Game 7: Tucson 3, Reign 2 + postgame notes/video

Tucson Roadrunners 3, Ontario Reign 2
Final

Radio feed
Box score

SOG: ONT 41, TUC 20
PP: ONT 0/1, TUC 2/3

ONT starters: G Anders Lindback, D Kurtis MacDermid, D Paul LaDue, LW Michael Mersch, C Mike Amadio, RW Sean Backman
TUC starters: G Adin Hill, D Jamie McBain, D Dakota Mermis, LW Brenden Perlini, C Craig Cunningham, RW Chris Mueller

FIRST PERIOD
1) TUC PPG – Jamie McBain (2) (Brenden Perlini, Anthoney DeAngelo), 13:01
2) ONT – Vincent LoVerde (5) (Michael Latta), 14:36

SECOND PERIOD
3) TUC – Michael Bunting (3) (Tyler Gaudet, Jamie McBain)
4) ONT – Vincent LoVerde (4) (Adrian Kempe), 18:53

THIRD PERIOD
5) TUC PPG – Christian Fischer (2) (Michael Bunting, Brandon Burlon), 12:27

POSTGAME NOTES

–The Reign drop to 3-2-1-0 (.571 winning percentage) as Pacific Division-leading Tucson improves to 5-1-1-0 (.786). The teams meet again on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. PT in Tucson.

–By virtue of his two goals, defenseman Vincent LoVerde now leads the Reign in goals (4) and is tied for the points lead (8) with Jonny Brodzinski.

–Goalie Anders Lindback made his Reign debut and stopped 17 of 20 shots. Adin Hill on the other end had a busy night in picking up his fourth win of the season, making 39 stops on 41 shots on goal.

–Adrian Kempe has a goal and an assist for two points in the last three games after setting up LoVerde’s second goal of the evening.

–The Reign were limited to just one power play but did not convert on the man advantage for the first time in a game this season after opening with six straight contests with a power play goal. Ontario is now 11-for-26 (42.3 percent). Tucson finished 2-for-3 on the power play to improve to 11-for-35 (31.4 percent). The Reign’s penalty kill has dipped to 73 percent.

VIDEO

IN-GAME NOTES

–Here’s how the Reign aligned in the game:
Michael Mersch – Mike Amadio – Sean Backman
Adrian Kempe – Brett Sutter – Jonny Brodzinski
Sam Herr – T.J. Hensick – Justin Auger
Paul Bissonnette – Andrew Crescenzi – Michael Latta

Kurtis MacDermid – Paul LaDue
Zac Leslie – Vincent LoVerde
Alex Lintuniemi – Zach Trotman

–Paul Bissonnette was handed a game misconduct for fighting at puck drop with Stefan Fournier right off faceoff in the Reign zone at 16:32 of the first period.

Per the AHL rulebook:

Rule 46 (“Fighting”)/Rule 23 (“Game Misconducts”)
-Players who enter into a fight prior to, at, or immediately following the drop of the puck for a faceoff will be assessed an automatic game misconduct in addition to other penalties assessed.

PREGAME NOTES

–Goalie Anders Lindback is making his season debut for the Reign. Lindback signed a PTO with the team last last week. Adin Hill is in net for Tucson.

–Scratched for Ontario tonight: Joel Lowry, Patrick Bjorkstrand, Jonah Imoo and Rob Scuderi.

–After the recall of defenseman Kevin Gravel, the team now has just six available defenseman for the weekend: Vincent LoVerde, Paul LaDue, Alex Lintuniemi, Kurtis MacDermid and Zach Trotman. Paul Bissonnette has played some defense this season and could be called upon if necessary.