Royals Score Early (and Late) to Beat the Beast, 6-2

Teams     Per: 1          2          3

BRM:             0          2          0= 2 

REA:              3          0          3= 6

Records

BRM: 11-19-2-0=24 (7th Central Division)

REA:  21-12-1-1=44 (3rd East Division)

Goaltenders

BRM:  Cann (Loss) 7-9-2-0 (12/15) (14:52)

            Rollheiser (No Decision) (32/35) (45:01)

REA: Ouellette (Win) 11-6-1-1 (22/24)

Power Play:

BRM: 0-2

REA: 1-4

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­win, 21-12-1-1=44) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League, defeated the Brampton Beast (loss, 11-19-2-0=24), 6-2, at Santander Arena in Reading, PA.

In the second consecutive game against the Beast, the Royals recorded the team’s first victory ever over Brampton by jumping out to a 3-0 first period lead, weathering a comeback push in the middle frame, and then exploding for three more in the third. The Royals got a few bounces in this one—including one puck that ended up in the net after fluttering from below the goal line, over the net, and off the back of the neck of the opposing goaltender—but also got a much-needed third period penalty kill while leading by only a goal to beat the Beast in the final game of their five game road trip. For Reading, this game snapped a two-game losing streak in a week where the team played four games in five days and compiled a record of 2-2-0-0 in that span.

First Period (3-0, Reading)

3:56 (1-0, Reading) Reading Goal

Johnston (3); Watters and Walrod (snap shot from mid slot)

Reading scored early on when it appeared Beast were poised to clear a puck from the mid-slot in their defensive zone, but Andrew Johnston was able to regain possession near the right hashmark where he settled a fired a quick snap shot up and over the left shoulder of goaltender Trevor Cann for his third of the year.

13:37 (2-0, Reading) Reading Goal

Hatch (4); Caruso and Walrod (fortuitous hop from below the goal line up and over the net and off the goaltender)

The Royals took a 2-0 lead when the team got a little puck luck that the Royals could have probably used in last night’s 4-2 loss to the Beast. The line of Kevin Walrod, Ian Watters, and Matt Hatch forced the puck below the goal line on an aggressive forecheck. As the puck slid towards the right corner, Hatch went to retrieve it, and when he did his stick collided with a defender’s stick causing the puck to flutter high in the air and over the goal, where it landed on the back of Cann’s neck, sliding down his back and into the net for Hatch’s fourth of the year.

14:52 (3-0, Reading) Reading Goal (Power Play)

Wiles (9); Cruthers and Marcou (rebound from in tight)

1:15 later, Reading stretched the team’s consecutive game streak with at least one power play goal to five on the team’s second power play chance of the night. Defenseman Mike Marcou started the play with a pass from the defensive zone to Ryan Cruthers who carried into the offensive end and forced a shot from the left circle on net. Cann made the save but couldn’t cover the rebound before Sean Wiles charged in and punched the puck through for his ninth of the year. That goal, which came on Reading’s fifteenth shot of the night, chased Cann in favor of goaltender Grant Rollheiser, who would play the remainder of the game.

Second Period (3-2, Reading)

1:40 (3-1, Reading) Brampton Goal

Ling (1); Painchaud and Pitton (two on one rebound finish)

Early in the second, Reading’s defenders pushed the pace and pressure in the offensive zone, but got caught on a quick counter-punch transition by the Beast that sent Chad Painchaud charging through the neutral zone with David Ling supporting on the right wing side. The Royals’ defender took away the middle of the ice, so Painchaud shot out of the left circle. Goaltender Martin Ouellette got a chunk of Painchaud’s shot with his glove, but the puck fell free in the crease, where Ling stepped in and jammed it home for his first of the year.

12:03 (3-2, Reading) Brampton Goal

Pitton (12); unassisted (breakaway)

The Beast pushed the collective pulse of the Reading faithful to the red-line level with a second breakaway later in the second. Again, Reading got caught trying to create in the offensive end, and the puck was pushed out of the defensive zone, allowing Jason Pitton to skate onto the loose puck and outrace everyone to the Royals’ net, where he slid one through the legs of Ouellette for his twelfth of the year.

Third Period (6-2, Reading)

10:47 (4-2, Reading)

Hughesman (12); Labelle and Heywood (shot from the right circle that deflected off a Brampton defender)

Reading got some much needed insurance mid-way into the third period, when Adam Hughesman carried deep into the right circle and fired a hard shot that a Brampton defender attempted to go to one knee and block. The defender got a piece of the puck, but that just caused it change pace and direction and flutter up and over Rollheiser for Hughesman’s twelfth of the year.

