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ECHL Reading Royals

Reading Royals (ECHL) Weekly: Raconteur Royale Number

March 28, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


LAST WEEK'S GAMES Wednesday March 22, 2017 v Manchester Monarchs Loss 1-5 Friday March 24, 2017 v Adirondack Thunder OTL 1-2 Saturday March 25, 2017 v Adirondack Thunder Win 3-2 ot

TEAM RECORD

GP W L OTL SOL PTS WIN % GF GA STREAK Place in Standings Overall 66 37 24 3 2 79 .598 232 197 1-0-1-0 t-3rd North Division Home 33 19 13 1 0 39 .591 115 91 1-0-1-0 Road 33 18 11 2 2 40 .606 117 106 0-2-0-0

THIS WEEK'S GAMES FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2017 v Norfolk Admirals Santander Arena - Reading, PA (7:00 pm)

Foam Finger (First 2000 Fifteen and Older) Digestive Disease Associates, LTD.

SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2017 v Brampton Beast Santander Arena - Reading, PA (7:00 pm)

FANdemonium - Prizes at Every Stoppage in Play Team Poster Giveaway (First 2000) Courtesy of Rieck's Printing "Jerseys Off the Players' Backs" - Post-Game Raffle Season Ticket Holders Only

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017 @ Wheeling Nailers WesBanco Arena - Wheeling, WV (5:05 pm)

Broadcast: Broadcast Begins 30 Minutes Prior to Opening Face-Off With Pre-Game Warm-Up Show

Digital Stream on iHeartRadio Rumba 1340 - Reading Deibler Dental In-Arena Broadcast - 99.3 fm Inside Santander Arena

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 Weekly Notes

Last week, the Royals played three games on home ice beginning with a 5-1 shellacking at the hands of the Manchester Monarchs last Wednesday. Reading scored a late-third period game-tying goal to bounce back and snag a point in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Adirondack Thunder on Friday; and then returned the favor to the Thunder on Saturday in a come-from- behind 3-2 overtime win.

Saturday's overtime win snapped a four game winless streak for Reading (0-3-1-0) and pushed the team's record back to thirteen games over .500 at 37-24-3-2=79 through sixty-six games, which places the team tied for third place in the North Division with the Manchester Monarchs-but only two points behind the first place Adirondack Thunder in the hotly contested divisional race.

Reading's magic number to clinch a playoff spot in the North Division currently stands at four with respect to the Wheeling Nailers, i.e. any combination of four points gained by Reading or lost by the Nailers would guarantee that the Royals will claim one of the four available playoff spots in the North.

Also, because of the tie-break format (with regulation and overtime wins being the first tie-break), if the Royals were to win in any form or fashion (regulation, overtime, or shootout) this Friday against Norfolk and Wheeling were to lose in any form or fashion (regulation, overtime or shootout) against the Brampton Beast, Reading would clinch a playoff spot.

All three games played by the Royals last week were against teams within North Division. Reading has compiled a record of 23- 12-3-1 against teams in the North with two more games to be played against teams within the Division: (i) Saturday at home against the Brampton Beast; and (ii) Sunday in Wheeling against the Nailers.

The twenty-three wins that the Royals have garnered within the North leads the Division.

Reading has four games left against the South Division (against whom the Royals have so far gone 5-11-0-0)-all against the Norfolk Admirals, including this Friday night at Santander Arena.

Last Wednesday's 5-1 loss to Manchester dropped the Royals record to 2-7-1-0 in the ten game season series against the Monarchs. The Royals also completed the team's eleven game season series against Adirondack with the two games played this past week at Santander Arena. Overall this season, Reading went 7-2-1-1 against the Thunder (and 4-1-1-0 in the six games played between the two teams in Reading).

This Saturday, the Royals will complete the team's three game season series against Brampton. Reading went 1-0-1-0 in the two games played in Brampton in early March.

Reading will also complete the team's seven game season series against the Nailers this Sunday in Wheeling. So far, the Royals have compiled a 4-2-0-0 record against the Nailers.

Reading was held to just one goal in the first two games played last week. In fact, Friday's 2-1 overtime loss to Adirondack marked the third time in a span of just four games that the team's offense was held to just one goal.

Overall this season, Reading has been held to one goal eleven times, and Friday's 2-1 overtime loss to Adirondack marked the first time this season that the team has picked up at least a point (0-10-1-0) in those games.

Although the Royals currently average 3.52 goals per game (tenth best in the league), over the last fifteen games (6-8-1-0) the team has scored just a total of 41 goals, which is an average of 2.73 goals per game.

