REIGN PREVIEW 1/24 – Ontario at Bakersfield

WHO: Ontario Reign (22-13-1-1) at Bakersfield Condors (16-15-4-1)
WHAT: AHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME #38
WHEN: Friday, January 24 @ 7:00 PM Pacific
WHERE: Mechanics Bank Arena – Bakersfield, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: FloHockey – AUDIO: ESPN LA App / Reign Radio – TWITTER: @ShafReign & @OntarioReign

TODAY’S MATCHUP: On Friday night the Ontario Reign will play their fourth and final 2024-25 regular season game against the Bakersfield Condors at the Mechanics Bank Arena. Ontario has posted a 2-1-0 record against Bakersfield from its first three meetings with the Condors this season.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Ontario is in a logjam near the top of the Pacific Division standings as the begin the second half of the season and currently sit in a tie for third place with Colorado. The Reign can move into a tie for second place with Coachella Valley with a win in Bakersfield on Friday, and would have the opportunity to pass the Firebirds tomorrow when they face-off in their final meeting of the regular season at Toyota Arena. Ontario has fared well away from home this season, earning a 10-5-0-1 record from 16 contests with a 0.656 points percentage that is the top mark among Pacific Division teams and ranks fourth-best in the AHL. Anytime the Reign have scored first this year, they’ve had the upper hand, posting a 12-1-0-1 mark in the 14 games where they’ve taken an initial lead. Ontario also averages the third-most shots on goal per contest in the league (32.3).

LAST TIME OUT: Six different goal scorers sent the Ontario Reign past the Calgary Wranglers on Tuesday night at Toyota Arena by a 6-1 score, a decisive win against the team with the top points percentage in the AHL. Four Ontario skaters had multi-point efforts in the victory, with Tyler Madden, Andre Lee, and Francesco Pinelli each netting a goal and an assist, while Caleb Jones posted two helpers. Goaltender Pheonix Copley stopped 19 shots to earn the win between the pipes.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Bakersfield claimed the first meeting between the two teams this season on Oct. 18 in Ontario by a score of 4-1, but Ontario responded on the road at Mechanics Bank Arena Nov. 30 with a 3-1 win. The most recent matchup of the clubs came on Dec. 8 at Toyota Arena, with the Reign earning a 5-3 victory on late goals by Martin Chromiak and Joe Hicketts. Charles Hudon also had a big night with two goals and an assist in the Ontario win. Hudon leads the Reign in the season series with five points on two goals and three helpers, while Glenn Gawdin (2-2=4) and Joe Hicketts (1-3=4) have each recorded four points apiece. Jayden Grubbe leads Bakersfield with three points in the series, all coming on assists, and Seth Griffith has scored twice. Last season, the Reign won five of the eight regular season matchups against the Condors before recording back-to-back postseason victories over Bakersfield in the First Round of the Calder Cup Playoffs.

FAGEMO CLIMBING THE LADDER: With his team-leading 21st goal of the season during the third period of Tuesday night’s 6-1 win over Calgary, forward Samuel Fagemo moved himself into a tie at the top of the AHL’s goal-scoring leaderboard alongside Toronto’s Alex Steeves and Calgary’s Rory Kerins. After finishing with 43 tallies a year ago which ranked as the second-most in the league, Fagemo is now on pace for 42 strikes this season with Ontario having just passed the halfway point of their 2024-25 schedule. More of the Goteborg, Sweden native’s goals have come during even-strength play this season, scoring 14 at 5-on-5 play and seven on the power play as opposed to a year ago when he netted a league-leading 19 man-advantage strikes. The fifth-year forward also continues to lead the AHL in total shots on goal this season with 135, an average of 3.6 per game. Fagemo is already the Reign franchise’s all-time goal-scoring leader with 124 tallies, but he also ranks third in overall points (185) and games played (238).

SCOUTING THE CONDORS: Bakersfield is coming into Friday’s matchup on the heels of a home loss to the Toronto Marlies Wednesday, following four consecutive two-game series splits in January. The Condors are currently sitting outside of the top-7 in the division, but trail Tucson by just three points for the final Pacific Division playoff spot. Returning veteran forward Seth Griffith is the Condors’ leading scorer with 34 points on 13 goals and 21 assists from 35 games. Matthew Savoie, Bakersfield’s All-Star representative, is second on the club with 27 points in 36 games (10 goals, 17 assists). Drake Caggiula has also chipped in with 22 points on nine goals and 13 helpers. Blueliner Connor Carrick has the scoring lead among active defenders with 20 points on eight goals and 12 assists. In net, Olivier Rodrigue leads Bakersfield with a 0.908 save percentage in 24 appearances, posting a record of 12-9-3. Collin Delia has also played 13 contests, going 4-6-2 with a 3.19 goals-against average.

NO WORRIES WITH WALSH: Defender Reilly Walsh is the top-scoring blueliner on Ontario’s roster this season, accumulating 20 points on four goals and 16 assists while appearing in all 37 of the team’s games. With assists in three of his last four contests, the fifth-year skater is on pace to surpass his point total from last season when he managed 28 in 60 games with the Providence Bruins on nine goals and 19 assists. Walsh’s career-high in scoring came in his second pro campaign when he totaled 43 points in 70 games with the Utica Comets (nine goals, 34 assists). Three of Walsh’s four goals have come via the man-advantage where he is tied for second on the team with 11 power play points.

SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST: The third period has been Ontario’s best frame this season. The Reign have outscored opponents a combined 47-28 in the final period this year, netting more goals from the final frame than their totals from the first (34) and the second (41). They backed up that year-long success in their latest two outings against Calgary, erasing a 4-3 deficit with the lone goal of the frame on Sunday to force overtime while holding a 13-4 shot-on-goal advantage, before holding the Wranglers quiet on Tuesday with just five shots allowed and an insurance goal by Samuel Fagemo, giving chance of life to the top team in the Pacific.

Reign Check Gameday Forecast

2024-25 Head-to-Head Schedule vs. Bakersfield (all times Pacific):
Fri., Oct. 18 vs. Bakersfield, 1-4 L – Full Recap
Sat., Nov. 30 at Bakersfield, 3-1 W – Full Recap
Sun., Dec. 8 vs. Bakersfield, 5-3 W – Full Recap
Fri., Jan. 24 at Bakersfield, 7 p.m.