Gameday Preview: Texas Stars v. Ontario Reign

Texas Stars 15-9-0-1, 31 pts, 0.620 #3 Pacific Division

v.

Ontario Reign 9-9-0-1, 19 pts, 0.500 #5 Pacific Division

December 9th at 7:00 PM

H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, Cedar Park, TX

Texas suits up against Ontario for the first time this season tonight. Texas and the Reign have both been having decent success over the last stint of games. Texas is 7-1 over their last eight while Ontario is 5-3 over the same span. The difference in the records is heavily biased toward how each team started the season. While Texas came out of the gate with three wins, Ontario nearly exited the month of October without a W, a span of six regulation losses to start the year. Since that point, they are 9-3-0-1.

(Credit: Texas Stars)

A quick look at the score lines indicates that Reign hockey is alive and well. Several of the games that helped the club get back on track were shutouts. Several more saw only one goal allowed. Former Texas Star Jack Campbell (5-4-1, 2.23, .930) is the starter in Ontario and looks to the starter tonight. Backup Cal Petersen is a rookie and has looked just as formidable as Campbell early (4-5, 1.99, .926).

Up front, Michael Mersch still leads the way. The former AHL Rookie of the Year leads in both goals and points (7-9=16). Rookie Matt Luff is dangerous on the wing with 4-8=12. Another notable includes recent addition Jordan Subban, brother to P.K. and Malcolm, who was just traded from Vancouver. He has 16 games under his belt in Utica but tonight's could be his first in the Kings org.

Texas is having a fantastic run itself right now and gets to add Curtis McKenzie back to the lineup tonight. Coach Laxdal indicated that would shuffle the lines a bit, putting Brian Flynn back on a line with Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov.

Stars injury/call up report:
Elie, Honka (call up)

Website: ontarioreign.com
Twitter: @ontarioreign
Coverage: Reign coverage via Jewels from the Crown