For the second consecutive night, the Reign and Gulls will hookup for a Pacific Division battle, only this time the action shifts to San Diego. It will mark the seventh regular season meeting between the SoCal rivals, with Ontario leading the series 4-2 thus far.
Last night at Toyota Arena, a shorthanded goal midgame had the Reign up 2-1, before the Gulls ultimately won 3-2 in overtime. By finding the back of the net, though, LA’s 21-year-old prospect tied his goal total from last year.
A Francesco Pinelli shorty makes it reign@OntarioReign | #SDvsONT pic.twitter.com/BLz7d4ct04
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) March 8, 2025
Ontario (31-18-4) has been near the top of the Pacific Division much of the past month, despite riding a current four-game losing streak. Meanwhile, San Diego has a sub-.500 record (22-25-8) and sits second to last in the division. Even so, Anaheim’s top minor league affiliate has shown some slight improvement recently, with a 2-1-2 record over their past five games.
Goaltending remains a focal point for the Reign, as Erik Portillo is still sidelined. Thus, veteran netminder Pheonix Copley is expected to start again. He delivered a 26-save performance in a 2-1 overtime win against the Wranglers on February 2 but has experienced a tough stretch since.
Offensively, the return of Ontario’s leading goal scorer, Samuel Fagemo, has been noticeable — including scoring in last night’s contest. Kings prospect Kaleb Lawrence made his AHL return last night, centering the fourth line.
The big news of the day was an announcement earlier today of Andre Lee’s new two-year extension. Further details and commentary on the deal can be found here:
The Gulls are led by veteran forward Sasha Pastujov, who has been a consistent offensive threat all season with 42 points. Rookie defenseman Tristan Luneau has also emerged as a dynamic presence from the blue line, contributing offensively with 41 points while logging heavy minutes.
Special teams will be crucial in this matchup. San Diego’s power play operates at an effective 21.7%, but they’ll be facing an Ontario penalty kill that ranks among the top units in the division (82.8%).
With playoff implications on the line, expect an intense battle between these longtime rivals.
REIGN PROJECTED LINEUP vs. GULLS
Malott – Gawdin – Fagemo
Lee – Studnicka – Ward
Hudon – Pinelli – Chromiak
Element – Lawrence – Doty
Hicketts- Millar
Dvorak – Cecconi
Jones – Walsh
Copley
McKay
Other roster options include: (F) Jamsen and (D) Berge, Booth, Krygier, Rowe, and (G) Portillo
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm Pacific Time and the game can be viewed on FloHockey. An audio only feed is also available on the ESPN LA app.
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