Ontario Reign defense takes center stage in teams 6-1 start - LA Kings Insider
# Ontario Reign defense takes center stage in teams 6-1 start - LA Kings Insider
# Contributors
# Summary
To start each of the last two seasons, the Ontario Reign have opened up with a total of seven games during the month of October. Both in 2021-22 and now in 2022-23, after closing out the month Saturday night with a 4-3 win over Bakersfield, the Reign earned wins in six of those seven contests. For the second straight campaign, Ontario sits in first place in the Pacific Division as the calendar flips to November.
# Players
# Staff
# Notes and Quotes
# Marco Sturm
Before the season I asked the guys, ‘What’s our identity?’ and slowly, I think we’re getting into finding that out. This was something I was looking forward to. I know we have a lot of skill, but we needed to be better without the puck. From day one we were working on it pretty hard and I think lately it just shows that we are able to do that and still win hockey games and it’s nice to see.
Those guys have to be leaders and be at their best every night. At some point they should be up again. I’m very happy I have them but I also want to push them to not be here and be somewhere else and also be successful.
We try to keep it a little bit similar, but I think every head coach is different so [Chris Hajt] probably sees a lot of different things than I do and what other coaches did in the past.
We still have ways to go. There’s a lot of work to do but I think we are on the right track.
# Cameron Gaunce
I think there’s more buy-in because our coaching staff right from day one has put a very big emphasis on play without the puck. This is something that they established from our first day of training camp. We needed to be a team that is greatly improved in our play away from the puck in our own zone and in the neutral zone forechecking. And because of that, I think a lot of players have realized that’s got to be one of our identities, one of our calling cards.
Our offense isn’t always going to be there. Whether it’s because we run into a hot goalie or our guys aren’t on their A-games, you can always lean back on being defensive-minded and having that work ethic. Our coaching staff has really emphasized that.
I think to say that we haven’t leaned on them a bit too much right now would be naïve. They’ve both played exceptionally well and have given us more than a chance to win every night.
[Pheonix Copley] is a pro 24/7. He’s not a guy who kind of goes in and out when he decides to work and when he doesn’t. You know that every day, whether it be practice or game, he’s putting his best foot forward. So, not only does that give him the best opportunity to succeed, but it just instills a confidence in everyone else on the team because we see the effort he puts in, we see the diligence he has, and with the skill and talent he has you balance that with the work ethic and it’s going to be a formula for winning.
I think when you look at our d-corps, we’ve got eight, nine guys who can all play. Our first d-pairing is NHL caliber with Bjornfot and Spence, so we need to really utilize that because in the American Hockey League you never know how long that’s going to go on for. The flux in rosters is always kind of crazy so while we have this group, we need to really take advantage of it. We’ve got a lot of experience and it’s a mature group that really understands our role. We’ve got forwards who can do stuff with the puck that we as defensemen probably can’t. I think the defensemen on our team aren’t doing more than they have to, we’re just relying on our systems and what makes each one of our games special.
# Chris Hajt
Everyone was on the same page. Everyone had a job to do and they did it within the structure and played with some aggressiveness so good on them to get it done.