Royals Win Team Record Twenty-Third Road Game in Florida, 5-2

Teams     Per: 1          2          3

REA:              1          1          3= 5 

FLA:               1          1          0= 2

Records

REA: 43-18-4-2=92 (2nd East Division)

FLA:   46-14-2-5=99 (1st North Division)

Goaltenders

REA: Oullette (win) 17-8-1-1 (25/27)

FLA: Ginn (loss) 5-1-0-1 (26/31)

Power Play:

REA: 1-3

FLA: 0-4

Estero, FL – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­win, 43-18-4-2=92) 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, 46-14-2-5=99), 5-2, at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida

In the first game of a three game swing through Florida, the Royals, playing with a somewhat makeshift line-up, fell behind relatively early, but battled back and found themselves in a 2-2 tie after two periods of play with the top team in the ECHL. Goaltender Martin Ouellette made several spectacular saves in the early going of the third, allowing the Royals to get their collective skates underneath them and run off three unanswered goals—including the third period tie-breaking game winner from the team’s all-time leading scorer, Ryan Cruthers—to snap the Everblades’ fourteen game unbeaten streak and run Reading’s record to 4-1-0-0 against Florida this season. The win was the twenty-third road victory this year for Reading, establishing a new team record for away wins in the fourteen year history of the club.

First Period (1-1, Tie)

5:54 (0-1, Florida) Florida Goal

Pommels (2); Little and Preece (snap shot from right half wall)

Florida struck first when Spencer Pommels fired a snap shot from deep on the right wing wall that somehow slipped by goaltender Martin Ouellette on the short side for Pommels’ second of the year in his seventh game with Florida.

11:33 (1-1, Tie) Reading Goal

Labelle (27); Lamarche and Mullane (deflection of shot from right point)

Reading bounced back to tie the game at one on the first of what would prove to be two goals on the night for the all-time career goal scoring leader for the Royals, Olivier Labelle. Maxim Lamarche fired a wrist shot from the right point that appeared to be headed towards the left side of the net, but Labelle, who was positioned at the top of the crease, stepped in and re-directed the puck back against the grain into the right side of the net for his twenty-seventh of the year.

Second Period (2-2, Tie)

2:39 (2-1, Reading) Reading Goal

Flemming (9); Cruthers and Crandall (snap shot from mid-slot)

Reading took the team’s first lead of the game early in the second when Justin Crandall, playing in his first pro game, freed Ryan Cruthers with a pass down the left wing side. Cruthers stopped up short inside the left circle and found the trailer—defenseman Brett Flemming—who was poised for a shot coming straight up the gut. Flemming didn’t wasted the chance, ripping a hot rivet low to the glove side on Ginn for his ninth of the year, which also served to stretch his current goal scoring streak to four.

4:48 (2-2, Tie) Florida Goal

Marquardt (16); Wahl and Henry (snap shot from right circle)

2:09 later, the Everblades re-tied the game at two when Matt Marquardt carried into the right circle and snapped a low shot that snuck between the left leg pad and catching glove of Ouellette for Marquardt’s sixteenth of the year.

Third Period (5-2, Reading)

7:25 (3-2, Reading) Reading Goal

Cruthers (14); Labelle and Caruso (tap in from right side of the crease)

The Royals got what proved to be the third period tie-breaking game winner when Olivier Labelle, who would end up with four points on the night (2g-2a), slipped a cross-crease pass from deep in the left circle that found a wide-open and all alone Ryan Cruthers planted at the right side of the Everblades’ crease. Cruthers tapped the puck home for his fourteenth of the year—and what would prove to be his third GWG.

16:10 (4-2, Reading) Reading Goal

Labelle 2 (28); Lamarche (carry down the right wing, walk a defender and stuff the puck home)

Reading got some insurance late in the third with the second of the night for Labelle, who was sent down the right wing side into the offensive zone on a feed from Maxim Lamarche. Labelle walked a Florida defender deep in the right circle, carried to the top of the crease and stuffed the puck under Ginn for his ninety-ninth goal as a Royal in his 223rd game win the team.

