With their second round series tied 1-1, a shift to Coachella Valley for Game 3 sets the stage for a pivotal matchup between the Reign and Firebirds. If Ontario coach Andrew Lord is to help his squad game an upper hand in this best-of-five series, he’ll need to once again push the right buttons — something he’s consistently found a way to do over the past seven months.
In Game 1, the Reign looked lackluster, perhaps showing signs of rust after 11 days off following their first-round bye, via virtue of earning the Pacific Division title with 99 points.
If that was the case, it didn’t last long. They shook it off in Game 2, scoring five unanswered goals during a dominant 5-1 win over the Firebirds. It was a crucial win at Toyota Arena and reset things before the series moved out of town for a pair of games.
The bounce-back effort checked all the boxes — effective adjustments, consistent pressure on the forecheck, and high-level goaltending.
Speaking of who plays between the pipes, there was significant surprise when veteran Pheonix Copley led the way during warmups. Benching Kings prospect Erik Portillo raised more than a few eyebrows, particularly after he was one of the lone bright spots in Game 1.
Any questions surrounding the decision to go with Copley were answered by his first star of the game performance in Game 2. Now, comes another difficult question, did he do enough to earn a second straight start?
In trying to explain how the goalie change came to be, Lord attempted to minimize the confusion during his postgame scrum. “We’ve rotated all year, right?” he said. “We’ve stayed the course with it so far in the first two games.”
Sure, on one hand, that is technically true. However, it was believed this postseason run would be used by the organization to take a long look at Portillo. Kings GM Ken Holland even went so far as to say he was going to Ontario that night specifically to watch the 25-year-old.
The gamble clearly paid off, with Ontario earning a victory and evening the series. So, what now? When asked if this would lead to him going with Portillo in Game 3, Lord offered only a smile: “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Indeed, we will. During playoff time, coaches keep their already closely guarded secrets even closer to the vest.
Meanwhile, an unsung hero from Friday’s game was Franky Pinelli, who earned second-star honors with a two-point performance that included a shorthanded goal. Perhaps the 2021 Kings draft selection is poised for a bigger role this postseason. After drawing in for only three playoff games total over the past two years and coming away without a point and only one shot, the 23-year-old forward could be coming into his own offensively. He’s expected to continue centering a line alongside fellow LA prospect Aatu Jamsen, who returned to the lineup in Game 2.
“He’s very creative, with a high hockey IQ, as well,” Pinelli said of Jamsen following Game 2. Lord also shared plenty of praise for Jamsen after the game.
Turning to what’s ahead tonight, another win by the Reign would give them a little breathing room in the series. Whichever team loses tonight will be facing elimination in Thursday’s Game 4.
Reign Projected Lineup vs. Firebirds
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Lee – Gawdin – Guttman
Alexandrov – Connors – Chromiak
Brown – Pinelli – Jamsen
Isogai – Hughes – Wright
Kirsanov – Booth
Hicketts – Brzustewicz
Novikov – Millar
Copley (starter)
Portillo
Likely scratches: (F) Doty, Jenik, G. Slukynsky, Ziemmer and (D) Dvorak, Salin and (G) H. Slukynsky
Injured: Burroughs
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time and will be streamed via FloSports. Additionally, a Reign radio feed is available here.
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