ONTARIO, Calif. -- Taylor Ward and Jeff Malott score their first goal of the season as the Ontario Reign win three straight on Thursday night at Toyota Arena.
The Reign’s hot offensive streak continued as six different players scored throughout the game.
“As a coach it’s always nice to see them get rewarded,” coach Marco Sturm said in postgame interviews. “But also (to) see that the stuff we worked on and we mentioned, that the guys are doing (that) on the ice.”
Early into the first period, Samuel Fagemo put Ontario on the board first, scoring his first goal of the night. And less than a minute later, Taylor Ward scored his first goal of the season.
During a power play for Abbotsford, Danila Klimovich opened up the scoring for the Canucks six minutes into the first period.
But, what Ontario has proved by scoring eight goals two games in a row is this - shooting the puck into the net seems effortless.
Forward Charles Hudon scored his first of two goals just 26 seconds later.
Jeff Malott, also scoring his first goal this season, added on the last goal of the period as the Reign now led 4-1.
Hudon scored his second goal of the game, and his fourth of the season three minutes into the second period.
The Canucks were quiet in the first period, but woke up during the second as Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Ty Mueller added two more goals for the Canucks.
Tyler Madden scored five minutes into the third period before Abbotsford came right back with a goal from Arshdeep Bains.
“The first couple games we were kind of all over the place,” Madden said. “Didn’t know who we are and now we kind of know what kind of game we want to play and need to play. And a game that can get us to (the) playoffs.”
And of course, the fairytale ending was Jack Studnicka scoring a goal against his old team and Fagemo scoring an empty-net goal as the Reign defeated the Canucks 8-4.
Ontario will look to win four straight as they face the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Toyota Arena on Friday at 7 p.m.