Manor Wednesday: Projected Reign Lineup at Roadrunners, Rematch May Include Chromiak

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For the second straight night, coach Marco Sturm and his Ontario Reign squad are in Tucson for a matchup with the host Roadrunners. Last night, it was the visitors who picked up a win, as the Reign ended their 5-game losing streak via a gutsy 4-2 comeback victory.

Still holding the third-best points percentage in the Pacific Division, Ontario has their eyes set on a top playoff spot and it’s within reach. Despite some offensive struggles of late, perhaps things are starting to come together after last night, largely due to a few sparks created by Samuel Fagemo. He didn’t score last night, yet he had two key assists — including on the game winning goal by Jeff Malott.

Looking ahead to the rematch tonight, Ontario’s defense will need to focus on limiting Tucson’s power play opportunities, given the Roadrunners’ efficiency with the man advantage (operating at a 21.8% conversion rate this season, ranking sixth in the AHL). Staying disciplined and minimizing penalties will be crucial for Ontario to disrupt Tucson’s offensive rhythm.

Without a morning skate prior to the second game of a back-to-back set, it’s hard to predict tonight’s lineup. However, as noted in yesterday’s pregame article (see below), the hope is that forward Martin Chromiak will return tonight following an injury last weekend.

[For Game 1], the Reign will again be without the services of two Kings prospects — goaltender Erik Portillo and forward Martin Chromiak. From what we’ve been able to gather, the former is likely to be out a few more weeks before he’ll be ready to take back his crease. By contrast, Chromiak could return as early as Wednesday. If he’s still not quite ready at that point, he should return this coming weekend, when the team is back home on Sunday afternoon. Fellow Kings prospect Angus Booth, a first-year defenseman who has been impressive thus far, remains sidelined without a timeline established for his eventual return.

Either way, Sturm will have a decision to make in net. With four days between games, there is a chance — especially coming off a win — he’ll go with veteran goaltender Pheonix Copley for the second straight night. If not, it will be 27-year-old Dryden McKay getting only his second AHL start of the season.

Big picture, another victory tonight could serve as a turning point for the Reign, potentially providing some momentum as they will then head home for a game on Sunday at Toyota Arena.

REIGN PROJECTED LINEUP vs. ROADRUNNERS​

Malott – Gawdin – Fagemo
Lee – Studnicka – Ward
Hudon – Pinelli – Jamsen / Chromiak
Element – Lawrence – Doty

Hicketts- Cecconi
Jones – Millar
Dvorak – Rowe

Copley
McKay

Other roster options include: (F) Chromiak, Olson and (D) Booth, Krygier, Walsh, and (G) Portillo

Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 pm Pacific Time and the game can be viewed on FloHockey. An audio only feed is also available on the ESPN LA app.

MORE LA KINGS NEWS:

Helenius is Making Strides, Trending Toward Being an NHL Player for LA

Kings Of The Podcast: Ep. 209 – Marco Sturm and 2024-25 NHL Season Predictions

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