Game 60 Preview: Reading at Wheeling

Baker’s dozen to go in regular season   

Wheeling, WV – The Reading Royals (32-21-6-0, 70 pts., 3rd North) hit the final destination on their season-long eight-game road trip with the first game at the Wheeling Nailers (30-23-6-1, 67 pts., 4th North) Friday at 7:05 p.m. The Royals are playing the second game of a three-in-three; Thursday, Reading delivered a come-from-behind, 4-3 win at Brampton. Branden Komm made 34 saves in victory and has a 5-1-1-0 record with Reading (12 GA, 7 GP). Reading scored three unanswered goals after allowing three in the first.

Over the road swing, the Royals have also travelled to Glens Falls, NY, Manchester, NH, Orlando, FL, Jacksonville, FL and Brampton, ON.

The Royals also made a pair of moves on trade deadline day, acquiring D Charlie Vasaturo from Kalamazoo for future considerations and sending F Jimmy DeVito to Florida for future considerations.

There are two games left in the season series against the Nailers and Reading has already clinched it, netting a 6-2-1-0 record.

Wheeling last played Wednesday at Worcester and the Nailers earned a 5-2 win with three goals in the third period. The Railers and Nailers matched in three straight games and Wheeling escaped with three points (1-1-0-1 record).

The Royals finish up the road trip at Wheeling Sat., Mar. 10 at 7:05 p.m. Through the first six games, the Royals are 2-1-3-0. The squad has points in seven of the last eight games.

Friday’s broadcast starts at 6:45 p.m. on Rumba 1340, RumbaReading.com and BCTV (Channel 15 Comcast, Channel 19 Service Electric). Listen in during first intermission to the BCTV/Jimmy G’s Railroad House Trivia Question of the Night for a chance to win a gift card to Jimmy G’s.

Reading is next at home on Wed., Mar. 14 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Fort Wayne, with four players hosting a postgame photo and autograph session, courtesy of Rieck’s Printing.

Enter for a chance to win $10,000 with the Reading Royals as the team hosts Brampton on St. HatTrick’s Day Sat., Mar. 17 vs. the Brampton Beast at 7:00 p.m. It’s an easy process; Step 1: purchase tickets to the game here | Step 2: Register to be entered into the contest here | Step 3: Watch a Royals player score a hat trick vs. Brampton.

Additionally, meet WWE’s Million Dollar Man and celebrate the holiday with the Royals, presented by Met-Ed! Royals legend Yannick Tifu will have his #10 retired to the Diamond Credit Union Wall of Honor during the game. The first 5,000 fans will receive a Yannick Tifu poster, courtesy of Rieck’s Printing and Diamond Credit Union. The Royals will wear special St. Patrick’s Day jerseys. Tifu captained Reading to the team’s first Kelly Cup in 2013 and played in 245 Royals games, third-most in team history. Tickets are available here.

Brown’s valueTyler Brown recorded his first game-winning goal of the season on the breakaway early in the third period of Thursday’s win at Brampton. The 28-year-old native of Wasage Beach, ON has six goals this season, his most in an ECHL season since 2013-14.

Often relied on as a two-way presence, Brown has earned accolades from Royals coaches as “perhaps the best” penalty killer in the league. Reading is 4-12-0-0 without him in the lineup and 28-9-6-0 when Brown suits up.

Showing his late-season punch, Brown has half of his goals over the last month. Last postseason, he led the Greenville Swamp Rabbits with three postseason goals.

Brown has played in 410 regular season games, scoring 47 goals and 110 points.

11 aboveThe Royals are back at 11 games above .500, matching a season-high. The unit has also matched its high-water mark on the road (13-12-6-0) for the second time this campaign.

Wheeling’s best above .500 is nine games, when the team moved to 26-17-4-0 on Feb. 2 vs. Indy. Since the point, the Nailers are 4-5-2-1.

Coming from behindThe Royals capped off their eighth come-from-behind victory of the season Thursday, scoring three unanswered. Matt Willows, Matt Wilkins and Tyler Brown recorded the strikes. The fewest Reading has had in a regular season is nine during the club’s inaugural campaign (2001-02).

Part of the reason Reading has had so “few” comeback victories is the team’s prowess at striking first; the Royals lead the league scoring the game’s opening goal 40 times this season. Reading has 28 of their 32 victories when netting the first goal (28-8-4-0 record).

Thursday’s two-goal comeback matched Reading’s best of the season; the Royals overcame a 3-1 deficit in the third period at Toledo Oct. 26.

Reading has four wins when trailing after one and three when down after two. In contrast, the Royals boast a 22-1-2-0 mark when up after two periods. The Royals have blown 11 leads this season.

Willows hits the 60/20 markMatt Willows recorded his 60th and 61st points Thursday at Brampton (1g), tying Norfolk’s Brodie Dupont for 4th in the league. With two points, Willows is also up to 20 multi-point games this season, best on the squad and a new personal high. The New Hampshire graduate has points in 38 of 59 Royals games and is one of two players to appear in every Reading game this campaign (Nolan Zajac).

