PREVIEW – Ontario @ San Antonio, 12/28

WHO: Ontario Reign (10-11-3-2) @ San Antonio Rampage (13-17-1-0)
WHAT: AHL REGULAR SEASON GAME
WHEN: Friday, December 28, @ 5:30 PM (Pacific)
WHERE: AT&T Center – San Antonio, TX
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: AHLTV – AUDIO – iHeart Radio (Away Feed) – TWITTER: @ontarioreign & @reigninsider

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Ontario Reign are back in action for the first time following the holiday break. The Reign entered the five-day lull off of a home victory, a 7-6 shootout win over San Diego last Saturday in Ontario.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Reign will take on the San Antonio Rampage for the first time this season and the only meeting in Texas. Ontario and San Antonio square off just twice in total, with the return meeting scheduled for Friday, February 22 at Citizens Business Bank Arena. The two teams split a set of six meetings a season ago, with the Reign posting a 1-2-0 record in the three games in Texas. All-time, Ontario is 3-4-2 in San Antonio, with an 11-4-3 record overall in head-to-head matchups.

I MADE IT OUT OF CLAGUE: Ontario defenseman Kale Clague led his team with four points (0-4-4) in Saturday’s victory. The four helpers set a professional career high for Clague in both assists and points in a game. The first-year blueliner has now amassed eight points (1-7-8) from seven December games played, with his seven assists tied for seventh across the American Hockey League in that timespan.

HAT TRICK HERO: Reign forward Philippe Maillet collected his second hat trick of the month on Saturday, as he found the back of the net three times in the 7-6 victory. Maillet previously collected a hat trick on December 2 against Tucson and is one of two players with multiple hat tricks in the AHL this season. The second-year forward has tallied seven goals in total thus far in December, tied for fourth in the AHL, with his 10 points (7-3-10) leading all Ontario skaters.

POWER POINTS: While the Reign came away with the shootout victory on Saturday, the game extended past 60 minutes, extending Ontario’s winless in regulation streak to eight games, tying a season long, previously set in the season’s first eight games. The Reign are 2-4-2 in that stretch, collecting points in four of eight games, with the six total points one greater than they earned on their previous stretch in October.

SUMMER CAMP-BELL: Goaltender Jack Campbell earned the victory in his first game back with Ontario, which came on Saturday. Campbell, who is on a conditioning stint with the Reign from the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, made 40 saves as Ontario tied a season-high with 46 shots allowed. Campbell also turned aside all three shots he faced in the shootout as he helped lead the Reign to their first shootout victory of the season.

SHOOTOUT SHELDON: Reign forward Sheldon Rempal scored the lone goal in Saturday’s shootout, his second shootout tally of the season. Rempal is the only Ontario player to find the back of the net in the shootout this season and is one of 14 players in the AHL with two-or-more shootout goals. Rempal also collected an assist in the victory, extending his overall scoring streak to three games, and his home point streak to seven games.

THRILLING THIRD: Saturday’s game entered the third period with a 3-2 Ontario advantage, but the Reign and Gulls combined for seven goals and more than 50 penalty minutes in the third period alone, forcing overtime at 6-6. The seven combined goals in a period is the second most for Ontario this season (eight goals, 4-4, on Oct. 6 in Stockton) and the 102 combined PIM’s on the evening is the highest total in a Reign game on the season.

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