Game six of an extended road trip for Ontario brings the finish line into sight — and for coach Andrew Lord and the Reign, it likely can’t come soon enough.
Holding a 2-3-0 mark since departing SoCal, the Reign will aim to close things out with a win tonight and salvage a .500 run. It comes during a difficult stretch too, as they’ve lost six of their last nine, which has been their only real rough patch this season. If the past few weeks haven’t been challenging enough, though, tonight raises the bar even higher. The Coachella Valley Firebirds are surging, with nine wins in their last 10 games and a five-game winning streak.
A turnaround for Ontario likely depends on increased production from the group’s top contributors. Andre Lee, who has played an important role all season, is currently in a slump, with no points in his last nine games.
Meanwhile, that hasn’t been the case for Martin Chromiak, who remains one of Ontario’s most reliable producers in 2026. He now trails Lee by just one goal for the team lead with 24, and has 49 points (24G, 25A) on the year.
Last time out, Lord & Co. received what could be a shot in the arm over the final month of regular season action. After a 24-day absence, Kings prospect Aatu Jamsen returned and made an immediate impact, setting up Kenny Connors for the game-tying goal Saturday night.
All of the aforementioned names will likely be key X-factors for Ontario from here on out. The Reign will need each of them to finish strong as they push to secure a Pacific Division title — a race they currently lead by just one point.
Despite their recent struggles, Ontario is still in the driver’s seat. However, second-place Colorado has a game in hand; thus, keeping pressure firmly on the Reign.
Just below them in the standings, third-place San Jose suffered a sweep at the hands of Coachella Valley last weekend. The Barracuda have now fallen significantly behind with limited games remaining — likely putting their division hopes out of reach and making it a two-team race to the finish.
One final detail to watch: Hampton Slukynsky is expected to sign an entry-level contract with the Kings soon. LA’s No. 1 goaltending prospect will then most likely join the Reign. More information can be found in the article below:
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
Copley (starter)
Portillo
Likely scratches: (F) Doty, 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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