ECHL Reading Royals

And, Now, For Our Next Trick...

Published on December 4, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


It's hard not to smile when you watch a talented magician ply his trade even when you know that you're the one getting fooled. With a deft sleight of hand and a steady flow of charming banter to distract attention, a well-versed magician with a well-constructed trick can make you scream in delight-and doubt the very eyes in your head. You find yourself asking, did I really see what I think I just saw? Although I don't think anyone associated with the Royals' organization was smiling or screaming (at least not with delight), we did find ourselves questioning our interpretation of what we thought we saw early in the third period of last Friday's game in Dayton. What we thought we saw was defenseman Mike Salekin scoring the game tying goal on a rather spectacular hard wrap at the right side of the Dayton goal after he charged up ice, cut sharply around the goal, and jammed the puck under the body of the Bombers' goaltender. The puck appeared to go under that goaltender and into the net; but faster than you could say abracadabra, it was back in play, where (despite the protests of the Royals' players) the two teams continued to go at it. It's one of those events on the ice that happens so fast, it makes you wonder whether it happened at all. And, in that light, it's understandable that game officials, both on and off the ice, were left wondering as well. Sure, it's easy to point to the game tape where it appears that the net was bumped and the back lifted up at the 'perfect' moment allowing the puck to slide under and through the goal, but that's a luxury you don't get at this level during the game itself. And, although I suppose it did make us feel slightly better to confirm what we thought we saw, it really didn't make it all that much easier to swallow. But, then again, in all fairness to everyone involved, we may be perhaps a bit hyper-sensitive to this apparent disappearing act because we feel like we've seen it before-most notably at a critical juncture in last season's final game. Regardless, we all know that the show (and this season) must go on, which it did in pretty fine fashion for the remainder of the Royals' weekend. On Saturday night, captain Bracken Kearns pulled a rabbit out his hat 19 seconds into overtime to give the Royals a 5-4 win in Dayton. Then, on Sunday, the Royals channeled Houdini and became only the second team all season to escape from WesBanco Arena in Wheeling with a win in regulation. And, I suppose, to pull out difficult wins like those is the real trick because, after all, there's only one thing you want up your sleeve at the end of the season, and it's that big, shiny silver trophy.....

TOP TEN NOTES OF THE WEEK

1. The Royals 3-1 loss to the Dayton Bombers on Friday marked the first time this season that Reading has lost back-to-back games. (The Royals were defeated in their previous game dating back to Saturday, November 24 in Elmira). That loss also extended the team's season high road losing streak to three games-a streak that was snapped on Saturday with the Royals' 5-4 overtime win in Dayton.

2. Friday's 3-1 loss marked the sixth time this season that the Royals' offense was held to one goal or less. Reading has a record of 0-5-1 in those games. The Royals have been held to two goals or less ten times this season and have compiled a record of 1-8-1 in those games.

3. On Saturday and Sunday, the Royals scored more than four goals in back-to-back games for the first time this season. After the 5-4 overtime win in Dayton on Saturday and 5-3 win in Wheeling on Sunday, Reading has scored five or more goals six times this year (6-0-0). After this past week's game, the Royals maintained their unblemished record when scoring three or more goals (10-0-0).

4. The Royals fired a season high 51 shots on the Dayton Bombers in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win. The Royals out-shot the opposition in all three games this past week. The Royals have been out-shot by the opposition in only three of the twenty games played so far this season. Reading averages 33.10 shots on goal per game (8th in the league), while the team averages giving up 27.90 shots against per game (3rd in the league).

5. Bracken Kearns scored the overtime game winner (19 seconds into OT) for the Royals in Dayton on Saturday. That marked the second OT GWG for Kearns in his pro career. (He also pulled off that feat as a member of the Toledo Storm on March 15, 2006 against the Trenton 'Titans'.) Kearns also scored the game tying goal on Saturday, as he registered his first multi-goal game for Reading this year. Kearns also assisted on the Royals third goal in Saturday's game to extend his personal assist (and point) streak to a team season high five games (3g - 5a = 8pts). Those streaks were snapped when he was held off the board in Wheeling on Sunday.

6. Chris Blight scored the Royals' lone goal on Friday and scored the Royals' third goal on Saturday (while the team was playing on the power play) to register his team leading twelfth goal. Blight also leads the Royals with five power play goals (and nineteen points). Blight's (+9) also leads the Royals in plus/minus.

7. Last week, the Royals acquired forwards Marc Cavosie (from Columbia) and Brett Hemingway (from Fresno via Columbia) and both of those players factored heavily in Reading's offense this weekend. Cavosie scored a goal on both Saturday in Dayton and Sunday in Wheeling, where he also picked up his first assist with the Royals. Hemingway assisted on Cavosie's goal in Dayton on Saturday and registered his first multi-point game as a pro, when he scored two goals and assisted on another in Reading's 5-3 win in Wheeling on Sunday.

8. Joe Zappala had at least a point in all three games played this past weekend. He assisted on the Royals lone goal on Friday, scored the team's first goal (and assisted on the third) in Dayton on Saturday, and scored what proved to be the game winner in the Wheeling on Sunday. That marked Zappala's first GWG of the season for Zappala, who was tied for the team lead in that category last season with five game winners. In his last six games, Zappala has three goals and four assists (7 points).

9. Three of the Royals five goals on Saturday were scored while the team was on the power play, marking the second time this season that Reading has scored three PPG in one game (and the third multi-powerplay goal game). After going 1 for 6 on the power play on Sunday, the Royals are now 14 for 121 on the season with the man advantage (24th in the league).

10. Goaltender Danny Taylor picked up a win in his first game for the Royals on Saturday in Dayton, and he followed that game with a win in Wheeling on Sunday. Taylor is 2-0-0 with a 3.45 goals against average and a .899 save percentage.

CLOSING NOTES

1. Yannick Tifu of the Dayton Bombers was awarded the second penalty shot of the season against the Royals on Saturday night. Tifu scored on goaltender Danny Taylor at the 8:39 mark of the second period to become the third consecutive player to score on his penalty shot against the Royals. The first seven shootout attempts against the Royals in team history all failed.

2. With this week's wins in Dayton on Saturday and in Wheeling on Sunday, the Royals ran the team's record against North Division opponents back above .500 (6-6-1) and also got the team's record back to .500 on the road (7-7-0).

3. Saturday's game marked the second time this season that the Royals came back to win after entering the third period trailing the opposition (2-7-0).

4. The Royals scored the game's first goal in Sunday's win over the Nailers. Reading is 7-1-1 when scoring the first goal of the game.

5. Defenseman Mike Salekin picked up his first point as a pro when he assisted on the Royals fourth (and game tying) goal in Dayton on Saturday.

6. Defenseman P.J. Atherton registered his third multi-point game of the year when he picked up 2 assists on Sunday in Wheeling.

7. Forward Ned Lukacevic had two assists on Sunday to register his first multi-point game of the season.

8. Goaltender Jon Quick became the fifth goaltender in Royals' team history to be called to the NHL after playing in Reading. Quick was recalled to LA on Sunday after Jason LaBarbera was injured.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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