Patrick Williamstheahl.com writer
Ontario’s rule needs someone to step up, Pheonix Copley Obligated. He also made up for the wasted time in the process.
Injured and maintained the highest goalkeeper Erik Portillo Action will be stopped since February 17. Before that, the head coach of the dominance Marco Sturm Taking advantage of very traditional goalkeeper arrangements. Copley, veteran. Portillo, prospect. They shared their work. Both sides have been with the Los Angeles Kings.
The arrangement works as dominance presents challenges in the first half of the Pacific division. But Portillo went out, like part of the reign, including 15 games in 31 days, ended with the end of today’s family showdown with Colorado.
Copley has started 15 of Ontario’s last 17 games, only Dryden McKay (March 8 in San Diego) and Jacob Ingham (March 23 in Iowa) Spell him. He had back-to-back nights on three different occasions, and last week he played three of four in the central department.
It’s been 15 months since Copley saw his 2023-24 season, with the Kings shortening the Kings due to ACL injuries and subsequent surgeries. After a breakthrough season in Los Angeles in 2022-23, he played 35 games and played 24-6-6-3 with an average of 2.64 goals and a savings of 0.903.
Still, the Kings considered it appropriate to bring Copley back, signing a one-year extension on the first day of free agents last summer. Their belief paid off, and as Copley did in Ontario, every head coach asked the goalkeeper to do: give his team a chance to win. Copley scored 21-14-1, 2.43 GAA and 0.906 percent savings in 36 games during his reign.
“It’s so good,” Copley said of the workload. “I feel really good, I’m so happy to play. I love it.”
After this weekend, Ontario has little time scheduled. They started five road games in April, three of which were in San Jose against a Pike team within the distance of the second in the Pacific Division. Locking the Home-Ice advantage in a short first round or divisional semifinal will be crucial.
“I just wanted to give the team a chance to win every time I told me I was going to play,” Copley said.
During the fifty years in the American Hockey League, Theahl.com writer Patrick Williams currently covers the NHL.com and Flosports leagues and is a regular contributor to Siriusxm NHL New Network Radio. He won the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding league coverage in 2016.
