Royals Bounce Back to Beat Adirondack, 4-3

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Teams     Per: 1          2          3

ADK:              1          1          1 =3

REA:              2          2          0 =4

Records

ADK: 16-10-2-3=37

REA: 19-12-1-1=40

Goaltenders

ADK: Anderson (Loss) (6-3-1-0) (25/29)

REA: Lotz (Win) (2-2-2-0) (31/34)

Power Play:

ADK: 1-7

REA: 0-6

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals (­­­­­­­­­Win, 19-12-1-1=40) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, defeated the Adirondack Thunder (loss, 16-10-2-3=37), 4-3, at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania.

In a game that felt like “déjà vu all over again”—particularly in the early going—Reading struck nineteen seconds into the contest for the second consecutive night against the Thunder, who responded (just like last night) with a goal by Nick Bligh to tie the game at one. But that’s pretty much where the similarities ended as the Royals counterpunched to build two separate two goal leads and then held on for the two points after a fluky third period goal by the Adirondack brought them back within one.

One area where the similarities between last night and tonight held true was in net for Reading. Last night, it was Martin Ouellette who was great for the Royals. Tonight, goaltender Austin Lotz, in his second start for the Royals, was nothing short of spectacular. With the win, Reading pushed the team’s record back to a season best seven games over .500.

Last night it was Steven Swavely who scored nineteen seconds into the game. Tonight, it was Ryan Penny who got things going with a goal just nineteen seconds after the face-off to start play. An immediate and aggressive fore-check by Penny and his linemates, Ian Watters and Matt Wilkins, forced a turnover which gave Penny a quick point blank look, and he didn’t waste it, rocketing the puck behind goaltender J.P. Anderson for his eighth of the season.

In another eerie similarity to last night’s game, Adirondack tied the game at one 2:41 into the game when Nick Bligh scored on a what was basically a carbon copy of his first period goal that tied last night’s game at one—a break down the right wing side in which he went short-side high—this time for his second as a pro in as many games with the Thunder.

In contrast to last night, however, the Royals bounced quickly back to re-take the lead when Penny carried down the left wing into the offensive end and dished a drop pass to Wilkins who fired a wrister along the ice that snuck under and through Anderson with line-mate Johnny MacInnis creating a screen out front 5:53 into the first. For Wilkins that was his sixth of the year.

Reading took a two goal lead 5:11 into the second period, when defenseman Derik Johnson skipped one in from the left point that buzzed through the five-hole of Anderson for Johnson’s third of the year.

Adirondack drew back within one at 3-2 on their fifth power play chance of the night 10:02 into the second period, when defenseman Stepan Falkvosky stepped up for a one-timer out of the right circle, but caught more ice than puck, causing a “change of pace” shot which slowly slid towards the top of the crease, where his teammate Greg Wolfe had the inside track for a quick catch-and-release, while goaltender Austin Lotz was caught between the shot he thought he was going to get from Falkovsky and the one that actually made it to the danger zone.

However, on Adirondack’s next power play chance—1:13 later—it was the Royals who would find short-handed pay-dirt. As Swavely gained possession in the neutral zone and placed a perfect lead-out area pass down the left wing side, where Ian Watters skated onto the puck and took off into Adirondack zone. Watters carried into the left circle and uncorked a cannon shot that blew by Anderson for his third of the year—and what would prove to be his second game winner—on the team’s sixth short-handed goal of the year.

The Thunder made a run in the third period, starting with an early fluky goal which came when a puck rimmed into the Reading defensive zone hit a bad joint in the boards where the Zamboni enters the ice, causing the puck to unexpectedly ricochet into the low slot where a wide open net stood gaping for Gunnar Hughes because Lotz was stuck behind the net where he had hoped to meet the puck and stop it up for his teammates. But the boards had other ideas and the easy tap in for Hughes at the 1:18 mark of the third made it a nail-biter for the Reading faithful for the final 18:42. But the Royals held firm and made the one-goal advantage hold up for the team’s tenth home win of the year (10-5-0-0).

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 2017

@ ELMIRA JACKALS

First Arena – Elmira, NY (7:05 pm)

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, 2017

@ ELMIRA JACKALS

First Arena – Elmira, NY (7:05 pm)

Broadcast:

Broadcast Begins 30 Minutes Prior to Opening Face-Off

With Pre-Game Warm-Up Show

Digital Stream on iHeartRadio Rumba 1340 - Reading

Road Games Only: BCTV Telecast in Berks County, PA

(Comcast Reading Cable Channel 15, Service Electric Cable Channel 19,

Comcast Southern Berks Channel 965)

Pay-Per-View Streaming Video at ECHL.TV

End 17 01-07