As ordered, Andrew Lord’s revamped Reign team got their revenge on Sunday afternoon. Dropping their season opener to Tucson on Friday is already a distant memory after Ontario defeated their Pacific Division rival 4-2 in an afternoon rematch at Toyota Arena.
It was a complete team effort from the Reign, with contributions coming from all four lines in the victory. After falling behind 1-0, Akil Thomas continued his strong play from Friday night, another goal in this one — evening the score here 1-1. The goal also marked the first professional point for Kings prospect Kenny Connors.
Later, once again trailing by a goal, the fourth line responded with an excellent shift, capped off with captain Joe Hicketts finding the back of the net. Second-year pro Kaleb Lawrence earned the primary assist on the play.
From that point on, the Reign never really looked back. AHL rookie defenseman Otto Salin netted his first North American goal on a breakaway to give Ontario the lead. Originally drafted by the Kings in 2022, the 21-year-old Finnish blueliner is expected to be a regular for Lord and the Reign all season long.
Fellow Kings prospect Martin Chromiak added a little insurance with a goal of his own. He was arguably Ontario’s most impactful player down the home stretch last season, and he seems to have picked up where he left off. His goal today sealed a 4-2 victory over the Roadrunners.
Goaltender Erik Portillo delivered a much stronger performance than on Friday, stopping 19 of 21 shots in the win.
Full game highlights can be viewed here:
Pregame notes and lineups can be found in the article linked below.
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