LOS ANGELES — When the Ontario Reign open the American Hockey League’s Western Conference Finals tonight at Citizens Business Bank Arena (8:00 PM PDT), they will do so against a virtually unknown opponent.
Indeed, the Reign have not played the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets) this season. As such, at least in terms of actual on-ice experience, the two teams know nothing about each other.
But there’s always video, scouting and good’ol phone calls.
“It’s good and bad,” Reign head coach Mike Stothers said about not having faced the Monsters when he spoke with the media on May 17 on video provided by the team.