The turnover on defense (pun intended).

Quick, how many Reign defensemen who played Wednesday were on the team to start the season?
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Taylor on switching benches: Wait ’til next year.

Because several readers have mentioned it recently, I asked Karl Taylor about a stadium quirk that’s unique to The Bank: The Reign’s bench is closest to the defensive zone during the second period only. During the first and third periods, the home bench is closest to the offensive zone.

That’s the opposite of how most hockey teams do it, and for good reason.

If a team is hanging on for dear life during a long shift in its own zone, it’s nearly impossible to get fresh players on the ice when your bench is on the opposite side of the rink. Having your bench near the defensive zone for two of the three periods is an important facet of home-ice advantage – an advantage the Reign don’t have “because the attack zone is sold on the horseshoe end of the rink,” Taylor said. “It’s the way the rink is built.”
Continue reading “Taylor on switching benches: Wait ’til next year.” »

Bakersfield 4, Reign 3.

Wednesday’s crowd was the smallest of the season for a home game – 4,670 – but fans weren’t booing. Until the third period, they had little reason to.

The Reign lost in regulation for the first time when leading after one period, and for the first time when leading after two, by surrendering three unanswered goals to the Condors in the third period.

The Condors have won 9 of 10 and showed why. They continued to pepper Beau Erickson (28 saves) even after falling behind 3-1 early in the third period when Brett O’Malley scored a rare goal during a 5-on-3 penalty kill.

The Reign killed off the rest of Bakersfield’s two-man advantage but couldn’t garner any momentum from it. The Condors continued to generate scoring chances with ease and Erickson could do little about goals by Brendan Milnamow (which was deflected en route), Evan Stoflet (on an unchallenged, short-handed breakaway) and Slava Trukhno (another deflection).

Lane Caffaro and Chaz Johnson had the other goals for the Reign, who have lost four in a row and 13 of 15 on home ice.

Check out tomorrow’s editions of the Sun and Daily Bulletin for comments from Erickson, Caffaro and coach Karl Taylor.

Here are a few notes that won’t make the print editions:

Continue reading “Bakersfield 4, Reign 3.” »

The skinny on Alex Petizian.

Alex Petizian’s story is not unusual for a rookie minor-league goalie, except that he’s had to wait an unusually long time to start his pro career on solid footing.

Recall that the Reign signed goalies Mike Zacharias and Garrett Zemlak in the preseason; both wound up being traded to clear room for Martin Jones (who was on an NHL contract) and Kellen Briggs (previously an established starter in the league). All of this transpired before the regular season began, and Zacharias and Zemlak are seeing a lot of playing time for Idaho and Stockton, respectively.

Similarly, Petizian signed with the Alaska Aces over the summer but still hasn’t appeared in an ECHL game this season. Veteran Gerald Coleman was assigned to the Aces late in the preseason by the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen; Adam Courchaine was later assigned to Alaska by the NHL’s Boston Bruins. Petizian had been buried on the depth chart ever since.
Continue reading “The skinny on Alex Petizian.” »

Morning skate update.

The Reign play four straight at home beginning tonight against the Bakersfield Condors, and it’s been a while since I’ve been able to write anything resembling that. They’ve played only one home game in the last two-and-a-half weeks and have had only one homestand longer than three straight all season.

Catching up on who we might and might not see tonight, then, here’s how they skated this morning:

Alex Bourret – Jordan Morrison – Chaz Johnson
Shawn Collymore – Michael Pelech – Aaron Lewadniuk
Brett O’Malley – Dusty Collins – Kyle Kraemer
C.J. Stretch – Justin Taylor – James McEwan

Lane Caffaro – Shawn Germain
Pat Bowen – David Walker
Alan Dorich – Doug Krantz

Off the ice were defensemen Chad Starling (lower body), Luke Beaverson (lower body), Eric Doyle (upper body) and forward Jeff Corey (upper body). Including center Jon Francisco, who’s out for the season, that’s a rather essential group of five players on the shelf.

