Guttman shootout goal, Saville stops all three as Reign win

Cole Guttman’s lone shootout tally and Isaiah Saville’s perfect night in the shootout propelled the Ontario Reign to a 3-2 shootout victory over the Henderson Silver Knights at Lee’s Family Forum, as 2,584 fans saw Ontario improve to 18-9-1-1 while Henderson fell to 14-10-3-1. Saville made 26 saves, stopped all three Henderson attempts and earned his sixth win in his eighth appearance; Carl Lindbom was credited with the loss.

Henderson opened the scoring when Mitch McLain buried a rebound in the crease to put the Silver Knights up 1-0 early. Ontario’s Taylor Ward fought the game back to even with his 12th goal of the season, tying the game late in regulation with 6:23 remaining. The Silver Knights retook the lead 84 seconds later, with Ben Hemmerling restoring Henderson’s advantage before Ontario again rallied.

Ontario’s comeback climaxed in the final seconds when Andre Lee, with the goalie pulled, converted an extra-attacker chance to notch his team-leading 13th goal and force overtime. The two clubs battled through a scoreless overtime, setting up the shootout in which Guttman found the back of the net and Saville stopped all three Henderson shooters to seal the win for the Reign.

The night delivered notable individual streaks: Nikita Alexandrov recorded two assists to extend his point streak to five games, while Glenn Gawdin’s assist pushed his point streak to eight games. Ontario identified its three stars as Cole Guttman (first), Andre Lee (second) and Ben Hemmerling (third), reflecting the game’s late heroes and hard-nosed performers.

Beyond the box score, the result underscores the value of late-game execution and goaltending depth in the AHL. Saville’s 26-save outing and shootout composure provide Ontario with a reliable tandem option, while Lee’s knack for extra-attacker finishes, now two such goals in his last four games, highlights how situational scoring can swing standings: tight one-goal outcomes like this one have direct implications for team records, with Ontario now sitting at 18-9-1-1 and Henderson at 14-10-3-1.

The business and community side was on display in Henderson: the Silver Knights promote family and themed nights heavily, with upcoming Military Appreciation and Kids Day events on Jan. 3 and Jan. 4 offering giveaways to the first 1,500 and 3,000 fans to boost turnout. Henderson also streams its games on FloHockey and carries broadcasts on 1230 The Game, signaling how AHL clubs marry in-arena promotions with broadcast distribution to grow revenues and fan engagement around tightly contested games.

“It was a hard fought game,” Andre Lee said. “We stuck to a structure though and never gave up. And I’m happy we got the win.” Ontario returns to action for a home date against the San Jose Barracuda, while Henderson turns its attention to back-to-back Colorado Eagles promotions at Lee’s Family Forum in early January.