Manor Reign Recap: Fagemo, Thomas Score in Shutout Win

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It’s said that after experiencing adversity, there’s only one way forward – and it’s up.

After a challenging month-long stretch where the Reign lost 10-of-12, they hit the ice at Toyota Arena on Friday looking to extend their winning streak to four in a row.

The first period against San Diego saw an even exchange of chances, but Ontario was able to press harder in the middle frame, generating three times the amount of shots faced. Taking advantage of a pair of Gulls penalties, team-leading scorer Samuel Fagemo (29) and T.J. Tynan (6) led the charge with a goal apiece. In total, they outshot San Diego 18-10 through two periods.

Looking to mount a comeback, the Gulls didn’t go away quietly – as they fired everything at the net to make their own shot favor of 14-4 in the final period. With an empty net late in the third, Akil Thomas (17) capped the game with a deliberately soft ‘respectful’ goal.

a very very VERY gentle shot into the empty net by Akil Thomas to give the Reign a 3-0 lead.#ReignTrain | #SDvsONT | @DigAlert pic.twitter.com/rghg2AWwVa

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) March 2, 2024


Despite several late efforts to break his perfect game, goaltender Aaron Dell did not budge and held on to record his 11th career AHL shutout.

With the 3-0 win, Ontario moved up in the Pacific Division standings and sits on an eight-point cushion in the playoff race, while boasting a record of 5-1-0-1 for a .786 points-percentage over the past seven games.

Defense, Defense (and Goaltending): Heading into this winning stretch, coach Marco Sturm impressed on his players that a focus of defending would help catapult them out of the hole they were trying to dig out from. Well, it seems they listened.

In this run of seven games, the Reign have posted a goal differential of 27-10 and 3.86 GF/G, but what’s turning heads is the 1.43 GAA that has helped them grab 11 out of 14 possible points on the backs of strong defensive play and stellar play from both goaltenders.

Fagemo – an Update: Sammy Fagemo can absolutely score. His 29th of the season was also his league-leading 14th power play goal. The young Swede can be found in his usual spot in the left-hand circle, where his lethal one-timer frustrates even the best goaltenders in the league. He’s up to 16 goals in his past 14 games (20 points).

Still the Real Deal: While Thomas been a bit quiet on the scoresheet of late, the 24-year-old has still been just as loud on the ice. His talents have undoubtedly added to his team’s success. With the empty-net goal, the Toronto native ranks third on the team with 17 goals behind Fagemo and Charles Hudon (18).

What to Watch For: Ontario is finding a winning record by playing a team game that combines contributions from the veteran group, the younger guys, and the rookies – on top of superb goaltending. They’ll be put to the test this upcoming Sunday and Wednesday for a double-header against an Abbotsford team that is tied with them in points.

And then, with the NHL Trade Deadline approaching March 8th, all eyes will be on roster movement and player availability for the Reign. Read all about it here.

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