REIGN PREVIEW – Ontario at Abbotsford 12/1

WHO: Ontario Reign (11-3-0-1) vs. Abbotsford Canucks (5-6-2-1)
WHAT: AHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME #16
WHEN: Wednesday, December 1 @ 7:00 PM Pacific
WHERE: Abbotsford Centre – Abbotsford, BC
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: AHLTV – TWITTER: @ShafReign & @ontarioreign

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Ontario Reign look to rebound after a 3-2 loss on Tuesday when they face the Abbotsford Canucks for the second consecutive night and sixth time during the 2021-22 season Wednesday at the Abbotsford Centre.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Reign have won three of the first five matchups against their newest Pacific Division opponent, securing a 4-3 overtime win on Oct. 19 and a 5-2 victory on Oct. 29 as well as an OT triumph on Oct. 30. Ontario currently sits in second place in the division standings, while the Canucks are in eighth with 14 points and a percentage of 0.464.

LAST TIME OUT: The Ontario Reign were unable to overcome a third period deficit on the road and fell to the Abbotsford Canucks Tuesday night by a final score of 3-2 at the Abbotsford Centre. The Canucks were led by their goaltender Michael DiPietro who made big saves in key moments to keep his team in the lead, while the Reign got goals from forwards Adam Johnson and Alex Turcotte in the defeat.

BACK ON THE BOARD: Ontario forward Adam Johnson found the back of the net for the first time during the 2021-22 season just 1:03 into Tuesday’s game on the team’s first shot of the contest. Previously, the Hibbing, Minn. native had just two assists for the Reign in his first 12 appearances this year, but a season ago Johnson was a key offensive contributor for Ontario, registering 11 points in 14 games with the club (6g, 5a). Overall, he has posted 122 points in 212 games during his AHL career, which has spanned five seasons beginning with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins from 2017-20.

VILARDI’S STRONG SHOWING: Reign forward Gabriel Vilardi led all skaters with five shots on goal in Tuesday’s contest in Abbotsford, while posting his first AHL assist of the 2021-22 season, helping to set up Adam Johnson’s early first period strike. The attacker also had five shots on net while posting a tally in his first AHL contest of the year against Stockton on Nov. 21. The 22-year-old hadn’t seen AHL action since the 2019-20 campaign when he posted 25 points in 32 games on nine goals and 16 assists. Vilardi began his season in LA with the Kings and scored one goal in seven outings.

SCOUTING THE CANUCKS: Abbottsford, the newest addition to the AHL’s Pacific Division, has begun its inaugural season with five wins in its first 14 contests. After starting the year with three wins in their first five games, the Canucks struggled prior to Tuesday night’s win, earning just one victory in their previous eight outings. Forward Justin Bailey produced six points with three goals and three assists in the first two weeks which led to a call-up from Vancouver, but he has since returned to the AHL roster. Sheldon Dries leads the team with seven goals and 14 points in 12 outings, registering six points in the previous five meetings against Ontario (4g, 2a). Former Reign forward Sheldon Rempal is second on the team in scoring with 12 points (4g, 8a) and attacker Phil Di Giuseppe also has 11 points (3g, 8a), including three goals and two assists against the Reign. Goaltenders Michael DiPietro and Arturs Silovs have garnered most of the playing time in net. DiPietro has appeared in eight games while posting the best numbers with a goals-against average of 2.71 and a 0.912 save percentage, while Silovs has the only shutout for the club and a 2.77 goals-against average in five outings.

SPENCE REMAINS STEADY: Reign rookie defender Jordan Spence has been impressive to begin the 2021-22 season and most recently picked up his seventh assist of the year while recording a +2 rating in Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss to the Canucks. The Sydney, Australia native has totaled 24 shots on net while appearing in 14 of Ontario’s 15 games where he has earned a +7 rating that ranks fifth on the team.

AYE AYE CAPTAIN: Ontario captain Brett Sutter has found the back of the net in three of his last five games to aid the club’s offense. The longtime Reign forward made a big impact in the third period of last Monday’s comeback win over Stockton, scoring 2:47 into the third to tie the game before providing a net-front screen on defender Austin Strand’s game-winning goal just over three minutes later. In the closing minutes, Sutter blocked a shot that helped preserve the victory. The Viking, Alta. native has six points overall to begin the year for the Reign, appearing in all 15 of the team’s contests.