REIGN FINAL – ONT 1 , ABB 2 – Lord

The Ontario Reign (31-15-1-1) fell to the Abbotsford Canucks (17-26-3-3) Saturday night by a final score of 2-1 in in front of 3,688 fans at Rogers Forum. Ontario and Abbotsford will meet again in British Columbia on Monday at 1 p.m. PST.

The Reign led 1-0 going into the third period as Cole Guttman stretched his goal streak to three-games with his sixth power-play goal of the season, 18^th overall. The Canucks completed a third period come back scoring 93 seconds in and with nine minutes remaining as the Reign saw their win streak end at three games.

 The Reign outshot the Canucks 12-4 in the first period of play but failed to convert on the lone power-play in the period as there was no score after the opening 20 minutes.

Ontario went on the power-play in the early stages of the second period and it would be Cole Guttman (18^th) striking from Kenny Connors and Martin Chromiak at 6:37 making it 1-0. From the point Chromiak sent a wrist shot to the net that was tipped by Connors near the crease. Tolopilo made the save but couldn’t control the rebound as Guttman slammed it home from the blue paint. The Reign outshot the Canucks 8-3 in the stanza.

Nils Åman tied the score at 1-1 just 93 seconds into the third period when he drove the puck down the left-wing wall and from the left side of the goal line sent it in front of the net. The puck pinballed back to Åman at the right side of the goal line where he banked it off the left pad of Portillo into the net. Nick Poisson provided the game winning goal with nine minutes left in regulation when he deflected a point shot home from Nikolai Knyzhov making it 2-1. Shots were 12-6 Ontario in the final 20 minutes.

Erik Portillo suffered the loss making 11 saves on 13 shots while Nikita Tolopilo picked up the win making 31 saves on 32 shots. Ontario went 1-for-3 on the power-play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.

BOX SCORE

Postgame thoughts from Andrew Lord.