REIGN PREVIEW – Ontario vs. Colorado 11/7

WHO: Ontario Reign (8-0-0-1) vs. Colorado Eagles (4-5-0-1)
WHAT: AHL REGULAR SEASON GAME #10
WHEN: Sunday, November 7, @ 3:00 PM (Pacific)
WHERE: Toyota Arena – Ontario, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: AHLTV – AUDIO: Mixlr – TWITTER: @ontarioreign & @ShafReign

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: With an extra hour of rest in them, the Ontario Reign return home to Toyota Arena for their first meeting of the season with the Colorado Eagles on Sunday afternoon. After winning four of five on their season-opening homestand, the Reign went a perfect 4-0-0 away from Ontario with a sweep of Abbotsford and victories in Henderson and Bakersfield earlier this week. Colorado is in fifth place in the Pacific Division but has won three straight heading into Sunday’s contest.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Sunday’s matchup is the first time Ontario will see Colorado since falling short in last season’s one-game playoff contest. The Eagles prevailed 5-4 in overtime on a goal by defenseman Justin Barron at the 9-minute mark. Sunday will mark the first of six meetings between the Reign and Eagles during the 2021-22 season, but the next five will all come in the final month of the season beginning on April 1. Colorado finished the shortened 2020-21 season in fifth place in the Pacific Division with a record of 15-15-3-1. Ontario went 4-2-0 in six meetings with the Eagles a year ago, including a late-season three-game sweep in Loveland Apr. 28-May 1.

LAST TIME OUT: The Ontario Reign rode its highest offensive output of the season to their seventh straight win in a 6-3 defeat of the Bakersfield Condors on Saturday night at Mechanics Bank Arena. Forward Martin Frk led the way once again for Ontario with his second straight four-point game (2g, 2a), while forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored a goal and two assists and goaltender Matt Villalta made a season-high 37 saves while improving his record to 6-0-0 on the year. Villalta was relied on heavily from the start, making double-digit saves in each period including 17 stops in the opening frame. While adding to their win streak, Ontario also extended its season-opening point streak to nine games.

FRK’S HOT STREAK: In his first appearance of the season without center TJ Tynan on his flank, forward Martin Frk showed no signs of slowing down, leading the Reign to a win in Bakersfield with his second consecutive four-point outing. Frk, who was named the first star of the game in each contest this week, leads Ontario with eight goals and 14 points in his first nine games. His goal total now leads the AHL, while his 14 points are second-most in the league. The Pelhrimov, Czech Republic native is also tied for the league lead with a +10 rating and ranks third with 33 shots on goal. Overall, the 28-year-old has racked up 37 goals while playing with Ontario during parts of three seasons and 105 AHL tallies in his eight campaigns with the Reign and Grand Rapids Griffins.

VILLALTA’S EXCEPTIONAL START: Goaltender Matt Villalta has run with his opportunity in the crease, posting an unblemished 6-0-0 record along with a goals-against average of 2.16 and a save percentage at 0.927 to begin the 2021-22 year. Most recently on Saturday, the netminder tied a career-high with 37 saves that included 17 stops in the first period to propel Ontario to a 6-3 win in Bakersfield. The Kingston, Ont. native is in his third pro season with the Reign and leads the AHL in wins. Overall, Villalta has a record of 24-14-3-1 in 46 appearances with the Reign.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES: Colorado began the 2021-22 season without a win in its first five matchups before breaking through to earn four wins in their last five, including victories on the road in San Jose and San Diego. Forward Dylan Sikura has opened the year on an eight-game point streak and has paced the offense with 12 points on five goals and seven assists. Alex Newhook has also gotten off to a fast start, posting 10 points in nine games on four goals and six assists. Defender Jordan Gross is first among Eagles’ blueliners in scoring with eight points (1g, 7a). Between the pipes, Justus Annunen has made seven starts for Colorado. The Kempele, Finland native has a record of 3-3-1 and a goals-against average at 3.15.

DURZI’S DIMES: Reign defenseman Sean Durzi added two assists in Saturday’s win over Bakersfield, and now leads the team’s blueliners in scoring with nine points for the season. The Mississauga, Ont. native has now posted six assists, which is also first among Ontario’s defensive group. His point total is second among all AHL blueliners and his four assists rank fourth-most among defenders in the league. In addition, Durzi’s four power play points are second-most in the AHL among d-men. Now in his third campaign with the Reign, Durzi has 43 points (9g, 34a) in 87 career appearances.

POWER PLAY PILING UP GOALS: The Reign have converted on 12 of their power play opportunities this season which is tied with Colorado for the most of any AHL team. Percentage-wise, Ontario has scored at a rate of 29.3%, which is second-best in the league behind Utica at 33.3%. Forwards Martin Frk and Jaret Anderson-Dolan have accounted for half of the tallies, each scoring three apiece.