Rheault, Walker on their return.

Jon Rheault and Geoff Walker practiced in Manchester, New Hampshire on Thursday morning, boarded a flight bound for Las Vegas at 1 p.m. Eastern time, then jetted to their new/old home in Ontario, California.

After Thursday’s whirlwind came another on Friday in the form of a 7-6 shootout loss to the Wranglers.

“It’s tough because you don’t want to disrupt things that have been going well. They went on a six-game winning streak, then we came in,” Rheault said. “I feel like we played well, but we didn’t win, and it kind of sits pretty hard with you when you see your team doing so well, you want to help them but you come and you lose.”
Continue reading “Rheault, Walker on their return.” »

Las Vegas 7, Reign 6, shootout.

This game could be summed up in one word: Crazy.

It ended in the 12th round of the shootout when Jerry Pollastrone scored on Curtis Darling, and Tony Voce missed on the other end, ending the Reign’s team-record-tying win streak at six.

The Reign gained a point in the standings but gave up two, leaving both teams tied for the seventh and final playoff position in the National Conference standings. Technically, the Wranglers are in seventh place by virtue of the higher winning percentage.

It was only possible because of Vegas’ four goals in the third period, which negated a 5-2 lead by the Reign and sent the game to overtime.

Continue reading “Las Vegas 7, Reign 6, shootout.” »

Rheault, Walker are back.

The Manchester Monarchs are sending forwards Geoff Walker and Jon Rheault back to the Reign.

The 22-year-old Walker has recorded five goals, 14
points and 55 penalty minutes in 37 games with the Monarchs
this season. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound winger picked up a goal and seven
points in 10 games with the Reign after co-leading the team with 48 points last season.

Rheault, 23, has appeared in 35 games with the Monarchs this season, notching three goals and six points. His 16 points (10 goals) through the season’s first 15 games were among the early-season ECHL league leaders. Rheault also appeared with the AHL’ Providence Bruins this season, going scoreless in four games.

Both will be expected to help the offense of a team that ranks last in the ECHL in goals scored (157).

What didn’t make the notebook …

In tomorrow’s notebook you’ll find a breakdown of the team’s franchise-record, six-game losing streak. New forward acquisition Sal Peralta has arrived in town and I expect to be able to catch up with him tomorrow after practice.


In the meantime, to tide you over, here are some notes that didn’t make the notebook …

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Curran article, and a few quotes that didn’t make the paper.

In case you missed it, Chris Curran’s comeback is complete: http://www.sbsun.com/sports/ci_13898271

Only twice as a reporter have I seen a player leave a hockey rink in a stretcher. One was Curran, the other was James Wisniewski in last year’s Stanley Cup playoffs. Wisniewski suffered a lung contusion but only missed one game. So I asked Karl Taylor if it was the worst injury he had seen as a coach; turns out he once had a player nearly swallow his tongue and die … never mind.

Here’s what else Taylor had to say about Curran:
Continue reading “Curran article, and a few quotes that didn’t make the paper.” »

Geoff Walker feature on Kings’ Web site.

Recently promoted right wing Geoff Walker is the Kings’ “Prospect of the week” on the team’s official Web site.

It’s easy now to forget how Walker came into the Kings’ organization: He was claimed by the Reign off waivers by the now-defunct Phoenix Roadrunners late in the 2008 preseason, finished the season tied for the team scoring lead, improved his conditioning in the off-season and earned an AHL contract with the Manchester Monarchs. Walker had an assist last night in a Monarchs win.

Geoff Walker scores, Reign serve.

In case you missed it, check out today’s story about the Reign serving the homeless Wednesday in Upland.

Wednesday was also a big day for Geoff Walker, who scored his first career American Hockey League goal just 39 seconds into the Manchester Monarchs’ victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The description, via NHL.com:

Following his recall from the ECHL’s Ontario Reign on Monday, right wing Geoff Walker scored his first goal of the season with the Monarchs only 39 seconds into the game. Gauthier picked up a pass from left wing Richard Clune behind the Sound Tigers cage. The center quickly threw the puck into the crease where Walker was skating to redirect the pass into the net.

Reign: Rheault back, G. Walker up. Updates.

In a good bit of timing for the Reign, forwards Jon Rheault and Geoff Walker are switching leagues.

Rheault is set to rejoin the Reign from the AHL’s Providence Bruins, where he was held scoreless in a four-game stint last week. At the time of his recall, Rheault was leading the Reign with nine goals and 15 points in 13 games.

He had been a valuable part of the Reign’s power play, on which he had two goals and four assists, and the penalty-kill, where he had a short-handed goal.

“We had other people step up when they’ve had the opportunity,” coach Karl Taylor said. “Jon was a very important part on the power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5 he was playing great. Other guys are starting to step up, which is great. When Jon gets back tomorrow, we’ll see what happens.”

Walker, meanwhile, will rejoin the Manchester Monarchs after notching a goal and seven points in 10 games for the Reign. The Kings recalled forwards Andrei Loktionov and Brandon Segal from Manchester today. The NHL club is dealing with a long-term injury to left wing Ryan Smyth, and shorter-term ailments to center Jarrett Stoll and Rob Scuderi. Smyth was placed on injured reserve today.

Stockton 4, Reign 3, overtime.

The Reign erased a 3-0 deficit on home ice, dominating every facet of the game except special teams. Jason Pitton scored 1:35 into the 4-on-4 overtime period, avenging the Thunder’s 8-2 loss a night earlier at The Bank.

Stockton scored on its first three power plays of the game and finished 3-for-4 with the man advantage, where the Reign finished 0-for-7.

Tim Kraus, Mike Egener and Greg Hogeboom scored for the Reign (8-8-1-1) and the standings point left them four behind Bakersfield for first place in the Pacific Division. Dwight King, Geoff Walker, Tony Voce and Jon Francisco picked up the assists.

Reign 8, Stockton 2.

Peter Lenes scored twice, Greg Hogeboom, Dwight King, Geoff Walker, Mike Howe, David Walker and Michael Pelech added one apiece, and the Reign matched a franchise record with eight goals.

Jon Francisco and Geoff Walker had two assists apiece, and David Walker (who engaged in two fights) fell one assist shy of a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.

The two teams will meet again at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Bank. More details in tomorrow’s editions.