ONTARIO, Calif. – The Ontario Reign (37-18-4-5), four-time ECHL Pacific Division Champions and proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s 2014 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets, matched their season high for goals scored in a 
single game as they defeated the Stockton Thunder (19-45-1-0) by a 7-3 score in front of a crowd of 8,644 on Wednesday night at Citizens Business Bank Arena.
The Reign opened the scoring in the first period when Ralfs Freibergs threw the puck into the slot and Gasper Kopitar hammered the puck through the pads of Andrew Walsh at 5:33.
Ontario executed a perfect give-and-go play minutes later as David Rutherford dished the puck to the right side for Garry Nunn, who then sent the puck across the ice to Judd Blackwater, who wired a shot past the blocker of Walsh at 9:47.
The Thunder struck on the power-play when Alex Mallet went upstairs on Jussi Olkinuora at 16:51.
Ontario’s offense responded quickly to re-establish the two-goal edge when Nunn fed Blackwater, who sped into the attacking zone and snapped the puck through the arm of Walsh at 18:02.
Stockton began the second period with an early goal after Olkinuora initially made the stop on Tyler Shattock, but the puck rolled back to Adam Phillips and the defender blasted a shot into the net at 0:49.
The Reign answered 11 seconds later, as Blackwater put the puck on net and Rutherford tapped in the rebound at 1:00.
Ontario continued its surge when Maxim Kitsyn took a pass from Matt White and drove to the net, cutting across the crease and tucking the puck underneath Walsh at 11:30.
The Reign added to their totals in the third period, as Kopitar broke down the left wing side and snapped a shot over the blocker of Walsh at 0:35.
Matt Register then capped Ontario’s scoring at 8:30 when he curled back at the right circle, found some space and snapped the puck through the pads of Walsh at 8:30.
The Thunder managed one final goal, a shorthanded tally from J.T. Barnett at 16:04, but Stockton failed to score the rest of the way, as Reign head coach Jason Christie earned his 477th ECHL head coaching victory, moving him into a tie with Jeff Pyle for third all-time in ECHL coaching wins.
Olkinuora earned the win with 19 saves; Walsh took the loss with 32 stops.
Three Stars:
1. ONT – Judd Blackwater
2. ONT – Garry Nunn
3. ONT – Gasper Kopitar
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