During the Royals recent four game winless streak, the team scored just five total goals on 151 shots, which translates into a 3.3% scoring ratio.

In fact, during the past fifteen games (6-8-1-0), Reading has shot at just a 7.2% ratio (41 goals on 570 shots). In the fifty-one games prior to that, the Royals shot at an 11.5% ratio.

Overall, Reading is currently shooting at an 10.4% ratio (232 goals on 2226 shots).

After giving up five goals to Manchester on Wednesday, the Royals held Adirondack to just two goals in each of the games against the Thunder on Friday and Saturday.

Reading has held the opposition to two goals or less thirty-one times this year, and the team has gone 26-4-1-0 in those games.

Overall, the Royals have allowed 197 goals against, which translates into a 2.98 goals against average per game (eighth best in the league).

After the back-to-back overtime games this past Friday and Saturday against Adirondack, Reading has now played in ten games that have gone beyond regulation time this year-five of which have been against the Thunder.

The Royals won two in OT and suffered one OTL against Adirondack this year. The two teams also split a pair of games that went to the shootout for conclusion).

Overall, the Royals have gone 5-5 in games that have gone beyond regulation for resolution, compiling a record of 4-3 in overtime and 1-2 in the skills competition.

Saturday's game was the 212th game in the sixteen year history of the team (out of 1146 regular season games) that has gone beyond regulation for resolution. Reading has gone 102-110 in those games (52-52 on home ice).

The Royals have played in 89 regular season games that have ended in overtime. The team has gone 42-47 in those games (and 21-19 on home ice).

In Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Monarchs last Wednesday, the Royals were outscored 3-0 in the third period. In the thirteen games leading up to and including Wednesday's loss, Reading had been outscored in the third period (9-17) (-8)

However, on Friday, the Royals entered the third period trailing 1-0 and scored a late third period game-tying power play goal to get to overtime (which ended-in rather sour fashion-when Adirondack with just 29.6 seconds left in OT).

And, on Saturday, the Royals trailed 2-1 entering the third period against the Thunder and tied the game at two 1:01 into the final frame. Reading won that game on an OT GWG by Steven Swavely with 1:00 left in OT.

Saturday's game marked the fifth time this season that Reading has entered third period trailing the opposition and still come up with a win (5-19-2-0).

Saturday's game was the thirteenth come-from- behind win of the year for Reading-and the second time this year that Reading has come- from-behind to beat the Thunder.

The Royals are currently playing to a plus-11 (+11) in the third period (78 goals for - 67 goals against). But at one point in the season, Reading led the league in third period goal differential; and as late as fifty games into the season were playing at plus-21 (+21) in the third.

Reading snapped a string of 21 consecutive power play chances without a goal when Ryan Penny bagged a critical PPG with just 6:13 remaining in regulation to tie Friday's OTL to the Thunder at one.

Nonetheless, Reading's power play has been blanked in five of the last six games (1-20) and in eight of the last ten played (2-37 = 5.4%). In the last fifteen games, the Royals' PP has scored at a 5.5% ratio (3 for 55).

Although the Royals penalty kill was touched up for a power play goal against 1:27 into the second period on Saturday to give Adirondack a 2-1 lead, the penalty kill has knocked off 24 of the last 26 (92.3%) power play chances for the opposition over the past seven games.

The Royals recent penalty kill successes included knocking off 1:41 of five-on-three power play against 8:59 into the second period of Friday's 2-1 overtime loss with Adirondack leading in the game 1-0.

As late as sixteen games into the season, Reading's PK was dead last in the league, killing at a 69.4% clip; and now currently stands at tied sixth best in the league at 84.0%--just 2.0% below the top PK team in the league (Toledo).

Robbie Czarnik, who has registered seven points in his last eight games (3g-4a), leads the Royals with fifty-four points (22g- 32a) in sixty games. Czarnik also leads the Royals with 205 shots on goal this season.

Matt Willows snapped a six game goal scoring drought with his twentieth goal of the year (sixteen of which have been scored with Reading) 1:01 into the third period to tie Saturday's game against Adirondack at two.

Willows also assisted on the Royals' other two goals in that game-including the overtime game winner by Steven Swavely-to record his tenth multi-point performance of the season with Reading.

Saturday's game marked the third time this season that Willows has recorded three or more points in a game for Reading.

Willows, who has fifty-three points (20g-33a) in fifty- eight total games this season, has recorded forty-two of his points (16g-26a) (and played plus-6) in forty- one games for Reading.

