The Ontario Reign head into tonight’s matchup with the Abbotsford Canucks carrying some baggage they haven’t seen in a while: a five-game losing streak. That’s a sharp turn for a team that didn’t go more than two games without a point at any stage last season, and it sends them into a back-to-back weekend set north of the border looking for answers.
The task in front of them is no small one. Abbotsford comes in at 7-2-1, and the Reign will have to deal with a Pacific Division opponent that has already shown it can trade punches with Ontario.
The two clubs have quietly built a bit of a rivalry, and last season the Reign took five of eight meetings in the series. That included a sweep on opening weekend in October of 2025, when Abbotsford was celebrating its Calder Cup banner from the previous season and Ontario still walked out with back-to-back 5-2 wins.
Taylor Ward scored three times in those games, and he’s back in the lineup tonight.
Still, this stretch is bigger than any one player or one matchup. Andrew Lord is trying to steer his team out of unfamiliar territory, because this is Ontario’s first five-game skid in nearly two years, dating back to the days when Marco Sturm was behind the bench.
The frustrating part for the Reign is that they haven’t exactly been buried from the opening faceoff. They’ve scored first in each of their last three games, only to see every lead disappear.
There is at least some stability coming in goal. With the three-goaltender rotation no longer in place, Ontario’s two remaining netminders should get a clearer chance to settle in and build some momentum.
Erik Portillo and rookie Carter George are expected to split the starts this weekend, and Portillo is slated to get the nod tonight. Last week against Tucson, he was strong through the first two periods before a five-goal third period wiped away much of the work he had done.
There’s also a question mark up front. Kenta Isogai was involved in a scary-looking collision around the net last time out and needed help getting off the ice. He did eventually return and finish the game, but his status for tonight is still uncertain.
Ontario’s projected lineup has Jamsen, Pederson and Wright on the top line, with Isogai, Guttman and Ward next. Hughes, Pinelli and Ziemmer make up the third unit, while Lawrence, G.
Slukynsky and Doty are listed on the fourth. The blue line is projected to feature Kirsanov and Booth, Perunovich and Millar, and Hicketts and Brzustewicz, with Portillo and George listed in goal.
Likely scratches are Gorman and Mastrodomenico, while Jenik, Dvorak, Salin and Woolley are listed as injured.
A Reign radio feed is also available.
In Other News...
Kings Suddenly Have A Forward Logjam Peter Laviolette Must Sort Out
The Kings got a fuller look at their forward group in practice Tuesday, and it only sharpened the sense that Peter Laviolette has some sorting to do before Pittsburgh comes to town. Los Angeles had 16 forwards on the ice along with seven defensemen and two goaltenders, while Alex Turcotte and Kevin Fiala, both on injured reserve, were back practicing without restrictions and being monitored day to day as they inch toward a return.
Laviolette also had reason to like what he saw from the line of Erik Haula, Kenny Connors and Joel Armia, which drew praise after its strong showing against San Jose. With bodies piling up and healthy forwards starting to press for ice time, the next lineup decision is less about finding options than deciding which ones can stay in the mix. [Read more 🡒]