Reigns roll as offense clicks | TheAHL.com

Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer

Now, only a break in the schedule can slow down the Ontario Reign.

After a rare break on Friday and Saturday this weekend, the Reign resumes action tonight when the San Jose Barracuda visit Toyota Arena. Despite the strength of the Pacific Division, the Reign is still in sixth place, but just four points shy of third place and has one fewer win than any other team in the division. But that plan will intensify significantly in the coming weeks; today's game against the Barracuda kicks off the pre-holiday season, and the Reign will host league leader Calgary before taking on Coachella Valley The team plays a home series.

After starting the season with a 4-6-0-0 record, the Reign have won eight of their past 10 games; during that span, they have scored 38 goals and have scored four or more goals in six straight games. ball. Due to the surge in production, they now rank fourth in the AHL with 3.55 goals per game. More importantly, their offensive output is strong, but only ranks 20th in the AHL at 16.7%.

A strong offense can quickly change the dynamics of a game. Last Sunday against Bakersfield, the Reign trailed 3-2 midway through the third quarter but scored three goals in 8 minutes and 50 seconds to win 5-3.

The Reign started the season without several of their top powerhouses from last season, and it became apparent early on. Outlook Akil Thomas and Alex Turcotte Earned a job with the Los Angeles Kings. So do elite defensemen Brent ClarkSelected to the AHL All-Rookie Team, AHL Second All-Star Team and AHL All-Rookie Team in the 2023-24 season. TJ Tynan Headed to Colorado via free agency.

Ontario has allowed just eight goals in its first five games to start the season. But the fortunes of recent rosters are heading Ontario's way, starting with net worth Eric Portillo–Phoenix Copley In tandem, both have also spent time in Los Angeles due to an injury to the Kings netminder Darcy Cooper. Now that they're back together, the duo gives the head coach a top-tier rookie/veteran lineup Marco Sturm use. The Reign even has a Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev Returning for the first time since 2021; Kaliyev, who has been sidelined since September after suffering a broken collarbone in training camp, has joined Ontario for conditioning.

Two forward signings this offseason also helped. Los Angeles Picking Glenn Gaudin A free agent out of the Anaheim organization, the seventh-year pro has 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 20 games. Jeff MarlottPlayed the past four seasons with the Manitoba Moose and currently has 19 points (3 goals, 16 assists).

And then there are Samuel Fagermoone of the most dangerous snipers in the AHL. Fagermo can quickly accumulate goals with his exquisite shot selection; he scored 43 goals in 50 games for the Reign last season. He failed to score in his first six games this season but has since scored 11 times in 14 games. If Fagermor is hot, this can cause a lot of trouble for the opponent.

The head coach is never satisfied and any favorite team will want to stay in the game as long as possible. But it's December, which means there's a lot of off-ice action. The team's holiday party followed last Sunday's win, and there will be a family gathering this week as well. A recent string of successes makes these gatherings even sweeter.

“[The holiday season is] “It's more fun when you're on a winning streak,” Sturm told the team's website.

About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor for SiriusXM NHL Network Radio . In 2016, he received the AHL's James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.