Game 55: Tucson 5, Reign 4 + postgame notes/video

Tucson Roadrunners 5, Ontario Reign 4
Final

Radio feed
Box score

SOG: ONT 54, TUC 28
PP: ONT 1/4, TUC 2/4

ONT starters: G Jeff Zatkoff, D Vincent LoVerde, D Kurtis MacDermid, LW Joel Lowry, C Andrew Crescenzi, RW Sam Herr
TUC starters: G Marek Langhamer, D David Musil, D Zybnek Michael, LW Joe Whitney, C Chris Mueller, RW Christian Fischer

FIRST PERIOD
1) TUC PPG – Jamie McBain (6) (Christian Fischer, Kyle Wood), 5:48
2) ONT PPG – Brett Sutter (15) (Mike Amadio, Sean Backman), 9:46
3) TUC PPG – Laurent Dauphin (13) (Christian Fischer, Chris Mueller), 11:18
4) TUC – Zbynek Michalek (6) (Michael Bunting, Tyler Gaudet), 16:12

SECOND PERIOD
5) ONT – Patrick Bjorkstrand (7) (Alexx Privitera, Jonny Brodzinski), 13:32
6) TUC – Jeremy Morin (10) (Laurent Dauphin, Dakota Mermis), 17:09

THIRD PERIOD
7) ONT – Sam Herr (7) (Andrew Crescenzi, Michael Mersch), 9:50
8) TUC – Grayson Downing (8) (Jeremy Morin), 11:42
9) ONT – Vincent LoVerde (7) (T.J. Hensick, Teddy Purcell), 19:05

POSTGAME NOTES

–With the loss, the Reign are now 29-17-9-0 overall and 4-5-2-0 against Tucson, which improved to 24-23-6-0. Ontario is now 23-17-9-0 against Pacific Division opponents and 18-9-2-0 at home.

–Ontario has now dropped three games in a row for the just the second time this season and the first since Nov. 4-9.

–Ontario (.609 winning percentage) has 13 games left in the regular season and continues to stand in third place in the Pacific behind first-place San Jose (15 GR, .717) and second-place San Diego (15 GR, .689).

–The Reign produced a season-high 54 shots on goal, besting the 48 they registered on Nov. 5 vs. Tucson in a 5-4 OTL.

–Both Sam Herr and Patrick Bjorkstrand scored their seventh goals of the season.

–Jeff Zatkoff started his third game for Ontario and made 23 saves on 28 shots. His record falls to 1-2-0.

–Jonny Brodzinski record an assist on Bjorkstrand’s goal, his 20th of the season, and now has a goal and three assists in his last four games.

–Teddy Purcell picked up an assist on Vincent LoVerde’s late goal and now has a goal and two assists in the last two games.

–Ontario dropped to 18-8-9-0 in one-goal games and 3-11-3-0 in games when trailing going into the third period.

–Ontario’s power play went 1-for-4 to improve to 24.1 percent on the season, good for second in the AHL. The penalty kill went 2-for-4 and now stands at 80.6 percent overall.

–Today was Paul Bissonnette’s 32nd birthday.

VIDEO

PREGAME NOTES

–Here’s how the Reign aligned in rushes, with some changes from the night before:

Michael Mersch – T.J. Hensick – Teddy Purcell
Brett Sutter – Mike Amadio – Jonny Brodzinski
Justin Auger – Patrick Bjorkstrand – Sean Backman
Joel Lowry – Andrew Crescenzi – Sam Herr

Kurtis MacDermid – Vincent LoVerde
Alex Lintuniemi – Alexx Privitera
Cameron Schilling – Zac Leslie

–Scratches for Ontario tonight: D Damir Sharipzianov, D Rob Scuderi, F Paul Bissonnette, F Devin Setoguchi, D Connor Hardowa, F Daniel Ciampini, D Craig Wyszomirski and D Zach Trotman.

–Goalie Jeff Zatkoff will make the start tonight. Ironically both of Zatkoff’s starts with the Reign have come against Tucson. He’s 1-1-0 this season, sporting a 1.96 GAA and .943 SV%. In goal for Tucson will be Marek Langhamer, who is 4-7-1 this season with a 3.10 GAA and .906 SV%.

–Tucson will be without defenseman Jarred Tinordi, who was suspended by the league for an illegal check to the head last night against San Diego.

–The Reign are 4-4-2-0 against the Roadrunners this season, including a 3-1-0-0 record at home. T.J. Hensick and Vincent LoVerde each have two goals and five assists for seven points in the series while Tucson defensemen Zbynek Michalek (three goals, four assists) and Jamie McBain (one goal, six assists) each have seven points.

–Tucson is 2-7-1-0 in its last 10 games.