The emotions and frustrations ran high tonight as the Ontario Reign took on the Calgary Flames affiliate, the Stockton Heat. That is painfully evident by the sheer amount of fighting majors that happened let in the game. However, it was also the post-whistle shenanigans and pure high octane, and mostly clean, hard hitting hockey that happened.
Aside from that stuff, there was also a hockey game going on. Despite all the high energy play, it did not exactly translate to a high scoring contest on New Year's Eve. The pace was good, the energy was good for Ontario after the first 20 minutes, but overall they were lacking something. That something is pure offense, and it has left the team along with Adrian Kempe and Michael Mersch.
While Kempe is still very much a developing player at the pro level, there is a certain fluidity and flash he brings to the offensive game of the Reign. He makes things happen away from the puck and also with the puck. His speed backs off defenders, his shifty movements in the offensive zone get assignments crossed up, and he is altogether a threat they are missing. They are also missing the nose for the net play of Mersch. The same Michael Mersch who was leading the team in shot generation and offensive production. Between Kempe and Mersch the Reign have lost 19 goals in 21 (Kempe) and 19 (Mersch) games. Without those two, Mersch being with Los Angeles and Kempe being with Team Sweden in the World Junior Championships, the offense on the wings has fallen on some unfamiliar customers.
Former 2nd round pick, Valentin Zykov, is one of those players. Zykov has had his ups and downs adjusting to the pro game, as Coach Stothers would most certainly point out. Lately it has been a lot of high points. He has responded with a stretch of some of his most notable and energetic performances of the season. Nevertheless, he has scored only once in the last 21 games, and four times overall on the season. His energy, strong puck possession game, and sometimes dazzling puck handling skills have not readily translated to offense. His hard work on the puck is rarely cashed in on by teammates, or himself for that matter.
Nic Dowd, another up and coming center in the Kings organization, has just two goals on the season. His last one came on December 6th. Dowd, however, is admittedly a pass first style player who thrives on responsible defensive zone play rather than spectacular offensive risks and end to end rushes. He is second on the team currently with 15 assists, and remains one of the Reign's best transitional forwards. He is always available to his wingers on outlets, which helps the entire team start an attack.
Then comes Jonny Brodzinski, who while he has been far more threatening lately, has still been as snakebitten as ever. The three time 20-plus goal scorer with St. Cloud State has a devastating wrist shot, but has dinged more posts and been robbed by far too many goalies for his liking this season. He is, however, on the upswing with all four of his goals coming in the month of December. His game is still being found at this point, but he is starting to put more shots on net and is finding more seams in defenses with regularity. He is a "Picks his spots" kind of shooter.
After that, the Reign very mirror their parent club. They have a plethora of grindy sort of energy wingers who can provide you good forechecking, strong defensive play, and altogether low-risk hockey, but are not the most adept of offensive contributors. Names like Jordan Samuels-Thomas, Kris Newbury, Justin Auger, and Andrew Crescenzi are players you can rely on to chip in here and there, but not carry an offense. A lot is being asked of the Reign depth players right now given that their two most threatening players are not with the club. Thus is the life of a development league team. Your best players will eventually move on because they are simply that, your best players. All in all, they are getting the chip in offense, the good defensive play, and the outstanding goaltending from veteran Peter Budaj to stay in the win column more than the loss column. The Reign, in a unique fashion, still sit atop the Pacific division and the Western Conference in point percentage while leading the league in goals allowed and being dead last in goals for.
Sound familiar Kings fans? It should.
It is not impossible to have success this way and the Reign are proving that. However, it gets all the more difficult when players go cold, you get injuries, or you get call ups.
Much like the game tonight, the precious chances the Reign did get were squandered by a rolling puck here or there, or a shot wide of the mark. You just can't let that happen when you need offense. Nevertheless, they march on in a temporary Kempe-less and MAYBE temporary Mersch-less era. A team is not just two guys. Others are needing to step up for Ontario. There have been good signs from guys like Brodzinski and Zykov, and hopefully for that can translate into offense soon.
The Reign turn the page into the New Year, leaving behind a January that saw the team score just 13 goals in their last seven games of the month. Nevertheless, they came out with a 4-2-1 record in that stretch. Altogether they finished off the month with a 6-2-1 record and 21 goals for in the nine games.
The comparisons from the Reign to the Kings are evident in system and structure. Breakouts are key, defense is foremost, and sometimes offense can be just darn frustrating and hard to find. At least, in a humorous way, the two teams are in synch (Although the Kings offense has looked much more formidable recently). The organization prides itself on defense first hockey, and guys like Gravel, Dowd, LoVerde, Auger, and many others are winning games that way. They are being put to the test right now, and so far so good. Just by a few less goals than before, that's all. It is certainly a fine line to tread. Good thing the whole defense first formula has been proven successful in the past.
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