Justin Crandall, who has four points (3g-1a) in his last six games, recorded his thirty-second assist of the season-which ties him for the team lead with Robbie Czarnik-on the late third-period game-tying power play goal by Ryan Penny in Friday's OTL to Adirondack. Crandall leads all forwards on the team in plus-minus at plus-21 (+21).

Ryan Penny snapped a five game goal scoring drought when he bagged his twenty-third of the year (which is tied for the team lead with Olivier Labelle) with just 6:13 remaining in the third period of Friday's 2-1 OTL to the Thunder. For Penny, that was his fifth power play goal of the season, which is tied for second-most on the team (with Robbie Czarnik) to the eight PPGs scored by Olivier Labelle this season.

Florian Iberer, who registered the primary assist on Reading's lone goal against Manchester last Wednesday, is currently fourteenth amongst defensemen in scoring with thirty-nine points (9g-30a) in sixty-four games.

On Wednesday, Steven Swavely returned to the Royals lineup for the first time since February 9 (a span of seventeen games) when he was recalled to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. Swavely had not played at all since being injured in the AHL on February 19. He promptly proceeded to score the lone goal for the Royals in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Monarchs.

On Saturday, Swavely scored his first game winner as a pro when he bagged the overtime game winner with just 1:00 left in OT. Swavely, who played to a personal season-best plus-3 on Saturday, also picked up an assist on Reading's first goal in Saturday's win to register his seventh multi-point performance of the season with Reading.

With his overtime game winner, Swavely became the twenty-first different skater to bag a GWG for the Royals this season.

In his last ten games with the Royals, Swavely has twelve points (6g-6a).

Evan Bloodoff, who picked up the secondary assist on Reading's lone goal on Wednesday, has three points (1g-2a) in six games played for Reading since being acquired from the Florida Everblades on March 9.

Defenseman Derik Johnson's goal 5:57 into the first period of Saturday's game marked the first time that Reading had scored first-and held a lead of any type whatsoever-in a span of five games. For Johnson, who leads the Royals in plus-minus at plus- 22 (+22), that was his seventh goal of the season.

On Saturday, Johnson also picked up a helper on the Royals' second goal (by Matt Willows) to register his second multi- point performance of the season.

Michael Huntenbrinker picked up his first point as a pro when he recorded the primary assist on the third period game-tying goal by Matt Willows on Saturday

Goaltender Martin Ouellette registered his fifteenth win of the season (15-13-0-1)-and his third overtime victory of the year-when he made 27 saves in 64 minutes of play on Saturday. Through thirty-one games this year, Ouellette, who has held the opposition to two goals or fewer fourteen times, has compiled a 2.82 goals against average, which is thirteenth best in the league. Ouellette has made 795 saves on 877 shots for a .906 save percentage.

Goaltender Mark Dekanich made thirty-six saves to hold the opposition to two goals or less for the seventeenth time this year in Friday's 2-1 OTL to Adirondack. That game marked the third overtime loss this season for Dekanich (who also recorded an overtime victory on March 4 against Manchester). In thirty-four games with Reading this season, Dekanich has compiled a record of 17-11-3-1 with a 3.02 goals against average (nineteenth in the league) and .909 save percentage.

LAST WEEK'S TRANSACTIONS 03/20/17 Add Michael Huntebrinker (f) Signed to ECHL Standard Players Contract Delete Michael Huntebrinker (f) Placed on ECHL Reserve List 03/21/17 Add Rob Mann (d) Signed to Amateur Tryout Agreement 03/22/17 Add Steven Swavely (f) Loaned from Lehigh Valley (AHL) Add Michael Huntebrinker (f) Activated from ECHL Reserve List Delete Johnny McInnis (f) Placed on ECHL Reserve List 03/23/17 Delete Justin Danforth (f) Released from Amateur Tryout Agreement 03/24/17 Add Jesper Pettersson (d) Assigned by Philadelphia (NHL) from Lehigh Valley (AHL) Add Johnny McInnis (f) Activated from ECHL Reserve List Delete Chase Golightly (d) Placed on ECHL Reserve List Delete Michael Huntebrinker (f) Placed on ECHL Reserve List Delete Matt Salahany (f) Suspended by Team (Removed from Active Roster) 03/25/17 Add Michael Huntebrinker (f) Activated from ECHL Reserve List Delete Adam Brace (f) Placed on ECHL Reserve List 03/26/17 Delete Rob Mann (d) Released from Amateur Tryout Agreement Delete Sean Flanagan (d) Released from Amateur Tryout Agreement

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