The personnel changes give a writer plenty of catching up to do. New acquisition Alex Petizian took part in the morning skate, but Beau Erickson was the first goalie off the ice and will get the start tonight.

Petizian has had an interesting season without much playing time – he’ll get his own blog entry in a bit here – and you can’t help but feel good for a guy who got off an airplane today and described this as “T-shirt and shorts weather.”

Reign tab Petizian to replace Briggs.

Down to one goalie after the abrupt defection of Kellen Briggs to Germany, the Reign acquired Alex Petizian from the Alaska Aces on Tuesday for future considerations.

Petizian, a 23-year-old rookie, is coming off a four-year career with St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. He went 45-29-10 for the Saints, setting school records with a 2.53 goals-against average and a career .913 save percentage. In 2008-09, he finished with the third-best single-season goals-against average (2.18) in school history and the sixth-best save percentage (.927).

Apparently, he also speaks three languages, understands a fourth, majored in economics and minored in math.

The Kirkland, Quebec native has three games of professional experience, all at the AHL level. Petizian lost in his pro debut late last season with the Rochester Americans, then didn’t play again until a pair of appearances this season with the Portland Pirates. He has never appeared in an ECHL game.

According to the Anchorage Daily News,

Moving Petizian was the right thing to do — he was stuck in the role of No. 3 goalie behind Gerald Coleman and Adam Courchaine.

“What was best for Alex Petizian is his development,” said Aces coach Brent Thompson.

Thompson praised Petizian’s professionalism, especially considering the rookie did not get in a game for the Aces.

“He never complained one time, was never a distraction and was all about the team,” Thompson said. “I’d take him back in a second.”

Petizian is also friends with Manchester Monarchs head coach Mark Morris, going back to the 2005-06 season at the Northwood School in Lake Placid.

ECHL All-Star coaches announced.

Las Vegas Wranglers head coach Ryan Mougenel and Greenville Road Warriors head coach Dean Stork were named coaches of the ECHL All-Star Team that will play the Bakersfield Condors on Jan. 26.

Stork was chosen by having the best winning percentage in the ECHL through games of Jan. 1, 2011, while Mougenel was selected using a combination of votes from league coaches and winning percentage.

The All-Star Athletic Trainer and Equipment Manager will be named tomorrow, officials on Thursday and Television and Radio Broadcasters Friday.

Kellen Briggs suspended by the team.

Kellen Briggs has been suspended by the Reign, one day after the goalie was pulled halfway through Saturday night’s loss to the Alaska Aces.

No ECHL goalie has played more minutes (1529), made more saves (753) or absorbed more losses (16) than Briggs, who returned to the Reign in September after spending all of last season in Germany.

For the season, Briggs is 9-16-0-1 with a 3.65 goals-against average and .890 save percentage. In the team’s brief existence, only Curtis Darling (59) has appeared in more games between the pipes than Briggs (39).

The only other goalie currently on the roster is Beau Erickson, who relieved Briggs last night in just his fifth appearance this season. Erickson, a third-year pro, is 0-3 with a 2.78 goals-against average and .921 save percentage.

Typically a player is suspended by his team for the purpose of allowing him to sign in another league. I left messages for Briggs and Reign coach Karl Taylor hoping to shed light on the circumstances.

Alaska 5, Reign 3.

The Reign return home having found their stroke on offense.

Defense was another matter as the Reign lost their third game on a four-game road trip, 5-3 in Alaska, in a game that saw the Aces lead in shots, 47-19. Alaska benefited from eight power plays (converting two) to four for the Reign.

Kellen Briggs was chased after allowing four goals on 23 shots, at which point the Reign trailed 4-1 midway through the second period. Beau Erickson stopped all 23 shots he faced in relief but also picked up a 10-minute misconduct at 5:43 of the third period.

The line of Jordan Morrison (two goals, assist) Alex Bourret (one assist) and Chaz Johnson (one goal) did all of the damage on offense for the Reign, who host the red-hot Bakersfield Condors Wednesday at The Bank. Bakersfield has won 8 of 9.