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Ontario Reign

Reign Survive Wild Finish for 5-3 Win over Aces

March 21, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Ontario Reign News Release


ONTARIO, Calif. - The Ontario Reign (36-17-4-5), four-time ECHL Pacific Division Champions and proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's 2014 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets, defeated the Alaska Aces (29-25-3-4) by a 5-3 score in front of a crowd of 8,540 on Friday night at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

The Aces opened the scoring in the first period while on the power-play, as Landon Oslanski spun away from a Reign forward at the point and slid the puck across the edge of the zone to Corey Syvret, whose wrist shot in the high slot clanged in off the post and crossbar past Jussi Olkinuora at 15:14.

Shortly after, Zach Bell dropped the gloves with Alaska's Evan Renwick, and the Reign built on the momentum from the fight, especially once Ontario went to the power-play after Alaska's Dean Chelios was whistled for hooking at 18:50.

With only seconds remaining on the clock, Maxim Kitsyn deflected Matt Register's shot into the pads of Niklas Lundstrom, and then batted the rebound into the net at 19:57 to tie the score.

Ontario took its first lead of the night in the second period as Judd Blackwater sped down the left wing side, and snapped the puck into the far corner of the net just 56 seconds into the frame.

Minutes later, Kitsyn grabbed his second of the night as Josh Brittain held onto the puck at the offensive blueline and fed it across to Kitsyn who patiently carried the puck through the slot and wristed it past Lundstrom 3:53, with Matt White earning the secondary assist.

White grabbed a goal of his own after taking a pass from Brittain just off to the left of the Aces' net, and knocked the puck in past Lundstrom at 5:59; Kitsyn earned the extra helper.

White's goal prompted Alaska to use its time-out, and the decision helped the visitors regroup, as the Aces struck on the power-play when Ryan Walters grabbed his own rebound from Olkinuora and fired it into the net at 9:58.

Kitsyn and Walters then dropped the gloves at 15:53, securing the Reign winger's second consecutive Gordie Howe hat trick in back-to-back games.

Chelios then pulled the Aces to within one when he drove wide of the net and managed to get a shot off that was initially stopped by Olkinuora, but Chelios poked the puck between the goaltender's pads and the near post at 17:07.

Alaska continued to pressure Ontario in the third period, outshooting the Reign by 16-8 margin, but Olkinuora held firm. Late in the frame, Everett Sheen pushed the puck ahead to Nunn, who sped into the offensive zone and snapped the puck through Lundstrom at 18:10 to seal the win for Ontario.

Olkinuora earned the victory with 28 saves; Lundstrom took the loss with 22 stops.

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