REIGN PREVIEW – Ontario at Coachella Valley, 2/20

WHO: Ontario Reign (28-17-2-1) at Coachella Valley (31-9-4-1)
WHAT: AHL REGULAR SEASON GAME #49
WHEN: Monday, February 20 @ 3:00 PM Pacific
WHERE: Acrisure Arena – Palm Desert, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: AHLTV – AUDIO: Mixlr – TWITTER: @ShafReign & @OntarioReign

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Ontario Reign travel east to Palm Desert Monday for a Presidents’ Day matinee against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the fifth of eight meetings between the two clubs this season. Ontario has played the No. 2 team in the Pacific tough, posting a 2-1-1 record in their first four matchups against CV which includes a 4-2 victory in the most recent contest last Friday at Toyota Arena, the Reign’s first regulation win over the Firebirds. Ontario has outscored Coachella Valley 17-16 in the series and holds a 137-118 edge in shots on goal. The Reign have also scored on six of their 16 power plays against the Firebirds (37.5%).

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Ontario’s recent streak of securing points from each of their last six games hasn’t changed its standing in the Pacific Division as it remains in fifth place, two points behind Colorado and three back of Abbotsford in the race for home ice in the opening round of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. Coachella Valley is in second place through its first 45 games in franchise history, with 67 points and the top winning percentage in the division (0.744). Coachella Valley ranks fourth in both the AHL’s offense and defensive rankings with 161 goals scored in 45 games (3.58) while allowing just 2.67 tallies per contest. Ontario ranks sixth in the league’s defensive rankings, surrendering 2.77 goals per game, and sit just outside the top 10 offensively with an average of 3.23 goals scored (12th). The Reign have been led by captain TJ Tynan against the Firebirds, who has scored a team-high eight points in the four previous battles with a goal and seven assists. Martin Chromiak has also been a big factor in the series, totaling a team-leading four goals including a hat trick on Jan. 21. Coachella Valley’s leader against Ontario is their captain, Max McCormick, who matched Chromiak with a hat trick of his own on Jan. 21 and has eight points in the series on four goals and four assists.

LAST TIME OUT: Martin Chromiak netted the game-winning goal in overtime to cap off a late third period comeback and give the Ontario Reign a 4-3 win over the San Diego Gulls on Saturday night at Pechanga Arena. With the victory, Ontario finished a perfect 4-0-0 in their four contests in San Diego during the 2022-23 regular season. Chromiak’s winner was his second goal of the game, while Lias Andersson also scored two goals for the Reign in the victory and continues to lead the team with 23 tallies on the year. TJ Tynan assisted on three of Ontario’s four goals to hit the 60-point mark for the season in the win.

CHROMIAK’S HEROICS: After being stopped on a breakaway early in overtime, Martin Chromiak made his second shift count, ducking past a defender before wristing the puck into the top left corner of the net to score the first OT game-winner of his AHL career. Chromiak bookended the scoring for Ontario on Saturday, netting the opening goal of the game on a breakaway off a feed by linemate Jack Becker and finished the night with his third-career game-winning goal, all of which have come against San Diego. The Ilava, Slovakia native now has 12 goals and 22 points in 32 games played this season. His goal total ranks third on the team, while his point total is fifth-most among Reign skaters.

SCOUTING THE FIREBIRDS: The AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, the Firebirds have been one of the strongest teams in the Pacific Division during their first season in the league. Forwards Jesper Froden and Max McCormick are tied for the team lead in overall scoring, each with 47 points. Froden’s total is made up of a club-high 25 goals and 22 assists, while McCormick, who serves as team captain, has posted 20 goals and 27 helpers. Froden’s goal total is second-most in the AHL. Coachella Valley is missing veteran Andrew Poturalski, who posted 42 points on 11 goals and 31 assists in 38 games prior to an injury sustained on Jan. 26. Defender Brogan Rafferty has the most points among Firebirds’ blueliners with 30 on five goals and 25 helpers. In net, Joey Daccord has claimed the majority of the minutes while appearing in 28 games and posting a 2.56 goals-against average and a 19-6-2 record this season.

ALL ABOUT ANDERSSON: Lias Andersson scored twice during Saturday’s win over the Gulls, netting two goals for the second straight game in San Diego with a power play strike late in the first and a game-tying tally with 3:28 to play in the third that forced overtime. The performance was Andersson’s sixth multi-goal game of the season and increased his team-leading goal total to 23 on the year, which is tied for fifth-most in the AHL. His nine power play tallies rank sixth-most in the league. The goals also got Andersson to the 40-point plateau for the first time, adding to his career-high scoring total.

TERRIFIC TYNAN: TJ Tynan recorded assists on each of Ontario’s last three goals Saturday night to reach the 60-point mark on the season for the fourth time in his career. It was also the fifth time this season that Tynan has registered three or more assists in a game for the Reign. In his last three games, the team’s captain has totaled six assists. The Orland Park, Illinois native continues to lead the AHL with 54 assists on the year and ranks second in overall scoring with 61 points, just three behind league leader Michael Carcone of Tucson (64).

ROAD WARRIORS: With the overtime win in San Diego on Saturday, Ontario extended their season-long road unbeaten streak to six straight games, which dates back to another overtime win in Calgary on Jan. 25. After that contest, which included a come-from-behind performance ending in two straight goals by Lias Andersson, the Reign won three straight away from the Inland Empire in San Diego, Bakersfield and Henderson before falling short in OT to San Jose on Wednesday and defeating the Gulls two days ago. Overall, the Reign have a 14-9-1-1 record in 25 road games this season while securing 30 points in the standings.

2022-23 Head-to-Head Schedule vs. Coachella Valley (all times Pacific):
Wed., Dec. 28 at Coachella Valley, 6-7 L – Full Recap
Sun., Jan. 8 at Coachella Valley, 3-2 SOW – Full Recap
Sat., Jan. 21 vs. Coachella Valley, 4-5 OTL – Full Recap
Fri., Feb. 17 vs. Coachella Valley, 4-2 W – Full Recap
Mon., Feb. 20 at Coachella Valley, 3:00 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 22 vs. Coachella Valley, 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 31 vs. Coachella Valley, 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Apr. 12 at Coachella Valley, 7:00 p.m.