Reign Lose Series Lead in 4-3 Defeat to Eagles
Published on April 23, 2015 under ECHL (ECHL)
Ontario Reign News Release
LOVELAND, Colo. - The Ontario Reign (2-2), four-time ECHL Pacific Division Champions and proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's 2014 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets, fell by a 4-3 score to the Colorado Eagles (2-2) to see their Pacific Division Semifinals series evened at two games apiece in front of a crowd of 4,116 on Wednesday night at the Budweiser Events Center.
The Eagles opened scoring early in the first period as Trent Daavettila scored off a cross-ice feed from Kyle Kraemer at 2:12.
Vitalijs Pavlovs gave Colorado a two-goal lead at 11:03, by burying Chris Knowlton's failed wrap-around attempt on Jussi Olkinuora.
The Reign got on the board in the dying moments of the frame when Gasper Kopitar retrieved the puck at the right half-wall and threw a shot on goal, which was knocked in by Judd Blackwater past Clarke Saunders at 19:55.
Ontario carried the momentum into the second period, as Blackwater struck again on the power-play at 10:13. Blackwater one-timed a pass from Maxim Kitsyn at the right circle to bring the Reign to within one.
Blackwater gave the Reign their first lead of the contest when he broke in with Garry Nunn during a 2-on-1 and sent a pass through the slot to Nunn, who went upstairs on Saunders at 13:58.
The Eagles tied the score on the power-play as Daavettila collected a loose puck in the slot and fired it through a screen past Olkinuora at 18:14.
In the third period, Colorado struck again on the man advantage when Brock Nixon collected Kraemer's shot off the end boards and buried a shot from the goal line at 14:39.
Despite pulling Olkinuora for the extra attacker and a late flurry of offensive chances, Ontario couldn't close the gap before time ran out.
Olkinuora made 24 saves in the loss; Saunders picked up the win with 21 stops.
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