11:09 (5-2, Reading) Reading Goal

Wiles 2 (10); Cruthers and Mullane (redirect of diagonal down pass to the top of the crease)

Twenty-two seconds later, Reading regained the three goal advantage on a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play that started wutgh Pat Mullane from deep on the right wing side to Ryan Cruthers wide on the left to the top of the crease via a diagonal down pass, where Sean Wiles stepped across and angled the puck up and over Rollheiser for his second of the night and tenth of the season.

19:50 (6-2, Reading) Reading Goal

Walrod (4); Mullane and Caruso (multiple rebound punch back)

Reading added one more for good measure with 50.2 seconds left in regulation when defenseman Michael Carusso fired a hard shot from the high slot that Rollheiser kicked out. Mullane got the first bid on the rebound, but Rollheiser rejected that one, too; but he couldn’t stop the third bid, when Kevin Walrod took control and drilled it home for his fourth of the year.

NOTES:

• There were no scratches for the Royals tonight. All sixteen available skaters played.

• The victory pushed the Royals’ record back to nine games over .500 (21-12-1-1=44), which keeps the team in third place of the East Division.

• The Royals tied the team season high with six goals scored tonight. Reading has scored six goals four times this year and has compiled a record of 3-1-0-0 in those games.

• This marked the thirteenth time that Reading has held the opposition to two goals or less. Reading is 13-0-0-0 in those games.

• Reading generated a season high fifty shots on goal in tonight’s game. This was the fourth consecutive game in which the Royals have had more than forty shots on the opposition’s net.

• Five different players ended up with multi-point games for the Royals tonight: (i) Season Wiles: 2g-0a; (ii) Kevin Walrod: 1g-2a; (iii) Ryan Cruthers: 0g-2a; (iv) Pat Mullane (0g-2a); and (v) Michael Caruso (0g-2a).

• The Royals’ Andrew Johnston scored the game’s first goal tonight. That was his first ‘fg’ of the season. Reading has compiled a record of 14-4-0-1 when scoring the game’s first goal; and has gone 9-1-0-1 when scoring first on home ice.

• Matt Hatch has scored three goals in the last three games.

• Sean Wiles scored a pair of goals, including the power play game winner in tonight’s game. That was Wiles third power play goal--all three of which have come in the last five games. That was Wiles’ second game winner of the year.

• Wiles became the ninth different player to score two goals in a single game for the Royals this season.

• With his two goals tonight, Wiles now has ten on the season. He is the sixth different Royal to reach double-digits in goals scored.

• Pat Mullane recorded his team-leading eleventh multi-point performance of the season tonight. He is riding a three game point streak, and in each of those games he has had more than one point (2g-4a=6pts). Four of his multi-point games have come in the last five played and nine of them have come in the last fifteen.

• Mullane, who leads the Royals with thirty-six points (13g-23a) in thirty-five games, has twenty-one points (6g-15a) in his last fifteen games.

• Kevin Walrod recorded his first multi-point game of the year, scoring the Royals’ sixth goal and picking up a pair of assists on the first two goals of the game.

• Defenseman Michael Caruso recorded his first multi-point game of the year tonight (0g-2a).

• For Ryan Cruthers (0g-2a) it was his fourth multi-point game of the year.

• Tonight’s game marked the eighth time this season that goaltender Martin Ouellette has allowed two goals or less. He has won seven of those games.

• Reading has scored at least one power play goal in each of the last five games, going 6 for 25 on the man advantage during that time span, which is a 24.0% scoring ratio.

• Tonight marked the twentieth time this year that Reading’s penalty killers have kept the opposition’s power play off the board. Reading has compiled a record of 15-3-1-1 in those games.

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Reading Royals v Elmira Jackals

@ First Arena – Elmira, NY

Friday, January 16, 2015 (7:05 pm)

NEXT UP: The Royals kick off another three game ‘mini-series’ against the Elmira Jackals this Friday (January 16) at First Arena in Elmira, New York (@ 7:05 pm). The game night broadcast for nest Friday’s game can be heard live on CBS SportsRadio 1240 am and 98.5 in Reading, Pennsylvania, starting with the pre-game warm-up show presented by Highmark Blue Shield at 6:35. As with all Royals’ road games this season, next Friday’s game will be televised live in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on BCTV courtesy of Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations. Streaming audio is available free of charge on the Royals’ website (follow the ‘headset’ icon); and streaming video is available on a pay-per-view basis through ECHL.TV.

For more information about the Royals, call 610-898-7825 or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

End 15 01-11