Royals Go Perfect for Germain Arena with 5-3 Win Over Florida

Teams     Per: 1          2          3

REA:              2          1          2= 5 

FLA:               0          3          0= 3

Records

REA: 44-18-4-2=94 (2nd East Division)

FLA:   46-15-2-5=99 (1st North Division)

Goaltenders

REA: Knapp (win) 23-10-3-1 (26/29)

FLA:  Nedeljkovic (loss) 0-1-0-0 (26/31)

Power Play:

REA: 3-4

FLA: 0-4

Estero, FL – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­win, 44-18-4-2=94) 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 Florida Everblades (loss, 46-15-2-5=99), 5-3, at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida

In the sixth and final game of the regular season between the Royals and Everblades, Reading held three different two goal leads—and made the third one stand up for the fifth win of the year over Florida (5-1-0-0). As with Reading’s win on Wednesday, the Royals got a third period tie breaking game winner in this one—this time from Pat Mullane—to win the team’s team-record twenty-fourth road game of the season. Reading’s power play came alive and factored in three of the five goals for the team.

Reading struck for a pair in the first. The opening goal of the game came just as a bench minor called against the Royals expired and Reading simultaneously went on the power play. Brandon Alderson sprang David Marshall into the offensive end. Marshall carried deep into the right circle and ripped a bullet over the blocker of Florida goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic for Marshall’s twenty-third of the season 6:17 into the first.

Reading took a 2-0 lead 10:27 into the first when Ryan Cruthers made a power move out of the left circle and crashed into Nedeljkovic, forcing the puck over the goal line for Cruthers’ fifteenth of the year.

Florida struck early in the second on a two-on-one transition rush with Steven Whitney finishing on a feed from Nicolas Deschamps, who had blown by a Reading defender down the left side, for his second of the year 1:45 in.

Reading re-took the two-goal lead with a power play goal by Justin Crandall. Michael Caruso made a great play at left point to keep the play alive. His behind the back pass found Brett Flemming at the right point. Flemming’s diagonal down slap pass hit the blade of the stick of Crandall at the right side of the cage for the re-direct home 14:14 into the period.

Florida bounced back thirty-three seconds later on a blast from the left point by Deschamps. The ‘Blades followed that up by throwing a puck from deep on the left side into a pile of bodies in and around the Royals net. The  puck pinballed at the top of the crease , hit Ray Kaunisto and fluttered over goaltender Connor Knapp at the 16:40 mark to tie the game at three.

For the second consecutive game against the Everblades, the Royals got a third-period tie breaking game winner, this one from Pat Mullane, who snpied a snapper out of the left circle off a brilliant pass from the left corner from Hughesman. Mullane’s shot hit something on the way in and eluded the catching glove of Nedeljkovic for Mullane’s twenty-third of the season 6:38 into the third. Reading got some insurance on an end-to-end highlight reel rush by Maxim Lamarche, who bagged his eighth of the year 14:16 into the final frame for the third power play goal of the night for the Royals, which served to regain the two goal advantage.

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Reading Royals @ Orlando Solar Bears

@ Amway Center – Orlando, FL

Saturday, April 4, 2015 (7:00 pm Eastern Time)

NEXT UP: The Royals complete the team’s three-game swing through Florida tomorrow (Saturday, April 4 @ 7:00 pm) at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, where Reading will take on the Orlando Solar Bears for the first and only time this season. As with all Royals’ road games this season, Saturday’s game will be televised live locally in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on BCTV courtesy of Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations. The game night broadcast for Saturday’s matchup 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 7:00 pm Eastern Time. 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 04-03