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2015-16 AHL Ontario Reign--Western Conference Finals!

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I thought Erie was much quicker. Gravel was out of position for 3 goals against. Imo. One blogger suggests Forbort? I dont think so. On the two even strength goals against, KG got backed off deep and skater was allowed to easily shift gears and cut to middle which startes tic tac pass play. No back pressure also from Dowd. On the other, KG over plays the shooter out high, and doesnt watch back door. The shooter was already covered. Get out of the way and let Peter make the save. To make it worse, the puck goes off him and to the guy he should have tied up in the first place. On the PP goal against, KG is way over towards the opposite boards too far, when the puck comes back to the middle, hes in no position to make a play. Tries to block shot but doesnt, and the scramble starts in front of Budaj, who also slides completely out of the net. Forbort was guarding back door, but the shot came front door, and no Budaj there. Gravel is going to have play better and not wander so much. Hes overplaying situations in hopes of retrieving the puck and going the other way. Sometimes you just need to stay home. Imo. Also, Gravel needs to get some shots to the net. He keeps missing or tries to make a more impressive play. With that said, Gravel was also plus two, and being agressive, along with Forbort both pinching, led to a strong forechecking and a comeback. So, its not all bad.
 

I wasn't tracking, but I felt as if the fourth line was getting more minutes than necessary last night. Roll three lines hard, hide the fourth a little, seems to be a reasonable solution tonight. Using Ontario's re-arranged lines from last night as a guide, perhaps you try:

Mersch-Dowd-Amadio
Lowry-Kempe-Backman
JST-Newbury-Auger
Horvat-Cres-Biss
 
regulate said:
The Reign are really missing Brodzinski, and to some extent Sutter, who gave the team some offensive spark also. I thought our bottom 2 lines, particularly our AHL only players, were outplayed. If those lines continue to struggle by allowing goals and not chipping in something offensively (even keeping the Monsters in their own end to tire them out), this will be a tough series for the Reign to win.
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Doesn't help with the new that Brodz had wrist surgery, yuck.
 
efhank said:
I thought Erie was much quicker. Gravel was out of position for 3 goals against. Imo. One blogger suggests Forbort? I dont think so. On the two even strength goals against, KG got backed off deep and skater was allowed to easily shift gears and cut to middle which startes tic tac pass play. No back pressure also from Dowd. On the other, KG over plays the shooter out high, and doesnt watch back door. The shooter was already covered. Get out of the way and let Peter make the save. To make it worse, the puck goes off him and to the guy he should have tied up in the first place. On the PP goal against, KG is way over towards the opposite boards too far, when the puck comes back to the middle, hes in no position to make a play. Tries to block shot but doesnt, and the scramble starts in front of Budaj, who also slides completely out of the net. Forbort was guarding back door, but the shot came front door, and no Budaj there. Gravel is going to have play better and not wander so much. Hes overplaying situations in hopes of retrieving the puck and going the other way. Sometimes you just need to stay home. Imo. Also, Gravel needs to get some shots to the net. He keeps missing or tries to make a more impressive play. With that said, Gravel was also plus two, and being agressive, along with Forbort both pinching, led to a strong forechecking and a comeback. So, its not all bad.
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Not at all.

Gravel is fine. He doesn't wander. He has been absolutely tremendous this year playing the way he has been playing. Easily Ontario's best defenseman this entire season. Last not was not an overall great effort by he or Forbort, but it was not as bad as you make it sound.
 
Thanks for the recaps. So it wasn't on Buds but more the rest of the team? Do you foresee the Reign making the necessary modifications to keep up with Lake Erie tonight? Can we keep the goals against less than 3-4 goals?
 
Looks like Sutter is in for Horvat and Ebert in for Leslie, though LaDue is taking warm-ups for the first time.

ETA: Joey Z. reports that LaDue IS IN. (Weird. I was just thinking a short time ago that it would be good to see LaDue in. Great minds think alike,eh?)
 
PJ Kings Hockey said:
So it wasn't on Buds but more the rest of the team? Do you foresee the Reign making the necessary modifications to keep up with Lake Erie tonight? Can we keep the goals against less than 3-4 goals?
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I think he might want the Sedlak one back, but otherwise, he did his best with the others. I expect Reign to come back with a better effort tonight, a lot of uncharacteristic errors.
 
