The Ontario Reign kept grinding, and Sunday afternoon it paid off in overtime. Trailing 2-0 early in the second period, Ontario battled all the way back and slipped past the Coachella Valley Firebirds 3-2 at Acrisure Arena in front of 5,125 fans.
Cole Guttman delivered the finish four minutes into overtime, completing another comeback win for the Reign. Martin Chromiak and Lane Pederson also scored for Ontario, which got stronger as the game wore on and outshot Coachella Valley 30-12 over the final 40 minutes.
The start belonged to the Firebirds. Eduard Šalé put Coachella Valley ahead just 87 seconds into the game, wiring a shot from the left face-off dot through the legs of Carter George. The Reign held a 7-4 edge in shots in the opening period, but neither side cashed in on its lone power-play chance.
Things got worse before they got better for Ontario in the second. Lleyton Roed made it 2-0 just 2:09 into the period, finishing in the high slot after a feed from Tyson Jugnauth at the left-wing wall. From there, the Reign started to take over.
Chromiak got Ontario on the board at 8:31, finishing a sequence started by Grant Slukynsky and Lane Pederson. Pederson pushed the puck up the right-wing wall, found Slukynsky in the left circle, and Slukynsky sent it behind the crease to Chromiak, who guided it by the left leg of Victor Östman.
Less than five minutes later, Pederson tied it at 2-2. The play began with Kirill Kirsanov at the left point, and after the puck moved to Scott Perunovich, Pederson finished with a one-timer that deflected off a Firebirds skater’s skate and in.
Ontario kept the pressure on all period, owning a 16-6 shot advantage in the second while going 0-for-3 on the power play. Coachella Valley was 0-for-2 on its chances.
The third period stayed scoreless, though the Reign continued to tilt the ice. Ontario held a 14-6 shot edge in the final frame, and neither team scored on the power play, sending the game to overtime tied at 2-2.
Guttman ended it with one minute left in the extra session. Kenny Connors carried the puck into the offensive zone, sent a shot from the left circle that bounced off the back wall, then won the puck battle on the goal line and set up Guttman above the high slot. Guttman snapped a wrist shot into the top left corner for the winner.
George stopped 15 of 17 shots to earn the win, while Östman made 36 saves on 39 shots in the loss. Ontario finished 0-for-4 on the power play and killed off all five Coachella Valley chances.
The Reign are back in action Wednesday, Oct. 14 in San Diego against the Gulls at 7 p.m. PST.
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