ECHL Reading Royals

A strange brew

Published on November 27, 2006 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Some things just defy explanation (like the behavior of sub-atomic particles-and exactly how does Dolly Parton maintain her balance when she's walking around, anyway?). And you kind of get that feeling when you look at the Royals current record in the standings. It seems obvious that the talent on this team does not lend itself to a sub- .500 record; but the great (and devastating) thing about 'scoreboard' is that it doesn't lie. It is what it is. There are a couple of statistics that would seem to point towards several issues that need to be addressed-for instance, giving up the first goal and having to play catch-up in no fewer than twelve of the sixteen games played thus far; and failing to close or pull out games decided by one goal. Of course, those statistical points may just be highlighting another issue that no one needs me to further illuminate. But the one thing, I have been able to identify-or if not identify, at least feel in this group of guys is that there is something different, something better, that 'scoreboard' has a difficult time capturing-and that is heart, pride, and an unwillingness to yield to the luxury of just quitting. From what little I can gather, there's a strange concoction brewing in Reading this season, and I wouldn't mind tasting it from a certain Cup.....

TOP TEN NOTES OF THE WEEK

1. The Royals are currently mired in a four game losing streak. The longest losing streak in team history is six games, which was set from March 19 through March 30, 2003. With the 5-4 loss in Wheeling on Saturday night, the Royals are now winless in their last six road games. The longest road winless streak in team history is eight games, a streak that was established from February 27 through March 13, 2004.

2. Three of the four losses suffered by the Royals this past week were decided by a one-goal differential. Of the sixteen games played by the Royals this season, ten of them have been decided by one goal and one of them was a two-goal game only because of an empty netter scored with 0.5 seconds remaining. In those eleven games, the Royals have a record of 1 - 7 - 3.

3. In all four games this past week, the Royals' opponent scored the game's first goal. The opposition has scored the game's first goal in twelve of the sixteen games played by this year.

4. The 7-5 loss to Johnstown Friday marked the first time this season that Reading has lost when scoring five (or more) goals. Over the course of the season, the Royals have only won one game where the offense has scored less than five goals (the 3-2 win over the Trenton Titans in the season opener). In fact, the Royals are 0 - 2 - 2 when the team has scored four goals and 1 - 3 - 0 when scoring three goals

5. In Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Wheeling Nailers, the Royals fell behind 3-0 early in the second period, only to have captain Chris Bala run off a natural uninterrupted hattrick in the span of 8:46 of the second period to tie the score a three. This marked the third hattrick of the season for Reading, and the second time that a Reading forward has scored a natural hattrick in the second period of a game. (Shawn Collymore pulled off this feat, as well, on November 17 against the Toledo Storm.

6. The Royals third goal to draw the team to within one of Wheeling at 4-3 (after trailing by three early in the third period) on Sunday was scored by Malcolm MacMillan while the team was playing short-handed. That marked the team's sixth SHG of the season, which places the team second in the league in that category to the Fresno Falcons (who have scored nine). In addition to his goal on Sunday, MacMillan also assisted on the Royals second goal (by John Snowden), marking his first multi-point game of the season. MacMillan is currently riding a six game point streak (3g - 4a = 7pts), which ties the team high this year in that category.

7. After his re-assignment to the Royals from Manchester last week, Greg Hogeboom promptly extended his personal goal scoring streak to a team high five games (6g) with his goals against Dayton on Wednesday and Johnstown on Friday. Although Hogeboom did not score in Saturday's 5-4 loss to Wheeling, he did pick up three assists (his sixth multi-point game of the year), which extended his personal point streak to six games (6g - 5a = 11pts) (which was snapped when he was held off the board in Sunday's game).

8. . In Friday's 7-5 loss to Johnstown, Arpad Mihaly racked up a goal and two assists for his third three-point game of the season and his team high eighth multi-point performance. Mihaly also scored his fourteenth goal of the season (which is tied for the league high) against his former team, the Wheeling Nailers, on Saturday night to tie the game at four with 10:33 remaining in the game. Mihaly now has 25 points (14g - 11a = 25pts), which places him third in the league in scoring.

9. Although Shawn Collymore had his personal six game point streak snapped when he was held off the board in Wheeling on Saturday, Collymore picked up an assist on the Royals first goal on Sunday to continue his point streak at the Sovereign Center to eight games (6g - 9a = 15pts), i.e. he's had at least a point in every home game this year.

10. Although the Royals gave up a season high four power play goals against in the 5-4 loss in Wheeling on Saturday, the PK turned around and blanked the Nailers in five chances with the man advantage on Sunday, marking the fifth time this season that the Royals have kept the opponents' power play off the board. The Royals are killing penalties at a rate of 81.3% (20th in the league).

UNSUNG HERO OF THE WEEK: Joe Zappala

We talk about it all the time-but as my dad used to say, talk is cheap. Some guys actually do get it: when you're on a team, you have a role so JUST DO IT. Joe has embodied this philosophy since the moment he joined the Royals. Whether its battling out front for a big goal in a big moment, blasting guys into the wall, dishing saucers to speeding teammates, or taking on all-comers in heavy-weight tilts. Joe has just done it-and maybe even that little bit extra when he's been asked to do that, too.

CLOSING NOTES

1. Jason Becker scored a goal and picked up an assist in Sunday's game to rack up his second multi-point game of the season. Becker also scored a goal in Friday's 7-5 loss to Johnstown. He currently leads Reading defenders in goals (5) and points (11).

2. Doug Christiansen scored his first goal of the season in Friday's 7-5 loss to Johnstown. Christiansen also played as a defenseman in Saturday's 5-4 loss in Wheeling.

3. Ned Lukacevic racked up a couple of assists in Friday's game, marking his first points and first multi-point game in his second outing with the Royals.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics

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