Alaska 2, Reign 0.

The streak is over.

By losing 2-0 to the Alaska Aces on Friday night, the Reign failed to gain a point in the standings for the first time since Feb. 14, a span of 10 games. They also failed to take advantage of the Utah Grizzlies’ 5-2 victory over the Stockton Thunder, which would have allowed the Reign out of the Pacific Division cellar with a victory.

Instead, the Reign (26-26-3-6) are a point back of Stockton (27-24-2-6) and tied with Utah (27-25-2-5) at 61 points in the standings. By virtue of the Grizzlies’ better winning percentage (.517 to .500), they would get the National Conference’s final playoff berth if the season ended today.

Curtis Darling stopped 27 of 28 shots, allowing only a power-play goal to Eric Boguniecki at 13:22 of the third period. Darling had been pulled for an extra attacker when Alaska was credited with a goal with 1:47 left in the third period, when Reign defenseman Mike Egener hit Brock McBride as McBride attempted to score into the empty net.

Aces goaltender Scott Reid foiled all 24 shots by the Reign, who will attempt to pick up two points when the teams meet again at 8:15 p.m. Saturday.

Stockton 3, Reign 2.

If you’ve seen the Reign play recently, neither the game nor the result were out of the ordinary – a few too many pucks off the post, a few too many scoring chances on the other end (they were outshot 31-27) and, at the end, a loss – their fourth in five games.

Karl Taylor said afterwards he felt the team deserved better, and the law of averages says the Reign probably should have more than one win to show for their last five games. It won’t get any easier tomorrow with a 2 p.m. date in Bakersfield. In fact, the team boarded a bus immediately after the game to head north.

Taylor tried some creative things – he pulled Darling with seven minutes left to create a 6-on-4 power play, and it worked when Mike Egener scored 12 seconds later. He also shifted Tim Kraus to right wing on the second power-play unit, and that worked too – the natural center scored to break a four-game drought in the third period.

But for most part it was another offensively frustrating effort. More details – including an update on defenseman Shawn Germain, who did not play – in tomorrow’s editions of the Sun and Daily Bulletin.

Stockton 5, Reign 0.

The Reign were hoping for a better start to their brutally scheduled weekend.

Stockton goaltender Andrew Perugini made 33 saves before the two teams headed down Interstate 5 for a rematch Saturday night at The Bank.

Of Perugini’s four career shutouts, three have come against the Reign. The Reign (18-23-3-4) fell to 3-5-1 against Stockton (22-18-2-5) this season.

Curtis Darling started and stopped 36 of 40 shots. His night ended early when Oren Eizenmann scored his second breakaway goal of the game at 11:12 of the third period.

Mike Zacharias finished out the game and stopped 6 of 7, allowing a wraparound goal to Garet Hunt with 44.7 seconds left in the game.

More details in tomorrow’s editions of the Daily Bulletin.

The rich get richer.

The Stockton Thunder will play the Reign in an odd home-and-away series this Friday and Saturday, after splitting two games in Ontario last Friday and Saturday. They’ll have three new players (forward Kelly Czuy and defensemen Cody
Wild and Matt Nickerson) at their disposal, all recently assigned from the American Hockey League’s Springfield Falcons.

Stockton has won seven of its past 11 games.

Read more in the Stockton Record.

Reign 5, Stockton 3.

First the good news.

The Reign power play came alive; officially they were 2-for-8 with the man advantage, but Tony Voce’s first goal came two seconds after a 5-on-4 shift expired.

The penalty kill was equally impressive, killing 4 of 5 – including a total of 1:37 while down two men late in the third period.

Todd Jackson came back into the lineup and was officially awarded two assists in his debut game. That could be changed upon review; Michael Pelech insisted that he did not touch the puck that Jackson deposited on the goal line in the first period, even though the goal was credited to Pelech, who followed Jackson’s shot to make sure it counted.

The other goals were more clear-cut — Voce scored twice, Jon Francisco and Sean O’Connor scored once, and Curtis Darling stopped 29 of 32 on less than 24 hours’ rest.

Now the bad news: James McEwan was taken to a hospital after his first-period fight with Stockton’s James Bates. McEwan injured his hand in the fight and did not return to the game.

Prior to the game, defenseman Mike Egener went on three-day injured reserve with what Karl Taylor called a “lower body injury,” and was replaced on the blue line by Brian Kilburg. Taylor said there is no timetable yet for Egener to return from Friday’s injury, but 3-day IR certainly leaves more room for optimism than the 7- or 21-day IR.

Peter Lenes, who has not scored a goal since Dec. 12, was scratched for the first time all season in order to make room for Jackson.

More details in tomorrow’s editions of the Sun and Daily Bulletin.

Friday’s postgame thoughts.

It’s the old maxim for teams on a losing streak: If they knew what they were doing wrong, they’d have fixed it by now.

If the Reign knew why they were only 1-2-1 to start their five-game homestand …

“I don’t know right now,” captain Jon Francisco said. “I’d like to pinpoint it as well. We’ve just got to make the simple plays, work through it, figure out what’s going on here and get that drive and determination that we’re sick of losing. It’s playoff time for us. We have to have that mindset.”
Continue reading “Friday’s postgame thoughts.” »

Stockton 4, Reign 2.

Newcomer Sean O’Connor scored twice, but the Thunder scored the go-ahead goal at 7:48 of the third period before scoring another into an empty net to close out the win before 4,932 at Stockton Arena.

The Reign (14-19-3-3) outshot the Thunder (16-16-2-3) and scored their first power-play goal since Dec. 30, but still suffered their third straight loss, and the 10th in their last 11 games.

O’Connor, who had been practicing in the top-tier German DEL before signing with the Reign earlier in the week, scored an unassisted goal at 6:48 of the second period, and a 5-on-4 goal at 4:58 of the third.

Goaltender Curtis Darling stopped 29 of 32 in the loss.

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.