Following a big bounce back win on home ice Wednesday night, Andrew Lord’s Ontario Reign are now in Tucson for a weekend set against the Roadrunners.
This marks the fourth meeting between the two Pacific Division clubs this season. In their most recent matchup a few weeks ago, it was a big night for several Kings prospects, as Martin Chromiak, Aatu Jamsen, and Francesco Pinelli each found the back of the net in a 5-1 Ontario victory. On top of that, Andre Lee chipped in with a pair of assists, while Jared Wright and Kirill Kirsanov each added helpers of their own, capping off an entertaining night at Toyota Arena.
Turning to tonight, the Reign will look to build on Wednesday’s victory — a game highlighted by a strong showing from first-year pro Otto Salin. The 21-year-old defenseman notched his third goal of the season, wiring a wrist shot from above the right circle. Fittingly, his first goal of the year also came against Tucson back in October.
Lord had this to say about Salin after the game:
In addition, sophomore Jack Millar netted his first professional goal Wednesday night, breaking through after 82 games. A true stay-at-home defenseman, Millar was a steady, reliable presence on Ontario’s blue line last season.
This year, however, injuries have limited him to just a handful of appearances, sidelining him for extended stretches. Now, Millar says he’s finally feeling fully healthy, and his presence has been noticeable on the backend.
Based upon the team’s alignment at their last practice before leaving SoCal for the Arizona desert, we’re not expecting any lineup changes tonight beyond veteran Pheonix Copley taking over in net. That should mean plenty of ice time for the reunited Lee-Connors-Wright line.
Meanwhile, Copley will be looking to rebound from a rough outing in Abbotsford last weekend, where he surrendered five goals on 27 shots. Copley aims to get back on track tonight against a Tucson team he’s already beaten once this month.
Reign Projected Lineup vs. Roadrunners
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Alexandrov – Gawdin – Chromiak
Lee – Connors – Wright
Jamsen – Pinelli – Guttman
Ziemmer – Hughes – Doty
Kirsanov – Booth
Hicketts – Salin
Bolduc – Millar
Copley (starter)
Portillo
Likely scratches: (F) Brown, Lawrence and (D) Dvorak, Rego
Recalled to LA: Ward
Injured: Burroughs
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time and will be streamed via FloSports. Additionally, a Reign radio feed is available here.
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