AHL Ontario Reign

Hrenak's Efforts Not Enough in Loss to Colorado

Published on April 24, 2022 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Ontario Reign News Release


44 saves from goaltender David Hrenak were not enough Saturday night as the Colorado Eagles (39-22-4-3) skated to a 5-1 victory over the Ontario Reign (41-17-5-4) in the rubber game of a three-game series at the Budweiser Events Center.

Reign forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored the lone tally of the contest for Ontario, while Colorado attacker Dylan Sikura led the home team with a hat trick performance. With one game remaining on their regular season schedule, Ontario has officially earned the No. 2 seed in the Pacific Division for the upcoming Calder Cup Playoffs in May and will face the San Diego Gulls in the opening round.

The Eagles got the best of the Reign in the first minute of both the first and second periods, forcing Ontario to play from behind for much of the night. 24 seconds into the opening frame, Sikura found the back of the net for the first time to put the home team in front 1-0.

The Reign got even at 7:44 of the first when Anderson-Dolan beat goaltender Hunter Miska with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle for his 24th goal of the season. An assist on the equalizer was credited to defenseman Cameron Gaunce, who made a nice defensive play to secure the puck in his own end before sending an outlet pass up the ice to set up the goal.

Colorado went back in front 37 seconds into the second when they finished up a penalty kill and Jayson Megna was sprung free on a breakaway just after leaving the sin bin. Megna converted for his fourth goal against the Reign this season to put the Eagles back on top, 2-1.

Sikura extended that lead for Colorado to 3-1 with his second goal of the contest at 8:44 of the second. The Eagles had more chances to pad their advantage later in the period, but Hrenak stood his ground, finishing with 17 saves in the middle frame.

The Reign held off the Colorado attack for most of the third period, but Jean-Luc Foudy found open space and beat Hrenak to make it 4-1 at 16:18 and Sikura added an empty-net tally to complete the scoring at 18:24.

Miska earned the win for Colorado for the second straight night, turning aside 23 Ontario shots. The Eagles had an overall shots-on-goal advantage of 49-24 in the contest, while neither club was able to convert on the power play, each finishing 0-for-3.

Ontario has a week before it plays the final game of its regular season schedule on Saturday night in Henderson against the Silver Knights at the Dollar Loan Center at 7 p.m. PT.

More information about the first-round postseason series between the Reign and the Gulls will be announced soon.

Check out the Ontario Reign Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from April 24, 2022


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