Royals Re-Take Series Lead with 3-1 Win Over Wheeling

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Teams     Per: 1          2          3

WHL:             0         1          0=1

REA:              1         1          1=3

Series

WHL: 2-3-0

REA: 3-1-1

Overall Playoff Record

WHL: 6-5-0

REA: 7-4-1

Goaltenders

WHL: Palazzese (Loss) 2-2-0 (18/20) (59:00) (1 eng)

REA: Morrison (Win) 3-2-0 (29/30)

Power Play:

WHL: 1-4

REA: 0-1

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­win, 7-4-1) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, defeated the Wheeling Nailers (win, 6-5-0) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League, 3-1, in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinal best-of-seven playoff series at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals lead the second round series three-games-to-two with Game Six to be played on Monday in Wheeling, West Virginia.

After suffering what could have been a disheartening triple overtime loss in Game Four on Thursday, the Royals showed considerable resiliency with a bounce-back win in Game Five. Reading struck first and held things together—thanks in no small part to several spectacular saves by goaltender Adam Morrison—after a less than stellar start to the second period. The Nailers did tie things with a power play goal early in the second, but Reading rebounded to retake the lead on a brilliant lead out pass from Kevin Goumas—who factored in all three goals for the team—and an equally brilliant finish by Justin Crandall. Wheeling pressed with verve down the stretch, but Reading (and Morrison) held fast and iced things with a late empty netter by Goumas.

Reading struck first—and kept the team’s perfect 7-0-0 record in tact when scoring the game’s first goal—12:18 into the first period, when Brandon Alderson and Goumas dug the puck off the end wall after an extended battle behind the Nailer net. Alderson slipped the puck towards the front of the cage where Cam Reid, who was cutting right to left across the top of the crease took a swipe that appeared to go off the stick of a Wheeling defender and flutter up and over goaltender Franky Palazzese for Reid’s fifth of the playoff season.

After being rejected on a number of point blank chances in the early going of the second period by Morrison, the Nailers broke through on their first power play chance of the game, when Clark Seymour fired a hard snap shot off the right point. Morrison made the save on the shot by Seymour but the puck appeared to rebound off a Reading defender and ricochet into the net for Seymour’s third of the playoff season—all against the Royals and all on the power play—5:26 into the second frame.

Reading retook the lead at the 12:47 mark of the second when Maxim Lamarche threaded a break out pass to Kevin Goumas, who took the puck on the fly and as he arrived at the offensive blueline landed a perfectly placed lead-out to Justin Crandall, who was busting down the right wing side. Crandall skated onto the saucer and cut from deep on the right side towards the top of the Nailers crease, where he dropped his shoulder and laid down a highlight reel forehand-backhand stuff as he left Palazzese frozen at the right side of the crease for what proved to be Crandall’s third of the playoff season—and his first pro playoff game winner.

Wheeling charged hard in the third, but Reading’s defense—led by Morrison—proved up to the task and with time ticking down (and the Nailer goaltender pulled), Nikita Kashirsky freed the puck from the Royals’ defensive zone up into the neutral area where Kevin Goumas collected it, carried just above the center red line and skipped a one-hopper dead into the middle of the empty net for his fifth of the playoffs, icing the Royals’ seventh win of the post-season.

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Game Six Eastern Conference Semi-final Best-of-Seven Playoff Series

Reading Royals @ Wheeling Nailers

@ WesBanco Arena – Wheeling, West Virginia

Monday, May 9, 2016 (7:05 pm Eastern Time)

NEXT UP: The Royals and Nailers face-off in Game Six of their Eastern Conference Semi-Final matchup on Monday (May 9 @ 7:05 pm) at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia. Game Six can be heard live on CBS SportsRadio 1240 AM and 98.5 FM in Reading, starting with the pre-game warm-up show presented by Highmark Blue Shield at 6:30 pm Eastern Time. Game Six will also be televised locally 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.

Eastern Conference Semifinal Best-of-Seven Series

Friday, April 29 – @ Wheeling                                  Nailers 4- Royals 1                  Wheeling Leads Series 1-0

Monday, May 2 - @ Wheeling                                   Royals 4 – Nailers 2                Series Tied 1-1

Wednesday, May 4  - @ Reading                            Royals 4 – Nailers 1               Reading Leads Series 2-1

Thursday, May 5 - @ Reading                                Nailers 2 – Royals 1 (3ot)      Series Tied 2-2          

Saturday, May 7 - @ Reading                                 Royals 3 – Nailers 1               Reading Leads Series 3-2

Monday, May 9 (7:05 pm) – WesBanco Arena (Wheeling, WV)

Wednesday, May 11 (7:05 pm) – WesBanco Arena (Wheeling, WV) if necessary

End 16 05-07