18:29 (5-2, Reading) Reading Goal

Mullane (22); Crandall and Labelle (stuff in from right side of the crease)

Reading built a little more cushion with a late game power play goal by Pat Mullane. Justin Crandall made an exceptional move off the left half-wall to elude a Florida defender and maintain possession of the puck, which he passed cross crease to a waiting Mullane, who had an easy stuff at the right side of the crease for his twenty-second of the year.

NOTES:

• The Royals scratches for tonight’s game were Zach Davies (d) 21-day injured reserve, Mike Marcou (d) ECHL Reserve List, Sean Wiles (f) ECHL Reserve List, and Kevin Walrod (f).

• The Royals signed forward Joe Rehkamp, who cleared his physical immediately prior to warm-up this evening, to an Amateur Tryout Agreement today. Rehkamp, who recently completed his collegiate career at St. Cloud State University, played his first pro game tonight.

• Defenseman Ryan Misiak was released from his ATO with the Royals today and signed to an ECHL Standard Players Contract.

• Tonight’s win pushed the Royals record back to a season-high twenty-five games over .500 (43-18-4-2=92), and jumped Reading back into second place (leaping over the South Carolina Stingrays) of the East Division, seven points behind first place Florida.

• The Royals victory tonight ensured that Reading can finish no lower than third place in the ECHL’s East Division.

• Tonight’s win snapped a fourteen game unbeaten streak (13-0-0-1) for the Everblades.

• This victory was also the twenty-third win of the year for Reading on the road (23-7-4-0), establishing a new single-season record for wins away from Reading.

• This marked the nineteenth come from behind win of the year for Reading.

• The Royals have compiled a record of 11-3-2-0 when entering the third period tied with the opposition.

• Oliver Labelle (2g-2a) recorded his fifteen multi-point game of the year for Reading tonight. This was the first four-point game of the year for Labelle, who has twenty-five points (11g-14a) in his last eighteen games. He has had seven games this season in which he has recorded three points (or more) and has had four separate two-goal performances this year. Tonight’s goals give Labelle 99 career goals as a Royal (and 186 career points) in 223 games with the team.

• Brett Flemming (1g-0a) extended his goal scoring streak to four games (4g). Flemming, who has six goals in his last eight games, has had at least a point in twelve of his last fifteen games (6g-9a=15pts).

• Ryan Cruthers (1g-1a) bagged his third game winner of the year tonight. Tonight’s game also proved to be his eleventh multi-point game of the year. Cruthers is the all-time leading scorer for the Royals with 271 points (85g-186a) in 273 games with the team.

• Pat Mullane (1g-1a) recorded his team-leading eighteenth multi-point performance of the year tonight.

• Maxim Lamarche (0g-2a) picked up his seventh multi-point game of the season tonight. He also played plus-1 (+1) and is now playing to a team-leading plus-22 (+22) through fifty-five games with the Royals.

• Justin Crandall (0g-2a), who was signed by the Royals to an ATO on Tuesday, had an exceptional pro debut, recording a pair of assists and playing to a plus-2 (+2).

• Goaltender Martin Ouellette (25/27) won his third straight for the Royals tonight. Oullette has seventeen wins for Reading this year (17-8-1-1).

• Reading’s power play broke a string of three straight games without a goal, striking fifteen seconds after a double minor for high sticking was assessed against Florida’s Ray Kaunisto at the 18:04 mark of the third period.

• Tonight’s game marked the thirty-ninth time this season that Reading’s penalty killers have blanked the opposition. Reading has compiled a record of 29-6-2-2 in those games.

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Reading Royals @ Florida Everblades

@ Germain Arena – Estero, FL

Friday, April 3, 2015 (7:30 pm Eastern Time)

NEXT UP: The Royals continue the team’s three-game swing through Florida on Friday (April 2 (@ 7:30 pm) at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida, where Reading will once again face the Everblades. As with all Royals’ road games this season, Friday’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 Friday’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 04-01