PREVIEW: Ontario vs. Stockton, 3/31

WHO: Ontario Reign (22-30-6-3) @ San Jose Barracuda (33-20-3-4)
WHAT: AHL REGULAR SEASON GAME
WHEN: Sunday, March 31 @ 3:00 PM
WHERE: Citizens Business Bank Arena – Ontario, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: AHLTV – AUDIO – Mixlr – TWITTER: @ontarioreign & @reigninsider

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Ontario Reign conclude the week with a Sunday home tilt against the Stockton Heat. The Reign are in search of their first victory of the week after back-to-back road losses in Bakersfield and San Jose.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Reign take on Stockton this afternoon in the first of three meetings to end the season between the two teams. Ontario will visit Stockton Arena on April 10, before the two teams meet again on April 12 in the Inland Empire in the final home game for the Reign this season. The Reign have posted a 3-2-2 record against Stockton this season and sit nine points behind the Heat for sixth place in the Pacific Division standings.

WHAT’SUP: Ontario forward Brett Supinski made his professional debut on Friday in San Jose. Supinski joined the Reign earlier this week from Union College, where he played his collegiate hockey over the last four seasons. Supinski amassed 108 points (35-73-108) from 135 career NCAA games, as he broke the century mark during his senior season, including a career-high 36 points during the 2016-17 season.

MORE DEBUTS COMING?: Forward Mason Bergh (Colorado College) and defenseman Max Gottlieb (Brown University) will each look to make their professional debuts this afternoon against the Heat. Bergh amassed 105 points (43-62-105) from 149 games played and served as a captain with the Tigers during his junior and senior seasons. Gottlieb ended his NCAA career with 60 points (10-50-60) from 118 games played, ranking sixth all-time in Brown history amongst defensemen in assists, and eighth in points.

FOR PETE’S SAKE: Since the All-Star Break, Reign goaltender Peter Budaj has lost just once in regulation from nine appearances, with his lone regulation loss coming in a relief stint. Budaj has amassed a .926 save percentage and a 2.45 goals against average across the nine games, including a 47-save shutout on February 23 in Ontario. Budaj has also won each of his last three starts in Ontario, with a .937 save percentage across the three starts.

TOP OF THE CHARTS: With an assist on Wednesday evening in Bakersfield, forward Matt Moulson set the Reign’s single-season franchise scoring record with his 56th point of the season. Moulson broke the existing record, set by Sean Backman during the 2015-16 season. Moulson has also amassed 25 goals on the season thus far and sits two markers shy of tying Jonny Brodzinski’s franchise record from the 2016-17 season.

HOME COOKING: The Reign return home to Ontario where they have been one of the league’s best teams on the power play. Ontario sits at 25.6% on the man advantage on home ice, the third best percentage in the AHL. In contrast, after Ontario went 0-for-5 on the power play across their two road games earlier this week, the teams sits at a 13.9% clip on the road, third lowest in the league.

FIRST GOAL FUTILITY: Ontario has scored first in 25 of its 61 games played this season and holds the league’s lowest winning percentage by a large margin when scoring first. The Reign hold a 10-9-2-3 mark when scoring first, accounting for a .521 winning percentage. Overall, no other AHL team is below a .600 winning percentage, with Binghamton second to last at .609, and 22 of the league’s 31 teams are above a .700 winning percentage.