Firebirds Snap Reign’s Home Streak with 5-1 Win: Ontario Looks to Regroup After Back-to-Back Losses
The Ontario Reign came into Sunday’s matchup riding a six-game home win streak and looking like one of the AHL’s more consistent teams. But that momentum hit a wall as the Coachella Valley Firebirds handed them a 5-1 loss in front of 9,003 fans at Toyota Arena. It was a night where the Reign never quite found their rhythm, and the Firebirds took full advantage.
Early Punch, Late Response
The tone was set early-just 54 seconds in, to be exact-when Jagger Firkus beat Erik Portillo with a slick backhander from inside the left circle. That quick strike gave Coachella Valley the early edge, and while Ontario had a chance to respond on the power play shortly after, it was the Firebirds who struck again. Lleyton Roed turned a short-handed rush into a goal, snapping a low wrister from the right circle to make it 2-0 just 37 seconds into the Reign's man advantage.
Ontario finally answered 41 seconds later. Jack Hughes, who drew the penalty, made good on the opportunity by ripping a wrister from the right circle over the glove of Firebirds goalie Jack LaFontaine. Samuel Bolduc and Francesco Pinelli picked up the assists-Pinelli now riding a three-game point streak.
That goal gave Ontario a spark, but it was short-lived. The Reign were outshot 13-10 in the first and didn’t register their first shot on net until nearly seven minutes in. Still, they went into the first intermission down just one, with a 2-1 scoreline that felt manageable.
Second Period Slippage
The second period, though, is where things began to unravel. Mitchell Stephens extended the Firebirds’ lead at 4:17, taking advantage of a defensive breakdown as Roed circled behind the net and found him wide open in the left circle. Portillo was caught out of position, and Stephens didn’t miss.
Roed wasn’t done. With just under four minutes left in the frame, he buried his second of the night-this time a one-timer from the right circle that found the top-left corner. That made it 4-1 heading into the final period, and Ontario was suddenly in a deep hole.
The Reign had their chances in the second, including two power plays, but couldn’t capitalize. They went 0-for-2 with the man advantage in the period and were outscored 2-0 despite an even 9-9 shot count.
Firebirds Close the Door
Firkus added his second goal of the night midway through the third, cleaning up a rebound around the crease to put the game out of reach at 5-1. It was a fitting cap to a night where Coachella Valley was sharper, more opportunistic, and simply more in sync.
Portillo finished with 26 saves on 31 shots in his first loss since October 17. LaFontaine, meanwhile, turned away 20 of 21 to earn the win. Ontario ended the night 1-for-4 on the power play and a perfect 2-for-2 on the penalty kill, but special teams couldn’t make up for the even-strength struggles.
Postgame Reflections: Staying Grounded Amid Adversity
After the game, head coach Andrew Lord was quick to remind everyone that this is part of the process.
“This is really where you can easily start overthinking things,” Lord said. “We’re a good hockey team.
We’ve done a lot of good things this season. Sometimes the puck just does weird things.
We just need to get back to our foundation and our principles this week.”
Lord emphasized that the team’s identity is built on consistency and character-two things that have helped them weather storms before.
“We’ve seen it from our guys-comebacks, big road wins in Colorado. There’s been a lot of character tests and we’ve overcome a lot of adversity. We just need to be better, all of us.”
Forward Andre Lee echoed that sentiment. He acknowledged the team came out flat and didn’t have much going in any of the three periods.
“We’ll regroup,” Lee said. “We can’t let this drag us down. Get back at it Tuesday, and then go back and work here Wednesday.”
Lee, who recently spent time with the Kings, also talked about the importance of consistency-something he’s learned firsthand at the NHL level.
“You have to be consistent. Be hard on pucks, do the job on the walls. It’s about bringing that physicality every night.”
Veteran Jacob Doty kept it simple when asked what the team can learn from the weekend:
“Not much from these two games,” he said. “But going forward, I think facing a little adversity is good.
We haven’t had to face much of that this year. Now our backs are against the wall, and we’ll see how we come out.”
What’s Next
The Reign won’t have to wait long to bounce back. They’ll host the Tucson Roadrunners on Wednesday night, looking to snap the mini skid and get back to the brand of hockey that’s carried them through much of the season.
Losses like this can sting, especially at home. But in a long AHL season, it’s not about avoiding adversity-it’s about how you respond to it. And for a team that’s shown plenty of fight already this year, Wednesday offers a chance to reset, refocus, and start building another streak.