REIGN PREVIEW – Ontario vs. Bakersfield 10/22

WHO: Ontario Reign (2-0-1) vs. Bakersfield (2-0-0)
WHAT: AHL REGULAR SEASON GAME #4
WHEN: Friday, October 22, @ 7:00 PM (Pacific)
WHERE: Toyota Arena – Ontario, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: AHLTV – AUDIO – Mixlr – TWITTER: @ontarioreign & @ShafReign

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Ontario Reign battle the Bakersfield Condors for the first time during the 2021-22 season Friday night at Toyota Arena. The contest continues Ontario’s season-opening five-game homestand, which will conclude Saturday night against San Diego.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Friday night’s game is the first of eight meetings between the Reign and Condors during the 2021-22 season. Bakersfield, which has earned wins in each of its first two games of the new campaign, won the Pacific Division playoff at the end of 2020-21 after a 24-14-0-1 regular season record and 2-1 series victories over San Diego and Henderson. Ontario went 3-5-0 in eight meetings with the Condors a year ago.

LAST TIME OUT: After Ontario surrendered a late goal and fell behind in the final five minutes of regulation, a strike from Tyler Madden in the final seconds sent the Reign and Abbotsford Canucks into overtime for a second straight game Tuesday night at Toyota Arena. Ontario then merged victorious for its second win in three contests to open the year on a power play tally by Martin Frk in the extra session. Johan Sodergran and Samuel Fagemo also scored in the first period for Ontario, while TJ Tynan picked up a pair of assists. Goaltender Matthew Villalta made 26 saves and recorded his second victory of the season.

TYNAN SHARES THE WEALTH: Eighth-year pro TJ Tynan has made an immediate impact on the Reign roster, recording five assists in his first three games. The reigning AHL Most Valuable Player has found great chemistry with Martin Frk and Tyler Madden on the team’s top line. But he’s also helped out the team’s younger talent, taking a pass from rookie defender Helge Grans before setting up second-year center Alex Turcotte for his first goal of the season Sunday. The Orland Park, Ill. native recently recorded the 350th point of his AHL career, which has spanned close to 450 games. Tynan’s five points are tied for the most of any AHL skater.

SENSATIONAL SWEDES: The Reign got off to a hot start in Tuesday’s win over Abbotsford when their two forwards hailing from Sweden each found the back of the net 34-second span. First, after a faceoff win in the offensive zone, Johan Sodergran knocked home a loose rebound in the crease to make it 1-0 prior to the seven-minute mark of the opening frame. The tally was the first for Sodergran since February 7, 2020, after the attacker missed the entirety of the 2020-21 AHL season with an injury. Then, seconds later, Samuel Fagemo made it 2-0 by redirecting a shot from Swedish defender Jacob Moverare past goaltender Michael DiPietro for his second tally in the first three games of his sophomore professional season.

SCOUTING THE CONDORS: Bakersfield has begun the new season with a pair of home wins over Abbotsford and San Jose by scores of 5-3 and 1-0, led offensively by a pair of returning forwards in Seth Griffith (1g, 3a) and Adam Cracknell (2g, 1a). Cracknell opened the year with two tallies, including the game-winner in the third period, to hand the Canucks a loss in the first game in franchise history. Griffith had the lone goal of the game on a power play in the second period during Sunday’s defeat of the Barracuda, which saw goaltender Stuart Skinner pitch a 34-save shutout. Skinner, now in his fourth season with the Condors, was in net for both the team’s victories last weekend.

FRK’S FLAIR FOR THE DRAMATIC: Veteran forward Martin Frk has become a go-to option for Ontario in big moments. His early-season success continued Tuesday when he came through on the power play in overtime to score his team-leading third goal of the year and send Reign fans home happy with a 4-3 victory. Frk also helped secure a win over San Diego for Ontario on Opening Night last Saturday when he scored the team’s first two goals of the year to stake them to a 2-0 advantage which they never surrendered. Now in his ninth professional season, the overtime winner was the 100th goal of the Pelhrimov, Czech Republic native’s AHL career.

BLUELINERS AIDING OFFENSE: Four of the six defensemen who dressed for Ontario in Tuesday night’s overtime victory over Abbotsford registered assists in the win, factoring in offensively while helping to steady the back end. Calgary, Alta. native Austin Strand had a hand in the opening goal, recording his first assist of the season with a shot on net that created a rebound to produce the tally. The second goal for the Reign, scored by forward Samuel Fagemo, came with a pair of helpers from blueliners Jacob Moverare and Kale Clague. Then when they needed it most, Sean Durzi recorded his second apple of the season on Tyler Madden’s tying strike with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.