LOVELAND, CO. – Colorado surrendered three unanswered goals in the third period, as the Ontario Reign wiped away a 3-0 deficit before completing the rally with a 4-3 win in a shootout. Ontario forward Nikita Alexandrov paced the attack with two goals and an assist, while fellow forward Martin Chromiak tallied three assists on the evening. Trent Miner suffered the shootout loss, allowing three goals on 35 shots. The Reign dominated the specialty team battle, going 2-for-5 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
Colorado would strike just 33 seconds into the game when forward Jayson Megna settled a rebound at the bottom of the left-wing circle and snapped it into the back of the net. The tally was Megna’s team-leading 19th of the season and put the Eagles on top, 1-0.
A scramble in front of the Ontario net would see Colorado forward Zakhar Bardakov stuff home a loose puck, extending the Eagles lead to 2-0 at the 8:03 mark of the first period. Colorado would go on to outshoot the Reign 14-5 and headed to the first intermission still leading, 2-0.
Ontario would earn a pair of power plays in the second period, while Colorado would also have one opportunity on the man-advantage. However, it would be the goaltenders who would hold serve and the two teams exited for the second intermission with the Eagles still on top, 2-0.
Colorado would kick off the third period with a goal off a backhander from the low slot from forward Jason Polin, growing the Eagles advantage to 3-0 just 37 seconds into the final frame.
A power play would then set up Alexandrov to camp out at the side of the crease before deflecting a pass into the back of the net, trimming Colorado’s lead to 3-1 at the 4:13 mark.
As time wound down, the Reign would pull goalie Pheonix Copley in favor of the extra attacker and it would set up forward Kenny Connors to belt home a rebound at the top of the crease, slicing the deficit to 3-2 with 2:59 remaining.
A late power play for Ontario would see the Reign pull Copley again to create a 6-on-4 advantage and the move would pay dividends. Again Alexandrov set up at the side of the crease before steering a pass into the net, tying the contest at 3-3 with 19 seconds left to play.
The Eagles would survive an overtime in which they were outshot 5-1, as the game advanced to a shootout. Forward Ivan Ivan would be the only Colorado shooter to light the lamp, while Connors and fellow forward Aatu Jamsen each slipped one past Miner to complete the 4-3 victory.
Copley earned the win in net, making 34 saves on 37 shots.
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