Monday Reign Wrap-up: You Win Some, You Lose Some, You OT Some

By Jim Ellis
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Updated: October 31, 2016

Well, you win some you lose some. For the Ontario Reign this busy weekend, you lose one, you lose another in overtime and then you win one.

For three consecutive days, the Reign played to a 5-4 loss Friday versus the Texas Stars, a 2-1 overtime loss Saturday versus the same Stars and then a 4-2 victory Sunday versus the San Antonio Rampage.

The 3-1-2 Reign will next play the Tucson Roadrunners at 7:05 p.m., Friday, November 4 at the Tucson Convention Center.

In the Friday match at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, the Reign started yet another new goalie, Jack Flinn, in his AHL debut.

In its first ever loss to the Stars dating back to last season, the Reign matched their opponents in shots 31-31. Ontario was led by forward Justin Auger who had two powerplay goals and Jonny Brodzinski (2 goals, 5 assists on the season) who tied the score 4-4 with 24 seconds remaining in the second. A powerplay goal by Stars’ Julius Honka at 3:03 in the third gave the Stars the victory, though not before an exciting finish in which the Reign pulled Flinn and had a 6 on 4 advantage.

In the Saturday match at Cedar Park, Ontario outshot Texas 35 – 24. Young goalie Jonah Imoo who stopped 15 of 16 shots, had to leave the game in the 2nd period with a lower body injury. Flinn came in to make eight saves on nine shots in the remaining 15:41 of the third period and overtime. The lone Reign goal came on a powerplay from Adrian Kempe, assist to Kevin Gravel and Michael Mersch, on a wrist shot from the top of the right circle at 4:25 of the second. In a 5-on-3 skating advantage at the start of overtime Stars forward Matej Stransky (from Honka and Travis Morin) scored only 38 seconds in.

OK, enough of the “you lose some.” Now for the “you win some.”

In the third game in as many days, the Reign outplayed the San Antonio Rampage Sunday, outshooting its opponent 31 – 21 and outscoring them 4–2. Once again, Flinn got the start in goal. Two third period goals by Sean Backman sealed the deal for the Reign, which ended the weekend 3-1-2, tied in points at eight with the Tuscon Roadrunners in the Pacific Division, and leading the AHL in the powerplay at 40 percent.

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