REIGN PREVIEW – Ontario at Stockton, 1/29

WHO: Ontario Reign (22-6-3-2) at Stockton Heat (23-7-3-1)
WHAT: AHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME #34
WHEN: Saturday, January 29 @ 6:00 PM Pacific
WHERE: Stockton Arena – Stockton, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: AHLTV – TWITTER: @ShafReign & @ontarioreign

 

TODAY’S MATCHUP: The Ontario Reign are in Stockton for the first time since February of 2020 for a Saturday night showdown against the Heat. Ontario has secured wins in each of the first two games of its current road trip, sweeping the San Jose Barracuda with wins on back-to-back days by scores of 4-1 and 7-1 on Wednesday and Thursday. Saturday’s tilt is the fourth time the Reign and Heat do battle this season. Stockton won the first battle 4-2 on Nov. 21 in Ontario before the Reign evened the series with a 5-3 decision the following evening. Most recently, Stockton claimed the third matchup 5-4 in overtime on Jan. 9.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: At the outset of all four clashes between Ontario and Stockton this season the teams have had the top two points percentages in the AHL’s Pacific Division. Ontario took over the top spot in the table with its most recent win in San Jose on Thursday and are at 0.742, while the Heat are 5-4-1 in their last 10 outings, dropping to 0.735. The Reign are 8-0-1-1 in January, collecting points in all 10 games they’ve played during 2022. The run is tied for Ontario’s longest of the 2021-22 campaign, with the first coming at the outset of the season in their first 10 contests. The Reign are the highest-scoring team in the AHL, averaging 4.06 goals per game, and also rank first in the league on the power play at 28.8%. Stockton is the top penalty killing team in the AHL, discarding 89.4% of penalties overall, including a 92.4% rate at home.

LAST TIME OUT: On a night highlighted by captain Brett Sutter playing in his 1,000th professional game, the Ontario Reign scored the same amount of goals as the number on their leader’s back, soaring past the San Jose Barracuda 7-1 on Thursday night at the SAP Center. With the victory, Ontario moved into first place in the Pacific Division standings with a points percentage of 0.742. Forward Gabriel Vilardi netted two goals in the contest, while forward TJ Tynan had a goal and two assists and defender Christian Wolanin recorded three helpers. Sutter, the night’s honoree, picked up the first assist on Tynan’s goal and finished with a +2 rating

TERRORIZING TYNAN: Forward TJ Tynan posted three points in Thursday’s Reign victory in San Jose, the sixth time this season the attacker has had three or more points in a contest. The Orland Park, Ill. native leads the Reign and is second in the AHL with 44 points in just 27 games with eight goals and 36 assists. That total is nine points higher than the 35 he scored in the same amount of games during the 2020-21 campaign which saw him earn the AHL’s Most Valuable Player award. Tynan’s assist number is most among all skaters in the league, as are his 21 points on the power play which consists of a goal and 20 helpers. The eighth-year pro is currently on pace to set a new career-high in scoring, which he set during 2018-19 with 71 points in 71 games.

STREAKING SPENCE: Rookie defender Jordan Spence has been at his best over the last month, recording points in his last 10 games dating back to Jan. 2. The blueliner continued his offensive success in Ontario’s sweep of Tucson last weekend with four assists, and most recently he’s assisted on power play goals by Gabriel Vilardi in back-to-back wins over San Jose. During the 10-game run, Spence has racked up two goals and 11 helpers while posting power play points in nine of those 10 contests. The Sydney, Australia native is second among active AHL rookie defenders with 23 points in 30 games on two goals and 21 assists. 13 of his helpers have come while the Reign have been on the man-advantage, which is second-most on the team and fifth in the league.

SCOUTING THE HEAT: Before Thursday night, Stockton had been at the top of the Pacific Division standings since early November after going on a nine-game win streak and posting points in its first 12 contests to begin the season. The Calgary Flames primary affiliate is aiming to leap over the Reign and back into first place on Saturday. Rookie forward Jacob Pelletier leads the club with 33 points in 33 games on 12 goals and 21 assists. Matthew Phillips is just behind with 32 points on a team-leading 13 goals and 19 helpers. Glenn Gawdin, who recently set the new mark for all-time team scoring, is third on the team with 31 points (12g, 19a). Defender Connor Mackey, who was recently recalled to Calgary, leads the team’s blueliners with 19 points (4g, 15a). In net, Dustin Wolf has been one of the best goaltenders in the AHL this season, posting a 17-2-3 record in 22 appearances with a 2.10 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage.

SUTTER1K: Reign captain Brett Sutter suited up for the 1,000th game of his professional career Thursday night in San Jose, registering an assist and finishing with a +2 rating in a 7-1 victory for Ontario. It was the captain’s 345th appearance for the Reign since joining the club in February of 2016. Sutter is Ontario’s all-time leader in games played and scoring during its time as an AHL franchise, with 78 goals, 92 assists and 170 points. Originally selected by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round of the 2005 NHL Draft, Sutter has suited up for 940 games at the AHL level, which ranks 12th in league history. He has also spent AHL time with the Quad City Flames, Abbotsford Heat, Charlotte Checkers, and Iowa Wild, in addition to NHL games with Calgary, Carolina and Minnesota.

POWER PLAY PROWESS: Ontario has done much of its offensive damage on the power play this season, which has been at its best recently and finished a perfect 5-for-5 in two wins over Tucson last weekend. The Reign have scored man-advantage goals in nine of their last 10 games and in 11 of their last 14. During that 14-game stretch, Ontario has converted on 19 out of their 49 opportunities with an extra man for a rate of 38.7%. Overall, the Reign have been successful on 28.8% of their power play chances this season which leads the AHL.