Sheng Peng said:
I think he might want the Sedlak one back, but otherwise, he did his best with the others. I expect Reign to come back with a better effort tonight, a lot of uncharacteristic errors.
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Good to hear. Budaj has pretty much been it for us this year. No Berube/Bartosak depth this year.

I think back to the good old days of last season when we'd score in the first minute of the game.
 
Jason Lewis said:
Not at all.

Gravel is fine. He doesn't wander. He has been absolutely tremendous this year playing the way he has been playing. Easily Ontario's best defenseman this entire season. Last not was not an overall great effort by he or Forbort, but it was not as bad as you make it sound.
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He just wandered tonight.
 
3-1 LE in the third; Ontario mounting a late comeback again? Need to cap it off this time! Can't go to LE down 2-0...
 
I really like how Jason put this:



LE wants to play that counterpunch/speed/chaos game that gave us fits when the Sharks/Hawks want to play it. Pond hockey does not suit the Kings' system but when you have to take chances...
 
Raccoon Jesus said:
Ugh. So close, yet so far.
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Seems to me Mersch used to convert on those crucial chances. Now I just assume that the usual last-minute flurry is just sound and fury. Now I know there was a game at the end of the regular season when the Reign mounted a comeback, tied it up at the end of regulation, and won in overtime, but that seems so long ago.

Can't be too upset that we're losing to a team with more skill, a good team buy-in, and a clever coaching staff that adapts well. (As long as it's not one of our rivals.). Kudos to Lake Erie for taking it to the Reign. They've had a monster two games.
 
Last edited:
Jason Lewis said:
Late night recap for those still up! Or just read it tomorrow morning!

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Jaso...s-as-Lake-Erie-Take-2-0-Series-Lead/179/77143
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It's tough sledding for Ontario. Reality is they very well might have just played their last home game of the season. However, doom and gloom will get the team nowhere. There was positivity after the game despite the losses, and the Reign have faced adversity before and have come out the other side of it alright. While this is a different kind of adversity, expect a fight.
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Park and ride. They saw the Kings come back from a 0-3 deficit in 2014. Credit to them for coming back from multi-goal deficits in both Game 1 and Game 2.



For Reign Head Coach Mike Stothers the biggest problem that the Reign has had has been their lack of consistency and their ability to play a full game. “I think we’ve played in spurts, as a matter of fact we were just talking about that in the coach’s office,†Stothers said. With Ontario playing in spurts they’ve had to try to come back down multiple goals. “Some teams, would probably just mail it in after 3-0 after two, not us. I like that,†said Stothers.
 
Raccoon Jesus said:
As an aside before I drown my sorrows, LaDue can really fly.
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I thought LaDue had an impressive showing, sandwiched around two miscues. One led to Erie's first goal and taking his eye of the man he was supposed to follow, who scored, and stumbling awkwardly while skating backwards leaving Forbort alone on an open 2-1. Not a mental mistake though. Once the Reign were behind, I think you saw LaDue's true offensive skills, as he is very quick, fast, and smooth with the puck. He also doesn't get outskated to loose pucks. And he is right handed. So.. Not overly physical though, so the question is to what extent this doesn't impress DS. Of course we are all hoping he starts realizing its not all about being physical if you cant get to loose pucks, move the puck, etc.
 
Not sure it was such a good idea to throw a player into his first professional game, on defense no less, in a must win game in the Western Conference finals.

LaDue was caught puck watching on the first goal on a delayed penalty the Reign took in their own offensive zone (I believe it was a Bissonette high stick or trip from my view in a pile up in the corner). That left what should have been his man open for a tap in on the LE first goal. He also fell down skating backwards which lead to a 2 on 1.

Leslie was hurt in game 1, and Raine has not played since his injury. Ebert did not play well in the Gulls series and was benched, but in hindsight might have been wise to go with Ebert (unless there is something we don't know).

LaDue played very tentative, which is not unexpected. Not blaming him, just don't think it was wise on Stothers part, a coach I greatly respect.
 

It was indeed a tough spot to put LaDue in. Stothers bemoaned not getting him into regular season finale against San Diego, which was a week after North Dakota won the National Championship. Also perhaps telling that LaDue drew in over Lintuniemi, though that might be as simple as Lintu being left-handed.

I don't think Ontario has played anything close to its best game yet, while Lake Erie may have. Budaj not being Budaj hasn't helped, as this team has a much slimmer margin of error than last year's. I'm usually an optimist, so I believe we return to Ontario for Game Six next Tuesday.
 
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