It was a run for the ages, and it wasn’t going to last forever. Yet when visiting San Diego on their final stop of a three-game road trip Wednesday, the Reign saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end in the most peculiar way.
Ontario began with a heavy press early in period one, something that has been consistent during the stretch run. However, an unfortunate turnover inside their blue line just ten minutes into the game put the Gulls on the board early, 1-0. That didn’t seem to stop the Reign, though, as they continued to control play.
Then, with 4:25 remaining in the opening frame, an attempt to flip the puck out of the zone was called for icing and led to a draw in the Ontario zone. A faceoff win to the point led to a quick snapshot on rookie goaltender Erik Portillo, which pushed the game to 2-0 via another Reign mishap.
Despite the scoreboard, Ontario held a 12-6 shot advantage after 20 minutes of play.
Whatever coach Marco Sturm said to his squad during intermission must have resonated, as the visitors cut the lead in half just 36 seconds into the middle frame when Sammy Fagemo (35) crashed the net following a T.J. Tynan shot on goal. Facing a check by a Gulls defender, the Swede skillfully picked out the rebound and backhanded the puck in for probably his closest goal of the season to make it 2-1.
With that goal, the 24-year-old Fagemo shifted into sole position and now leads all goal scorers in the American Hockey League.
Just 10 minutes later, Fagemo appeared to score his second of the night to tie the game on a four-on-three power play, but it was immediately called back by the officials for a hand pass. On the replay, it was clear that this was a mistake; unfortunately, AHL teams and officials do not get the benefit of video review nor the same rules found in the NHL.
Over the final two periods of play, Ontario outshot the Gulls 30-7 but could only beat San Diego goaltender Calle Clang that one time, leaving things with a final score of 2-1. The rookie Clang posted one of his best games of his career, including a season-best 41 saves.
Coach Sturm: During his postgame media availability, Sturm shared that while his team had a bit of a slow start with a few mistakes that cost them the game, it was also a situation where they weren’t able to find the second and third goals. He explained that they couldn’t execute that final pass to put the play together to score, but otherwise was proud of his team and had nothing bad to say about their effort.
Fagemo – Best in the League: With 35 goals, Fagemo sits in the top spot of best scorer in the league. His 16 power play goals also rank first in the AHL and are four more than the next player. He has now scored in nine of his past 12 games, with a total of 15 goals over that period.
The “Stingy” Portillo: Although the first-year pro didn’t secure another win, Portillo did extend his streak of great periphery numbers. The 6-foot-6 goalie has held opponents to two goals or fewer in eight of his past nine starts. His only blemish was a three-goals-against game where the third goal didn’t come until overtime.
Quiet Clarke: On loan from the Kings for what’s expected to be a rather short stay, defenseman Brandt Clarke has now gone back-to-back games without a point. That’s not been the norm for the young offensive powerhouse. In fact, he’s only been held pointless in consecutive games twice this season in the American League, once back in late October and then again just after Thanksgiving. He has yet to go three straight games without a point.
Streaky Numbers: The success Ontario had over their past 10 games was a stark contrast in comparison to their previous 11-game slide (2-8-1). Most notably during that losing stretch, the Reign were outscored 33-39; compared to their past 10 games, where they’ve outscored opponents 36-15.
Playoff Primer: Heading into the final 15 games of the regular season, Ontario has the 10th best points-percentage in the league, along with the 10th best Goals For and 5th best Goals Against. They’re middle of the pack at 15th on the Penalty Kill, but they boast a top Power Play unit that ranks 5th best.
What to Watch For: With a 10-game record of 8-1-1, the Reign eye a home game this Friday against the Western Conference’s best Coachella Valley Firebirds who are enjoying their own recent stretch of 7-1-2. It looks to be a heavy-weight matchup and another fantastic test for Sturm’s playoff-bound Ontario team.
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