Reign Pass Franchise Record with 3-2 Shootout Win in Idaho
March 18, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Ontario Reign News Release
BOISE, Idaho. - The Ontario Reign (39-18-5-3), proud affiliate of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings, held on to their Pacific Division lead with a 3-2 shootout win over the Idaho Steelheads (27-30-2-7) before a crowd of 3,818 Saturday night at CenturyLink Arena. With this win, the Ontario Reign have surpassed their franchise record of 38 wins in a single season.
The game began with a good back-and-forth between the two teams, but neither the Reign nor the Steelheads could get the puck into the net in the first period. Ontario's league-leading penalty kill unit kept the pressure on and didn't allow Idaho to convert on either of their two chances. J.F. Berube faced and stopped some tough shots including a Steelheads two-on-one opportunity.
The second period more than made up for the lack of action in the first. Within the first minute of play, three different scrums broke out posting a combined total of 33 penalty minutes. About a minute later, the penalty box continued to fill as each team a received five-minute fighting major. After the dust settled the pressure playing continued on both sides. It wasn't until 16:09 that Chris Cloud put the first tally on the scoreboard. Cloud got the puck into the Steelheads net off a rebound shot by Tommy Lange. Jason Beeman also assisted the goal. With less than one minute left in the period, Tristan King sent a pass up to Geoff Irwin at the left circle who fired a hard shot through the pads of Kuhn to give the Reign a two-goal lead going into the third.
At the 5:26 mark of the third period, Idaho came within just one goal of Ontario with a goal by Jake Hauswirth, assisted by former Reign defender, Steven Tarasuk. Moments later, Matt Case scored the equalizer for the Steelheads putting the pressure on for the rest of the game. Again, neither team could convert on their multiple power-play opportunities. The regulation clock ran out and the game went into a five minute overtime period.
Both teams were scoreless in the extra frame leading the game to end in a shootout. Kyle Kraemer netted a goal for Ontario on the leading shot of the first round. Idaho answered just in time with a goal in the fifth round. Beeman sent his shot past Kuhn's glove side in the eighth round giving the Reign two goals in the shootout. Berube's save ended the game giving Ontario a 3-2 victory, solidifying their number one position in the Pacific Division.
Berube turned aside 36 of 39 total shots, including shootout shots, with the win, and Idaho's Kuhn stopped 38 of 42 total shots taking the loss.
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