Freeway Series Game 5: Ontario Reign 2, San Diego Gulls 1

The Reign took the series from the Gulls four games to one and advanced to the American Hockey League’s Western Conference final. Here’s the recap from our man on the scene, Jim Alexander: http://www.pe.com/articles/pushed-802964-reign-test.html

Here’s the more Gulls-centric story from the San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/14/gulls-reign-playoffs-hockey/

Game 1 against either Grand Rapids or Lake Erie is Saturday in Ontario.

Freeway Series Game 4: Ontario Reign 4, San Diego Gulls 3 (OT)

Here’s the story on the Reign’s unlikely hero in their Game 4 overtime victory Friday over the Gulls, via Jim Alexander of the Press-Enterprise: http://www.pe.com/articles/kid-802913-plays-reign.html

Here’s the view from the San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/13/gulls-reign-chris-mueller-kings-ducks/

Game 5 is Saturday night in Ontario.

Freeway Series Game 3: San Diego Gulls 3, Ontario Reign 0

Here’s the recap from our man in Ontario, Jim Alexander: http://www.pe.com/articles/ontario-802356-series-alexander.html

Here’s the story from the San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/08/gulls-overcome-adversity-to-beat-reign-3-0/

Game 4 is Friday in San Diego.

Freeway Series Game 2: Ontario Reign 2, San Diego Gulls 1 (OT)

Here’s the recap from Jim Alexander, our man on the scene Saturday in San Diego: http://www.pe.com/articles/pay-802307-persistence-reign.html

Here’s the San Diego Union-Tribune story: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/07/despite-hacketts-heroics-gulls-fall-2-1-to-reign/

Game 3 is Sunday in Ontario.

 

Freeway Series Game 1 preview: San Diego Gulls at Ontario Reign

Southern California News Group colleague Jim Alexander is covering the series between the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate and the Ducks’ minor-league team. Read his preview of the second-round series here: http://www.pe.com/articles/reign-801979-save-socal.html

Freeway Series: Ontario Reign take on San Diego Gulls in the American Hockey League playoffs

The Ontario Reign eliminated the San Jose Barracuda on Friday in the first round of the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup playoffs. The San Diego Gulls knocked out the Texas Stars in their first-round series Friday. So, the Kings’ AHL affiliate will face the Ducks’ team in a Freeway Series matching beginning next Thursday.

Here’s the schedule, which is a little different from what we’re used to in the NHL:

Game 1: Gulls at Reign, 7 p.m, May 5, Citizens Business Bank Arena.

Game 2: Reign at Gulls, 7:05 p.m., May 7, Valley View Casino Center.

Game 3: Gulls at Reign, 7 p.m., May 8, Citizens Business Bank Arena.

Game 4: Reign at Gulls, 7:05 p.m., May 13, Valley View Casino Center.

Game 5 (if necessary): Gulls at Reign, 7 p.m., May 14, Citizens Business Bank Arena.

Game 6 (if necessary): Reign at Gulls, 7:05 p.m., May 16, Valley View Casino Center.

Game 7 (if necessary): Gulls at Reign, 7 p.m., May 18, Citizens Business Bank Arena.

Ontario Reign, San Diego Gulls on track for second-round collision in the AHL playoffs

The Kings and Ducks were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but there can still be a Freeway Series showdown this spring between their American Hockey League teams. The Kings’ affiliate, the Ontario Reign, and the Ducks club, the San Diego Gulls, are each one victory away from advancing to the Pacific Division final in the Calder Cup playoffs.

The Reign took a 2-1 lead in their best-of-5 series with a 3-1 victory Thursday over the San Jose Barracuda in Game 3. Adrian Kempe scored two goals for the Reign, who can eliminate the Barracuda with a victory in Game 4 on Friday in Ontario.

The Gulls defeated the Texas Stars 6-1 in Game 3 on Thursday to take a 2-1 lead in their series. Chris Wagner scored a goal and had two assists and Shea Theodore had three assists for the Gulls, who face Texas in Game 4 on Friday in San Diego.

 

Ducks reassign defenseman Shea Theodore to San Diego of AHL

The Ducks returned rookie defenseman Shea Theodore to the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League on Saturday. He had three goals and seven points and a plus-7 defensive rating in his first 17 games in the NHL this season. He made his debut Dec. 29 against the Flames in Calgary. He also had eight goals and 31 points in 47 games with the Gulls this season.

Ducks defensemen Kevin Bieksa, Sami Vatenen questionable to play against Devils

Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said Sunday that injured defensemen Kevin Bieksa and Sami Vatanen were “questionable” to play Monday against the Devils at the Honda Center. Korbinian Holzer and Clayton Stoner will replace them if they can’t play against New Jersey

Bieksa suffered a lower-body injury during a 5-2 defeat Friday against the St. Louis Blues. Vatanen was forced from Wednesday’s loss to the Colorado Avalanche because of an upper-body injury. Boudreau wasn’t sure when they might play again, but called them “day to day.”

“I don’t think either of them is long term at all,” Boudreau said. “I think it’s a short term thing and, hopefully, they’ll both be back before the end of the week. Right now, it’s just day to day.”

Boudreau said he didn’t know if there was any consideration made to recalling Shea Theodore or Brandon Montour from the Ducks’ American Hockey League team in San Diego.