Game 1: Reign 2, Barracuda 1 + postgame notes/video

Ontario Reign 2, San Jose Barracuda 1
Final (Reign lead best-of-5 series, 1-0)

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Box Score
Series preview

SOG: ONT – 37; SJ – 29
PP: ONT – 0/2; SJ – 0/4

First Period
No scoring

Second Period
1) ONT – Kurtis MacDermid (1) (Nic Dowd), 9:53

Third Period
2) SJ – Nikita Jevpalovs (1) (Aaron Dell), 6:17
3) ONT – Jonny Brodzinski (1) (Brett Sutter), 15:57

(1) Ontario Reign vs. (4) San Jose Barracuda
Friday, April 22, 2016, 7:30 p.m. PT
SAP Center, San Jose, CA
Referee: #43 Tom Chmielewski, #23 Chris Schlenker
Linesmen: #64 Brandon Gawryletz, #81 Tanner Nua
AHL Live, Mixlr Radio

ONT starters: G Peter Budaj, D Vincent LoVerde, D Kurtis MacDermid, LW Michael Mersch, D Nic Dowd, RW Sean Backman
ONT scratches: F Joel Lowry, D Zach Leslie, F Mike Amadio, F Spencer Watson, F Sam Herr, D Damir Sharipzyanov, F Matt Schmalz, G Jack Flinn

SJ starters: G Aaron Dell, D Matt Tennyson, D Mirco Mueller, LW Trevor Parkes, C John McCarthy, RW Bryan Lerg
SJ scratches: F Raffi Torres, D Patrick McNally, F Petter Emanuelsson, F Daniel Doremus, D Michael Brodzinski, F Alex Gallant, F Gabryel Boudreau

Notes and video

–Veteran winger Paul Bissonnette played in his first game since missing the last 21 of the regular season due to injury.

–Head coach Mike Stothers moved Michael Mersch off the line with Brett Sutter and Jonny Brodzinski and reunited him with Nic Dowd, who’s back from his call-up with Los Angeles, but was a healthy scratch in the last game of the season.

The Reign aligned as such:
Michael Mersch – Nic Dowd – Sean Backman
Adrian Kempe – Brett Sutter – Jonny Brodzinski
Andrew Crescenzi – Kris Newbury – Justin Auger
Jordan Samuels-Thomas – Ryan Horvat – Paul Bissonnette

Vincent LoVerde – Kurtis MacDermid
Jeff Schultz – Nick Ebert
Derek Forbort – Kevin Raine

–Here’s the video of Kurtis MacDermid’s goal, his first since March 26 after scoring just four in the regular season:

The @ontarioreign take a 1-0 lead into the second intermission thanks to a goal by @MacDerm23 #ONTvsSJ pic.twitter.com/PkUzoCdGs3

— AHL (@TheAHL) April 23, 2016

–Video of Nikita Jevpalovs’ tying goal in the third as he fools Reign defenseman Kevin Raine on a pull drag and then beats goalie Peter Budaj:

Yoink. 1-1. #ONTvsSJ pic.twitter.com/MCJvMrNdt1

— AHL (@TheAHL) April 23, 2016

–Video of Jonny Brodzinski’s go-ahead goal as Brett Sutter gets the puck to the slot and Brodzinski finishes:

The @ontarioreign grab a late lead as @Brodzyy finds himself alone in front #ONTvsSJ pic.twitter.com/v7IRyI8O2i

— AHL (@TheAHL) April 23, 2016

–Peter Budaj finished with 28 saves to earn his first playoff win of the postseason. San Jose’s Aaron Dell had 35.

–The Reign’s penalty kill, tops in the regular season at an 88.7 percent effectiveness, finished a perfect 4-for-4, including a pivotal kill in the third period with MacDermid off for slashing.