Jackals power past the Royals 5-2

February 2, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Elmira Jackals News Release


Tomas Kudelka and Benoit Doucet scored two goals each to spark the Elmira Jackals to their fifth consecutive home ice win, a 5-2 verdict over the Reading Royals, in front of 4,041 fans at First Arena, the club's tenth sellout of the year. The penalty-filled win kept the Jackals three points behind North Division leader Cincinnati as the Cyclones won in Trenton 2-1.

The contest featured fireworks of very contrasting styles from the first period to the second with goal-scoring deciding the ultimate outcome with the first sixteen minutes of the game.

The Jackals pressured immediately off of the opening draw and ended up with a 1-0 lead just thirty-seconds into the contest when Kudelka blasted a drive into a half open net with Royals goaltender Jonathan Quick (31 saves) unable to shift quickly to his right off of a scramble. Doucet drew an assist to extend his point streak to eight games while Chaz Johnson picked up a helper and now has points in 12 of his last 13 games.

Elmira made it 2-0 as a Luke Fritshaw shot from the right point was slowed down and slipped behind both Royals defensemen and Doucet buried the point blank shot for his 13th of the season with assists to Pierre-Luc Faubert and Fritshaw at 2:52.

Ned Lukacevic got the stunned visitors on the board at 4:27 to get Reading to within 2-1. It would be as close as the game would be the rest of the way, and stayed a one-goal margin for all of sixty-five seconds.

Following a hooking call to Reading's Steven Later, Kudelka pumped home his second of the game (5th of the year) at 5:32 from Chris Busby and Faubert.

Busby then hooked up with Bret Pilkington on a pretty cross-ice feed then ended up behind Quick for Pilkington's seventh goal of the year at 15:19 and brought a close to scoring in the opening frame with the Jackals up 4-1.

With Elmira outshooting Reading 16-13 in the opening period, a drastic turn in that department saw just thirteen combined shots in the second period (7-6 Reading) and tempers repeatedly flair that led to a line brawl with 6:02 left in the period.

Malcolm MacMillan jumped Chaz Johnson after Johnson leveled Royals teammate Later near the Jackals blueline. After MacMillan and Johnson dropped the gloves and were then being escorted to the penalty box, occupying all three on-ice officials, the remaining eight skaters and two goaltenders came together at center ice and things quickly heated up.

Four different bouts erupted with all participants given fighting majors and game misconducts. Trevor Hendrikx, Kyle Wharton, Frank Littlejohn and Pilkington were done for the night for Elmira while Reading's Mike Salekin, Joe Zappala, Brett Hemingway and Later were sent to the showers.

When the smoke cleared, referee Ghislan Hebert handed out a combined 149 penalty minutes, 82 to Elmira and 67 to Reading.

Johnson's hit on Later drew a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct and gave the Royals a five-minute power play and a golden chance to get back into the game.

The comeback never evolved as the Jackals stiffened on the penalty kill, holding the Royals scoreless in seven chances before Chris Blight slipped home his team-high 18th of the season with 8:57 left in the third period and Fritshaw in the box to pull Reading to within 4-2.

Doucet closed out the night's scoring with his second of the game and 14th of the year, beating Quick between the pads from down low on the left wing side at 14:24 with Kudelka and Bobby Robins drawing the assists.

Kudelka finished a career night with his first two-goal game and first three-point night in the ECHL in picking up Star of the Game honors.

The game saw each club whistled for 28 infractions with the Jackals picking up 131 minutes to the Royals' 112. On the power play Elmira went 2-for 10 while Reading scored once in eight chances.

The Jackals now close out their four-game in five-night stretch with a 1 p.m. face-off in Johnstown against the sixth-place Chiefs. The Hill Top Inn Countdown to Face-off begins Sunday's broadcast on MAGIC FM (92.7/97.7) at 12:30 p.m.



ECHL Stories from February 2, 2008


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