The Congers, NY native recorded a penalty-shot goal early in the second to give him 24 strikes this season, a professional best.

Head to Head series: Royals lead, 6-2-1-0Last time these teams met, the Royals shellacked the Nailers, 6-0, Feb. 18 at Santander Arena. The six-goal win was the most-lopsided result of the series. Michael Huntebrinker recorded a pro-best three assists, Alex Krushelnyski had two goals and Branden Komm earned his second straight shutout. Matt Willows, Brian Morgan and Steven Swavely each had a goal and two points.

Willows is best on Reading with 10 points (5g) against the Nailers.

Reading finished 4-2-0-0 at home against the Nailers and the Royals are 2-0-1-0 at Wesbanco Arena. Five of the games have been decided by a goal and Reading is 4-0-1-0 in those contests. The only-one-goal loss was at Wheeling on Dec. 2. The Royals have outscored the Nailers, 27-20, in the series.

Komm is 2-0-0-0 in three games (3 GA) opposing the Nailers this season. For his career, he is 2-2-0-0 in five games vs. Wheeling. Mark Dekanich is 2-1-1-0 against Wheeling this season and has allowed nine goals in four games. In eight career games against the Nailers, Dekanich is 4-3-1-0.

Nailers goalie Adam Morrison has yet to beat the Royals in five chances (0-4-1-0, 16 GA). Morrison played 18 regular season games for the Royals in 2015-16, attaining a 7-4-3-3 record, three shutouts, 2.29 goals against average and .926 save percentage. Over parts of six ECHL seasons, he has faced the Royals six times and never defeated Reading (0-4-1-1 record).Scouting the NailersWheeling’s top-four scorers Cody Wydo (54 pts.), Nick Sorkin (48 pts.), Reid Gardiner (46 pts.) and Garrett Meurs (46 pts.) are all in West Virginia once again; Wydo, Gardiner and Meurs have seen AHL time this season. Gardiner is second in the league with seven game-winning goals. Rookie Riley Bourbonnais has 21 goals this season. Through Dec. 22, Bourbonnais had three goals in 26 games. Over the last 29 games, Bourbonnais has 18 tallies and 26 points.

Gardiner leads the Nailers with 26 goals, ranking in the top-five of the league among rookies.

The Nailers are 9-10-6-1 in one-goal games this season.

Adam Morrison is 13-11-1-0 with a 3.15 goals against average and .906 save percentage.

Season tickets for 2018-19 now available: Early Renewal through Mar. 15Call 610-898-7825 to join the Royals family or renew season tickets for the 2018-19 season. Early renewal and registration runs through Mar. 15. Top Early Renewal Benefits include: Extra chance to win jerseys-off-our-backs | Chance to win Owner's Suite | Chance to watch warm-ups from bench and high-five tunnel experience.

Royals Awards Banquet at Santander Arena Mar. 26Register here. Get a pregame pep talk from Royals Head Coach Kirk MacDonald, behind-the-scenes tour of the Royals locker room and buffet meal at Santander Arena Mon., Mar. 26 from 6-8 p.m. for the Royals Awards Banquet. We will hand out the best awards from the 2017-18 season.

Postgame autograph session Wed., Mar. 14 vs. FW at 7:00 p.m.Stay after the game for a special postgame autograph session on Wed., Mar. 14 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Fort Wayne, presented by Rieck’s Printing. It’s the only chance of the season to see the Komets.

Next Big Night: Yannick Tifu Number Retirment, Ted DiBiase “Million Dollar Man” appearance, St. HatTrick’s Day on Sat., Mar. 17 vs. BRM at 7:00 p.m.Enter for a chance to win $10,000 with the Reading Royals as the team hosts Brampton on St. HatTrick’s Day Sat., Mar. 17 vs. the Brampton Beast at 7:00 p.m. It’s an easy process; Step 1: purchase tickets to the game here | Step 2: Register to be entered into the contest here | Step 3: Watch a Royals player score a hat trick vs. Brampton.

Additionally, meet WWE’s Million Dollar Man and celebrate the holiday with the Royals, presented by Met-Ed! Royals legend Yannick Tifu will have his #10 retired to the Diamond Credit Union Wall of Honor during the game. The first 5,000 fans will receive a Yannick Tifu poster, courtesy of Rieck’s Printing and Diamond Credit Union. The Royals will wear special St. Patrick’s Day jerseys. Tifu captained Reading to the team’s first Kelly Cup in 2013 and played in 245 Royals games, third-most in team history. Tickets are available here.

Special Olympics Night Fri., Mar. 23 vs. WOR at 7:00 p.m.Postgame shake, shiver and freeze with the Royals to raise money for the Special Olympics and a Royals trading card set giveaway to the first 2,500 fans (Rieck’s Printing).

Autism Awareness Night Sat., Mar. 24 vs. WOR at 7:00 p.m.This is one of the best nights of the season for a wonderful cause. No goal horn and the Royals wear special autism awareness jerseys. Plus, a one-time-only giveaway: a puck with Head Coach Kirk MacDonald and Assistant Coach Pat Wellar.