With their postseason ticket now punched, coach Andrew Lord and the Ontario Reign can shift focus toward another target: the Pacific Division title.
Friday night in Tucson, the Reign earned a 3-2 victory to officially earn a spot in this year’s Calder Cup Playoffs. For the second half of their back-to-back weekend set in the desert, Lord & Co. will look to replicate that effort and extend their winning streak against the Roadrunners to seven straight games.
It was a strong night all around just 24 hours ago, but none shined brighter than Martin Chromiak. The 23-year-old recorded two goals and three points, moving into the team lead with 49 points (24G, 25A). Even more impressive is the balance in his production, with nearly equal goals and assists — further proof of his overall offensive abilities.
Chromiak now sits just one goal shy of tying Andre Lee for the team lead, and one point away from reaching 50 on the season. At this stage, making the case that he’s been the team’s most valuable player this season is far from a stretch.
Speaking of value, fellow Kings prospect Aatu Jamsen had quietly become one of Ontario’s most productive players before his injury earlier this month, totaling 17 points (11 goals, 6 assists) over his last 23 games, including six goals in his last 10. That surge came after a slow start to the season, when he managed just eight points (4 goals, 4 assists) in his first 27 contests. With a possible return to the lineup in store tonight, his presence could provide a timely lift for a Reign team that’s been searching for consistency over the last couple weeks.
Meanwhile, Erik Portillo will likely start in goal tonight. After a dominant run earlier in the season that saw him win 15 of 17 games, he’s cooled off and now finds himself on a four-game losing streak. The last time he lost four straight was Dec. 20-31, 2023 — and he’s never lost five in a row.
Finally, there was also lots of Reign talk on this week’s Future Considerations podcast – be sure to check it out:
Reign Projected Lineup vs. Roadrunners
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Lee – Gawdin – Chromiak
Alexandrov – Brown – Guttman
Pinelli – Connors – Ziemmer
Jamsen – Hughes – Doty
Kirsanov – Booth
Novikov – Millar
Dvorak Hicketts
Portillo (starter)
Copley
Likely scratches: (F) Isogai. Jenik and (D) Salin
Injured: Burroughs
Recalled to NHL: Wright
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time and will be streamed via FloSports. Additionally, a Reign radio feed is available here.
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