Erik Portillo stopped all 29 shots that came his way Sunday afternoon to record his first career playoff shutout and give the Ontario Reign (4-0) a 2-0 series lead on the Abbotsford Canucks (2-3) after Game 2 of the Pacific Division Semifinals at Toyota Arena.
Ontario had four different goal scorers in the contest, including Akil Thomas, Charles Hudon, Andre Lee and Tyler Madden, while Brandt Clarke pitched in with a pair of assists.
Thomas got the Reign in front first, scoring on the power play at 8:11 off a feed by team captain TJ Tynan. Tynan stole the puck behind Abbotsford’s net and fed it out front to Thomas, who moved it to his backhand and finished up high to the top left corner for his second goal of the postseason.
Hudon added to the lead less than three minutes later, also scoring his second of the playoffs at 10:42 to make it 2-0. This time it was Madden who intercepted a pass in neutral ice and fed Hudon on a rush, who flipped a wrist shot past goaltender Zach Sawchenko.
The Reign thought they may have added a third goal late in the opening period when a shot by Samuel Fagemo that was gloved by Sawcheko was ruled no goal. Officials looked to see if the goaltenders’ glove was fully over the goal line, but ultimately ruled to go with the call on the ice, which was no goal.
Ontario had eight of the first nine shots on goal to open the second but couldn’t widen their lead during the middle frame. Later in the period Abbotsford started to control the run of play but Portillo was excellent in goal, denying multiple quality looks to keep the Canucks off the board.
The game remained 2-0 all the way until the final minutes, when Lee added an insurance strike that sealed the win. The big forward stepped up to keep the puck in the zone and used a wrist shot to beat Sawchenko with 5:26 to play in the third.
Madden tacked on an empty-net goal at 16:54, netting his team-leading fourth tally of the postseason, by beating out an icing call after Clarke missed with a long-range bid at the open goal. Madden won the race to the puck and then spun to his backhand to slide it into the goal.
Ontario finished 1-for-2 on the power play and also held Abbotsford to a 0-for-3 mark on the man-advantage. Sawchenko denied 22 shots during a losing effort in between the pipes for the Canucks, who outshot the Reign 29-26 in the contest.
Marco Sturm
On the team’s physicality paying off in the playoffs
I think we surprised them a little bit, especially in Game 1, but not today. I think we have a different style now because of the lineup we’ve chosen. Starting the playoffs we went a little heavier than with skill, and I think Bakersfield and Abbotsford were surprised by it. You can see it, so we want to keep that up. Those are two big wins for us at home and now we just have to make sure we’re going to play the same way.
On Samuel Helenius’ strong effort with his linemates
That line has been great. Overall, I think we probably didn’t play at our best, but I think it’s a good sign that in those kinds of games we still got it done. [Sammy] has been a horse, and not just in the playoffs but in the last two or three weeks of the regular season too. He’s been really good.
On another great performance from Erik Portillo
I’m not going to lie, we were all hoping he was going to play the same way he did in the regular season, but the playoffs is always a different animal and he came even stronger. That’s why he got the game puck again today. He was the best player, he kept us in the game early, and he made some outstanding saves.
On taking a 2-0 series lead on the road
In any league and in any playoffs, after Game One, that game is over. That was my message the last few days. It’s a 0-0 series again. That second game is usually a tough one and it was again today. It’s a big different going up 2-0 or tied going to their building. Again, maybe we didn’t play out best but we got it done and I thought it was very huge for our hockey team.
Brandt Clarke
Akil Thomas
On his power play goal in the first period
I think it was kind of a weird play where the puck was rimmed behind the net and then Tynes just got it to me. I knew he was going to get it to me but I didn’t have much time, so I just went to my backhand and had to elevate it. It went in and I was pretty fired up.
On the team’s hot streak carrying over to the playoffs
I think there was a part of the season when we weren’t playing that well at the beginning. I think we just kind of put everything together and figured out what works for our team. We’re on a roll here and we’re going to keep going and we’re still trying to play simple. Everyone is kind of involved, so I think it’s the perfect synergy between everyone right now.
On the way the team has taken over games
It’s kind of special to see. I think we feel like we bully teams mentally. Whether through body language or the how teams react to certain things. I think our bottom six is doing an amazing job at just getting into the heads of the other team, whether it’s in a scrum, or Hodgson throwing big hits or Doty getting in guy’s faces. Guys don’t want to play against us, and I think its good knowing that. It allows our top six to have a little bit more space out there and produce, because every team we play, their defensemen are kind of hesitant to pick up certain pucks because they know they’ve got [Hodgson] coming after them.
On tonight’s game serving as a must-win before going up to Canada
I think everyone knew that. Obviously the two and three games are kind of a weird set up with us being the higher seed, but we just knew we wanted these first two games. The third game is important, but these two games are definitely the two most important games.
The best-of-5 series shifts north of the border this week, with Game 3 which is set for Wednesday night at 7 p.m. inside the Abbotsford Centre.
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