WHO: Ontario Reign vs. Coachella Valley Firebirds (Series Tied 2-2)
WHAT: 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs – Pacific Division Semifinals, Game 5
WHEN: Saturday, May 9 @ 6:00 Pacific
WHERE: Toyota Arena – Ontario, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: FloHockey – AUDIO: Reign Radio – TWITTER: @ReignInsider & @OntarioReign
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: It’s an elimination game for both the Reign and Firebirds tonight from Toyota Arena as one team will see their season end while the other will advance to the Pacific Division Finals.
ABOUT THE SERIES THUS FAR:
Game 1: ONT (0) vs. CV (3) Apr. 29
– Nikke Kokko earned the shutout making 23 saves while J.R. Avon scored a pair of goals including a power-play strike and Oscar Fisker Mølgaard found the back of the net.
Game 2: ONT (5) vs. CV (1) May. 1
– Lleyton Roed opened the scoring for the Firebirds in the first period while Logan Brown tied the game with 75 seconds left in the frame kick starting five unanswered for Ontario. Glenn Gawdin provided the eventual game winner with 4:43 remaining in the second period. Cole Guttman struck 15 seconds into the third period then Francesco Pinelli scored 2:19 later short-handed making it a 4-1 advantage. Martin Chromiak tacked on an empty netter late in regulation as Pheonix Copley earned the win making 34 saves.
Game 3: ONT (2) at CV (1) May. 5
– Coachella Valley led 1-0 through 40 minutes of play on a late first period goal from Jani Nyman. Aatu Jämsen tied the scored 5:56 into the third and then Logan Brown notched the game winner 80 seconds later. Erik Portillo picked up the win making 27 saves.
Game 4: ONT (2) at CV (6) May. 7
– Jack Hughes gave the Reign a 1-0 lead late in the first period on Ontario’s first shot on net but from there the Firebirds were able to score four unanswered before Nikita Alexandrov made it a two-score game with an extra attacker out with 4:43 left in regulation. The Firebirds would tack on two empty netters shortly after.
– The Firebirds have outscored the Reign 11-9 in the series, 3-2 in the first period, 3-1 in the second period, while the Reign have the edge in the third period 6-5.
– Coachella Valley has outshot Ontario in all four games, The Firebirds have outshot the Reign in all three games, 119-109 across the series.
– The Reign are 0-for-6 on the power-play in the series going 0-for-3 in games one and four while not receiving a man advantage opportunity in games two or three. The Firebirds are 2-for-15 on the power-play in the series.
WATCH FOR ONTARIO
WHEN FACING ELIMINATION: The Reign are just 1-6-2 all-time in the postseason when facing elimination while they’re 0-1 in a game five or seven situation. The Firebirds defeated the Reign 3-2 back on May 19, 2024 defeating Ontario three games to none in the Pacific Division Semifinals. Ontario lost 4-1 at San Diego on May 2, 2017 losing in round one three games to two.
GOALTENDING SITUATION: Through the first four games the Reign have alternated between Erik Portillo and Pheonix Copley as each netminder is 1-1 in the series. Portillo made 30 saves on 33 shots in a 3-0 loss in game one while turning aside 27 of 28 in a 2-1 victory in game three. Copley made 34 saves on 35 shots in game two while suffering the loss in game four making 27 stops on 31 shots. Copley appeared in 33 games in the regular season posting a 21-11-1 record with a 2.59 goals against average and .901 save percentage while Erik Portillo went 18-7-3 in 30 appearances with a 2.45 GAA and .907 SV%. The two alternated starts for 26 straight games from Jan.3-Mar.8, games 31-55, before Portillo made back-to-back starts on Mar.8-11, games 56-57. After Portillo made back-to-back starts, then alternated starts for the next 11 games before Hampton Slukynsky made his debut.
FINDING THEIR STRIDE: Rookie forward Jack Hughes shares the team lead with three points (1G, 2A) through the first four playoff games. After being held off the scoresheet in game one, the 22-year-old notched an assist in games two and three and opened the scoring in game three. During the regular season Hughes notched 18 points (5G, 13A) in 60 games scoring two of his five goals against the Firebirds. Captain Joe Hicketts has an assist in three straight games while Aatu Jämsen (1G, 1A) and Kenta Isogai (2A) have points in back-to-back games.
HOME SWEET HOME: Ontario set a franchise record during the regular season with 26 home victories, second most in the league behind Providence with 27, as the Reign went 26-6-2-2 overall at Toyota Arena.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR COACHELLA VALLEY
WHEN FACING ELIMINATION: The Firebirds are 8-3 all-time in franchise history in elimination games in the postseason including 3-0 this season. In round one after falling 6-1 in game one against Bakersfield, Coachella Valley bounced back with a 5-4 in game two and a 6-2 victory in a deciding game three. Coachella Valley is also 4-1 all-time in a game three, five, or seven situation.
KOKKO IS THE GUY: Goaltender Nikke Kokko has started all seven games this postseason run posting a 4-3-0 record with a 3.00 goals against average and .882 save percentage. In his four victories he has stopped 91 of 99 shots while in his three losses he has made 58 saves on 71 shots.
ON THE ROAD: Coachella Valley is 1-2-0 on the road this postseason after leading the Pacific Division in the regular season with 22 road victories posting an overall record of 22-12-2-0.
INDIVIDUALLY SPEAKING: Forward Oscar Fisker Mølgaard leads the all AHL skaters in the playoffs with nine points and five goals. The 21-year-old has four points (2G, 2A) in the series against Ontario scoring in game one and four. Forward J.R. Avon has three goals in the series against Ontario including two on the power-play after scoring just one-man advantage goal in 45 regular season games. Lleyton Roed (2G, 1A) and Jani Nyman (1G, 2A) each have three points in the series against the Reign.
