Glenn Gawdin's late second-period goal snapped a 1-1 tie, propelling the Ontario Reign to a 5-1 victory over the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Game 2 of their AHL Pacific Division semifinal. The best-of-five series is now tied 1-1. Game 3 is set for Tuesday in Coachella Valley.
The Reign rebounded from a 3-0 shutout loss in Game 1 on April 29, evening the series with Friday's dominant performance. Coachella Valley struck first again, as Lleyton Roed scored 7:52 into the game. Logan Brown answered late in the first period for Ontario's initial goal of the series, setting the stage for Gawdin's decisive tally with 4:43 remaining in the second, which held as the game-winner. Pheonix Copley earned the win in net, stopping 34 shots in his 1-0 postseason record for the Reign. Cole Guttman, Francesco Pinelli on the shorthanded break, and Martin Chromiak into the empty net provided insurance in the third period. With the series tied, the Firebirds host Game 3 on Tuesday, May 5 at 10:00 p.m. ET, followed by Game 4 on Thursday, May 7 at the same time. A potential Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday, May 9 at 9:00 p.m. ET in Ontario, if necessary.
