The stretch drive is fully underway for Ontario, as they return home to host Bakersfield on Saturday night.
Following a .500 road trip by the Reign, head coach Andrew Lord & Co. are about to embark on a stretch that will see them play five of their final six games at Toyota Arena. And it all begins with their eighth and final meeting of the season vs. the Condors, capping off a rather one-sided series.
Ontario’s only loss to Bakersfield came back on Jan. 11, when the Reign were shut out. In fact, it marked just the second time the Reign were shut out all season —- and they haven’t been blanked since. Lord’s squad has won the last three matchups, each of them in entertaining fashion.
Perhaps the most notable win came on Feb. 7, just before the AHL All-Star break, when rookie Koehn Ziemmer recorded a natural hat trick —- Ontario’s first since April 2024.
Roughly a month later, Ziemmer came through once again by netting the game-winning goal against Bakersfield. For whatever reason, some players have a knack for facing certain teams, and the Condors are turning into that team for LA’s young prospect.
Meanwhile, Martin Chromiak hit two major milestones Wednesday night in Coachella Valley, recording his 25th goal and 50th point in another strong showing. He is now tied for the team lead in goals and leads the team outright in points.
Looking back at Ontario’s last game a few nights ago vs. the Firebirds, it was exactly the kind of performance the Reign needed — where everything fell into place almost perfectly. After a tough month of March, the 7–0 win may have steadied the ship at just the right time.
Erik Portillo is expected to start in goal tonight, aiming for his first win in several weeks. Currently on a career-worst five-game skid, a victory would be timely with the playoffs fast approaching.
Speaking of post-season action, the Reign received much-needed help Friday night, as the San Jose Barracuda defeated the Colorado Eagles 6-3. With both Ontario and Colorado having six games remaining, the Reign hold a one-point edge in the Pacific Division standings. Every point is critical as this race is coming down to the wire. With the first-place team getting a bye in round one, a few extra days rest are on the line.
While not directly impacting tonight’s game, there is another key storyline quietly brewing. Several Kings prospects are expected to arrive in Ontario soon. Earlier this week, LA’s No. 1 goaltending prospect, Hampton Slukynsky turned pro after a successful career at Western Michigan. From what we’ve learned through various sources, the current plan is to have him start next Friday’s home game against San Diego. Making it even more intriguing, the Ducks just signed their 2025 first-round pick Roger McQueen, and he’s also slated to play that night.
Hampton’s older brother Grant is also now with the Reign. However, we don’t have any update on a date for his debut, beyond he’s expected to draw in soon.
Finally, we’re expecting to have word in the next few days regarding LA’s plan for Henry Brzustewicz. The Kings top selection at last June’s NHL Draft was eliminated from OHL action on Friday night and we’re hearing he’s heading to SoCal this week.
Reign Projected Lineup vs. Firebirds
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Alexandrov – Gawdin – Chromiak
Lee – Connors – Guttman
Brown – Pinelli – Jamsen
Ziemmer- Hughes – Isogai
Kirsanov – Booth
Novikov – Millar
Dvorak – Hicketts
Portillo (starter)
Copley
Likely scratches: (F) Doty, Jenik and (D) Salin
Injured: Burroughs
Recalled to NHL: Wright
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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