If the Olympic gold medal game wasn’t enough to satisfy your hockey fix, there’s more on tap later today, as the Ontario Reign square off with the Roadrunners in Tucson.
It’s Game 2 of a weekend set, with Ontario having claimed the opener Saturday night by a 4–2 final. Once again, a handful of Kings prospects showed well, stealing the spotlight in another victory for the Pacific Division-leading Reign.
Aatu Jamsen, Andre Lee, and Franky Pinelli each had goals, with the latter also earning first-star honors after adding an assist to cap off a two-point night.
To further the point, Pinelli is really beginning to heat up. He now has goals in back-to-back games and 10 points (5G, 5A) over his last 16 contests, a clear sign his offensive game is trending in the right direction.
Additionally, Jamsen continues to make his presence felt. With his goal Saturday night, the 23-year-old Finnish native now boasts 14 points (10G, 4A) over his last 21 games.
As for Lee, he’s simply continuing to consistently do what he’s done all year, which is score key goals for Ontario. The 6-foot-5 Swede has amassed 33 points (19G, 14A) through 44 AHL games.
Looking at the standings, coach Andrew Lord’s group remains in first place with 68 points. A win tonight would make the Reign just the fifth team in the American Hockey League to reach the 70-point mark this season.
The Reign are expected to give Erik Portillo the start in net. At this point, it’s no secret — he’s been outstanding; winning 12 of his last 14 decisions and will aim to add to that total this afternoon.
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
Portillo (starter)
Copley
Likely scratches: (F) Brown, Lawrence and (D) Dvorak, Rego
Recalled to LA: Ward
Injured: Burroughs
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time and will be streamed via FloSports. Additionally, a Reign radio feed is available here.
Follow @mayorNHL
Continue reading...