REIGN PREVIEW 3/19 – Ontario at Texas

WHO: Ontario Reign (34-20-3-1) at Texas Stars (35-19-3-0)
WHAT: AHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME #59
WHEN: Wednesday, March 19 @ 5:00 PM Pacific
WHERE: H-E-B Center – Cedar Park, TX
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: FloHockey – AUDIO: ESPN LA App / Reign Radio – TWITTER: @ShafReign & @OntarioReign

TODAY’S MATCHUP: After falling in game one of their Central Division road swing on Tuesday, the Ontario Reign will look to rebound and aim for a series split in Texas against the Stars on Wednesday night.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Texas passed the Reign in the AHL’s overall standings Tuesday, securing its 72nd and 73rd points of the season. The two teams came into the series with almost identical records, but the Stars now have 35 wins to Ontario’s 34. The Reign entered the week riding a three-game win streak after a sweep of Tucson in Arizona and a shootout victory over Henderson on Sunday. Texas now has a three-game winning streak of its own and moved into first place in the Central Division on Tuesday, one point ahead of Milwaukee. Ontario remains in second in the Pacific, sitting four points back of first place Colorado. The Reign average the second-most shots on goal in the league (32.02) and also allow the second-lowest total per game (25.97). Texas is ranked second on the offensive end, averaging 3.51 goals per game and has an impressive home record of 18-8-3 this year.

LAST TIME OUT: After falling behind in the first period, an Ontario Reign comeback attempt came up short Tuesday night, falling to the Texas Stars by a final score of 5-2 at the H-E-B Center. Both of Ontario’s goals came from Charles Hudon, who netted his 200th career AHL goal in a losing effort. Jacob Ingham entered the Reign crease in relief and stopped all 11 shots he faced before the Stars scored two empty-net goals in the final 90 seconds of action.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Ontario and Texas met twice in Southern California earlier this season in late November and early December, the first contests between the two clubs since the 2018-19 campaign when the clubs split a two-game series. The Reign took the first game at Toyota Arena on Nov. 29 by a 4-0 score with two goals from Samuel Fagemo and 27 stops by Pheonix Copley. Texas returned on Dec. 3 and secured a 5-3 decision backed by two goals from Arttu Hyry. Francesco Pinelli had a goal and an assist in the loss for Ontario, while Fagemo and Angus Booth also found the back of the net. Six years ago, each side earned a win in its home building with the Reign securing a 5-3 victory in Ontario on Nov. 1, 2018. The Stars responded with a 5-1 win in Texas on Dec. 29 of that year. The teams also met the year prior in the 2018 Calder Cup Playoffs, with the Stars securing a series win in four games, which included two overtime contests. Texas went on to play in the Calder Cup Finals that year, losing to the Toronto Marlies in seven games. The last time the teams played each other four times in a single season was during 2017-18, when Ontario won three of the four matchups.

HUDON HITS 200 AHL GOALS: Forward Charles Hudon reached the 200-goal milestone for his American Hockey League career on Tuesday night, scoring twice in Ontario’s loss to Texas. Hudon is the Reign’s leading scorer this season, posting 52 points in 54 games on 19 goals and 33 assists. His scoring total ranks seventh in the league, while his 170 shots on net is fifth-most among all skaters. The Alma, Quebec native also leads Ontario in power play points this year, totaling a team-high 18 on four goals and 14 assists. During parts of nine seasons in the AHL, Hudon has played in 490 games with six different clubs and recorded 414 points on 200 goals and 214 helpers. He is five points shy of his career-high in scoring of 57 points, which previously he achieved twice with the Hamilton Bulldogs during 2014-15 and as a member of the Syracuse Crunch in 2021-22.

SCOUTING THE STARS: Forward Matej Blümel leads Texas in scoring with 58 points from 52 games this season and enters Wednesday night’s matchup on a run, scoring five goals in his last two contests including two against Ontario on Tuesday. Blümel’s 33 goals are tied for the most in the AHL and have surpassed his total from last season in 20 fewer games. Rookie forward Justin Hryckowian is second on the team with 50 points in 53 contests with 18 goals and 32 helpers. Cameron Hughes has also chipped in with 48 points in 55 games on 20 goals and 28 assists, while Anthonio Stranges has 18 goals and 25 helpers for 43 points. Defender Kyle Capobianco has 36 points on five goals and 31 assists, which leads the team’s blueliners in scoring. In goal, Magnus Hellberg has played in 33 of Texas’s contests and has a 21-10-1 record with a goals-against average of 2.78 along with a 0.904 save percentage. Remi Poirier has also seen action in 23 games and has a 2.76 goals-against and two shutouts.

GRACIOUS GAWDIN: Forward Glenn Gawdin posted an assist on Charles Hudon’s power play goal during the second period on Tuesday night to earn his 31st helper of the year. The seventh-year forward has points in four of his last five games, earning two goals and three assists during the run. Overall on the year, Gawdin is two shy of the 50-point mark, putting up 48 on 17 goals and 31 helpers along with a plus-17 rating. The Richmond, British Columbia native has reached the 50 plateau twice in his AHL career, including last season as a member of San Diego when he set a career-high with 55 points. The attacker is also four assists shy of tying his previous high mark of 35, which he achieved as a member of the Stockton Heat during the 2021-22 campaign.

SHOOTOUT SUCCESS: Ontario’s shootout win on Sunday was their seventh victory from a skills session this season, tying Grand Rapids for the most in the American Hockey League this year. The only team with a higher winning percentage from shootouts this season is Texas, who has gone 3-0 during the breakaway competition. The Reign have been led by Glenn Gawdin and Jeff Malott, who are both perfect this year during shootout situations. Gawdin is 5-for-5, while Malott has gone 4-for-4. Gawdin has scored the deciding goal in four of Ontario’s shootout wins, while Taylor Ward has also gone 2-for-4 with one finishing tally. Erik Portillo has been in net for six of the shootout wins, saving a combined 15 of 16 attempts, while Pheonix Copley has a 2-0 record, including Sunday when he made saves on both shots he saw during the first two rounds.

Reign Check Gameday Forecast

2024-25 Head-to-Head Schedule vs. Texas:
Fri., Nov. 29 vs. Texas, 4-0 W – Full Recap
Tue., Dec. 3 vs. Texas, 2-4 L – Full Recap
Tue., Mar. 18 at Texas, 2-5 L – Full Recap
Wed. Mar. 19 at Texas, 5 p.m.