one,” noting that after a long layoff, strange things can happen. On this night, though, Ontario’s shine was back.
More Postgame Comments
In addition to Copley getting the start in net, Lord made on other significant roster change for Game 2 when Aatu Jamsen drew back in following an injury that kept him out of the series opener earlier in the week.
Additional Lord comments can be found in the following tweets:
Buckle up; this series is just getting started. Coachella Valley handled business in Game 1, and Ontario answered in Game 2. Expect adjustments on both sides heading into Game 3 on Tuesday night, where a hard-fought battle awaits in Coachella Valley. This one has all the makings of a long series. Enjoy the ride.
A deeper season review and analysis of several Kings prospects can be found in a recent interview with Lord linked below.
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Lead photo by Delaney Donahue
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