ECHL Reading Royals

Reading Royals Weekly

March 9, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


TOP NOTES OF THE WEEK

1. The Royals were functionally eliminated from the 2009 Kelly Cup Playoffs on Saturday with the loss to Cincinnati coupled with the win by the Wheeling Nailers. Although not technically eliminated from a pure mathematical standpoint (the Royals could still attain 68 points with 32 wins which could hypothetically secure fourth place over the current team holding that spot-Trenton), the Royals are essentially dormie to the playoff picture because Trenton and Elmira play each other (on March 17), and one of those two teams would necessarily become a fourth team with a point total higher than 68, thus eliminating the Royals at that point.

2. The Royals 5-2 win over Cincinnati on Friday marked the first time that the team won back-to-back games since mid-January, when the Royals won three in a row (January 10 - 17). Over the course of the season, the Royals have won three consecutive games twice (the other being, December 10 - 27, 2008). Other than that, the team has won back-to-back games only one other time (6-2 v Idaho, 11/01; and 3-2, ot v Cincinnati, 11/04). Saturday's game also marked only the third time this season that the Royals have won consecutive games at home this season. With eight home games remaining, Reading has not yet put together a three game home winning streak to this point in the season. In games following a win (whether regulation, overtime or shootout), the Royals have compiled a record of 6 - 13 - 1 this year.

3. Saturday's game marked the thirty-sixth regulation loss of the year for the Royals, which ties the team record for regulation losses in a single season established in the team's inaugural year (2001-02) (27-36-9 = 63). Friday's win for Reading was the twentieth of the year, meaning the team must win at least eight of the twelve remaining games to avoid the record for fewest wins in a season. Reading needs twenty points in the standings to avoid that team low as well.

4. In Friday's win, the Royals held the Cincinnati Cyclones to two goals, marking the seventeenth time this season that Reading has held the opposition to two goals or less. The Royals have compiled a record of 15-2-0 in those games. Overall this season, the Royals have allowed 225 goals in sixty games (second highest in the league to the 232 allowed by Bakersfield in sixty-two games), which translates into a 3.75 team goals against average, which is last in the league.

5. The Royals were shutout by the Cyclones (5-0) on Sunday, marking the fourth time this season that Reading's offense has been held off the board-and the second time in the last five games-both by Cincinnati. Over the course of the team's eight year history, Reading has been shutout 27 times during the regular season. In 3 sepa- rate seasons (2001-02; 2003-04; and 2004-05), the team was blanked five times, which is the season high; in 2002-03, Reading was shutout only once, which is the team low. Reading has scored 176 goals this year, which translates into a 2.93 goals per game average (eighteenth out of the twenty-one teams in the league).

6. Dan Rudisuela registered his first 4 point game (2g-2a) as a pro in Friday's 5-2 win. Rudisuela's second goal that night (50 seconds into the 3rd period to make it 4-0, Reading) was his 6th power play goal of the year, tying him with Kirk MacDonald for the team lead in that category. For Rudisuela, Friday's game extended his goal scoring streak to 3 games (and he had scored in 4 of his last five). In his last 17 games, Rudisuela has registered 20 points (10g-10a) and played to a plus 5 (+5).

7. Levi Nelson scored what proved to be his first game winning goal as a pro on Friday night, when he bagged the Royals' third goal with 58 seconds remaining in the second period in the 5-2 win over Cincinnati. Nelson also assisted on the game's first goal (by Dan Rudisuela) 2:49 into the game that night to pick up his first multi-point per- formance as a pro.

8. Reading went 1-12 on the power play in the two games played this week. On Sunday, the Royals' power play was held off the board (0-7) for the twenty-fifth time this season. Overall this season, Reading' s power play has gone 53 for 328, which is a 16.2% scoring ratio (13th in the league).

9. Reading's penalty kill allowed one goal against in each game (9-11). Over the season, the Royals have allowed 73 PPGA in 341 chances, a 78.6% kill ratio (21st).

CLOSING NOTES

1. David Nimmo scored his first short-handed goal of the year for the Royals on Friday night. That marked the twelfth short-handed goal of the season for the Royals-seventh best in the league.

2. Dinos Stamoulis scored an empty-netter with 48.1 seconds remaining to ice Friday's win for the Royals. For Stamoulis, that was his fourth goal and four- teenth point of the season-both of which extend his career highs. Stamoulis also engaged in his seventh fight of the year (against T.J. McElroy) in Saturday's game.

3. Chris Stevens registered a pair of assists for the Royals on Friday night, marking his third consecutive multi-point game for Reading (2g-5a=7pts). Over the course of the season, Stevens has racked up twelve multi-point performances in thirty-six games played for the Royals this year.

4. Tim Branham picked up his twenty-fourth assist of the season for the Royals on Friday night. Branham leads Reading defenders with twenty-six points (2g- 24a=26pts) .

5. Goaltender James Reimer played both games this past weekend for the Roy- als, stopping 31 of 33 Cincinnati stops to register his tenth win for Reading this season on Friday; and sustaining his seventh regulation loss of the year on Sat- urday (34/39).

6. Forward Joe Cooper was involved in his sixth tilt of the year (against Justin Johnson) on Friday night; and defenseman Scott Langdon was involved in his eighth scrap of the season (against Ian McKenzie) in Saturday's game. The Roy- als are currently second in the league in total major penalties with 80.

7. Friday's game marked the twenty-third time this year that Reading has scored the game's first goal. The team has compiled a record of 11-9-3 in those games.

8. Saturday's game marked the twenty-second time that Reading has allowed five goals or more this year, and the team has compiled a 2-19-1 record in those games. Reading is 0-22-2, when scoring two or less.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from March 9, 2009


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