Royals Snap Road Losing Skid with Shutout in Manchester, 3-0

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Teams     Per: 1          2          3

REA:              1          1          1 =3

MAN:             0          0          0 =0

Records

REA: 10-9-0-1 = 21 (4th East Division)

MAN: 13-8-0-0 = 26 (2nd East Division)

Goaltenders

REA: Morrison (win) 3-4-0-1 (30/30) (60:00)

MAN: Stevens (loss) 4-4-0-0 (22/24) (36:35)

            Mastalerz (ND) (5/6) (23:03)

Power Play:

REA: 3-7

MAN: 0-6

Manchester, NH – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­win, 10-9-0-1=21) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, defeated the Manchester Monarchs (loss, 13-8-0-0=26), affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL, 3-0, at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The Royals snapped the team’s longest road losing streak since the 2009-10 season at four with a spectacular goaltending performance by Adam Morrison, who made all thirty saves he was called upon to make to become the third different goaltender this season to record a shutout for Reading. He got the help he needed in the form of three power play goals—one in each period, as Reading won in Manchester for the first time in team history.

Reading struck first on an abbreviated power play in the first period. The Royals were actually expecting to be short-handed for a full four minutes due to a double minor assessed against Ian Watters at 14:45 into the first; but with 1:35 left in that sequence, the Monarch’s Stefan Legein took roughing minor that would ultimately result in 25 seconds of power play for the Royals. Reading capitalized with one second left in that power play when Adam Comrie loaded one up from the right point that Matt Hatch deflected behind goaltender Colin Stevens for his sixth of the year—and what would prove to be his second consecutive game winner for Reading 19:08 into the first.

The Royals were teaming with power play chances in the second, which included 1:02 of five-on-three 10:13 into the second frame; but didn’t capitalize until the team was gifted a five-minute major power play due to a ‘one-sided fight’ instigated by Manchester’s Alex Roach at the 13:02 mark of the second. Forty-eight seconds into the major PP Reading got some insurance when Comrie unleashed a rocket that blew over the right shoulder of Stevens for his ninth of the year, which leads all defensemen in the league.

Manchester lost the services of goaltender Stevens 16:48 into the second after a heavy collision with his teammate, Stefan Legein, and Maxim Lamarche, both of whom came busting all the way from deep in the neutral zone chasing after a loose puck that was headed toward the crease. Legein and Lamarche steam-rolled Stevens, resulting in him leaving the game with the aid of the Manchester trainer and the substitution of Steve Mastalerz. During the collision, the puck ended up across the goal line, but the ‘goal’ was waived off.

In the third, the power plays shifted in favor of the Monarchs who had three chances with the man advantage in the final frame; but Morrison was a beast, defending the net with considerable zeal and putting the PK on his shoulders. Reading rewarded him with a little more cushion on a late game power play goal by Robbie Czarnik, who took a feed from Justin Crandall (who assisted on all three PPGs) , walked the goal line to the left side of the cage and roofed it up and over Mastalerz for his ninth of the year with 1:20 remaining in regulation.

The Royals and Monarchs go at it again for the third straight day tomorrow (Sunday, December 6 @ 3:00 pm) at Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. Sunday’s game night broadcast 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 2:30 pm Eastern Time. As with all Royals’ road games, Saturday’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.

Season Tickets for the 2015-16 Reading Royals ECHL season are currently available. For more information about the Royals, call 610-898-7825 or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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