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ECHL Reading Royals

Reading Royals Weekly

February 21, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Alright, at the risk of stating the obvious, Matt Dalton had a pretty decent weekend for the Royals: (uh oh, here we go with the num- bers again) three games...three wins...three (total) goals against (0.97 gaa)....more than three saves (112 out of 115 shots to be exact-0.974 save percentage)...and his third shutout of the season (for Reading). But, and let's all say this together: this column is not about the numbers. Without getting too 'highfalutin' here, it's supposed about the people who make up the team and what makes them special. And Matt Dalton continues to exhibit traits on and off the ice that prevent you from reaching any other conclusion: the kid really is special.

And those traits certainly include an intense competitive fire and personal resilience that are an absolute necessity to have success as a goaltender in the professional ranks. But the one trait that stands out with Dalts that seems to trump all others and makes other people really want the best for him is quite simple: he's fun to be around. And there's something to be said for that. So regardless of what the future might hold for Matt as he advances in his pro career, I would suggest that we all just sit back and enjoy a smile or two while he's here.

TOP NOTES OF THE WEEK

1. The Royals won three consecutive games last week, stretching the team's current win streak to four (4-0-0-0). Reading has compiled a record of 11-2-0-1 in the team's last fourteen games and currently leads the ECHL in wins (34), points in the standings (73) and win percentage (.702). The Royals also have fewer regulation losses than any other team in the league (13).

2. The Royals are currently at a season-best twenty-one games over .500. The team record in this regard is twenty-three games over .500, which was established in Game #70 in the 2004-05 season (43-20-7). The 2005-06 Royals were twenty-two games over .500 twice: 41-19-7 (Game #67) and 42-20-7 (Game #69).

3. Friday's win over the Wheeling Nailers in Johnstown on Friday marked the Royals' eighteenth road win of the season, which is tied for the league lead in that category. (The Utah Grizzlies have an identical road record to the Royals: 18-7-1-1.) Only one Reading team has won more than 18 road games, 2005-06: 20-12-4.

4. The 1-0 shootout win over the Nailers last Friday marked the first 'shutout-shootout' in Royals' hockey history. Reading has played in twelve regular season games that have been resolved by a 1-0 score and have compiled a record of 4-8-0 in those games. (Reading has been in six playoff 1-0 games and is 2-4 in those contests).

5. Reading scored the game's first goal in all three wins last week. The Royals are 22-2-2-1 this year when scoring the game's first goal, which translates into a .865 win percentage in such games, which leads the league in that category.

6. The Royals entered the third period tied with the Wheeling Nailers on both Friday and Saturday and ended up winning those games. Reading is 10-1-1-1 when entering the 3rd period tied with the opposition.

7. In all three wins this past week, the Royals held the opposition to two goals or less. Reading is 22-0-0-1 in games where they've held the opposition to two goals or less. The Royals have allowed a total of 151 goals against this season, which translates into a 2.90 team goals against (8th in the league). Reading has scored 178 goals this year, which is a 3.42 goals per game average (third best in the league).

8. Matt Dalton registered his third shutout of the year for Reading on Friday against the Nailers, stopping the forty- eight shots he faced in sixty-five minutes of hockey and all four shots he faced in the shootout. That game established a new team record for saves made in a shutout performance by a Reading goaltender, surpassing the 44 save shutout by Cody Rudkowsky in a 5-0 win for Reading in Peoria against the Rivermen on November 8, 2003.

9. In the three wins this week, goaltender Matt Dalton stopped 112 of the 115 shots he faced, which translates into a .974 save percentage and a 0.97 goals against average. Dalton is currently riding a seven game unbeaten streak (6-0- 1-0) for the Royals.

10. Reading scored on the team's first three power play opportunities on Sunday against the Elmira Jackals, marking the second time this season that the Royals have scored three PPG in a single game. (The other was on January 18 in an 8-2 win over the Toledo Walleye, 3-7.) The Royals have scored a PPG in thirteen of the last sixteen games played by the team (17-76; 22.4% scoring ratio). Overall, the Royals are 40 for 223 on the PP (17.9% scoring ratio, twelfth in the league).

11. The Royals did not allow a PPGA last week (9/9). In the last fifteen games, the Royals PK has killed 53 of 58 power plays the team has faced (91.4% kill ratio). Overall, Reading has allowed 40 PPGA in 244 chances for the opposition on the PP (83.6%, fifth best in the league).

CLOSING NOTES

1. The Royals snapped a streak of three straight shootout losses with the shootout win over Wheeling on Friday. Overall, this season, Reading is 4-3 in the shootout. The team's skaters have scored on 17 of the team's 35 attempts in the shootout (48.6% scoring ratio). The goaltenders have stopped 21 of the 34 shots they have faced (61.8% save percentage). Andrew Sarauer scored on his shootout attempt on Friday. He is 3 for 4 this season in the shootout. Ben Gordon also scored on his attempt. He is 3 for 6.

2. Todd Perry scored the game's first goal on Saturday night against Wheeling. That was Perry's fourth goal of the year, and the first one this season that was not a game winner. Perry did, however, assist on the game winner in that game, as he registered his second multi-point game of the year.

3. Chris Blight scored the late third period tie-breaking game winner against Wheel ing on Saturday. That was Blight's second game winner of the season. Blight also scored an empty netter in Saturday's win, marking his first multi-goal game of the season for Reading. Blight also scored a goal and picked up an assist in Sunday's win, which was his tenth multi-point game of the year (in 26 played for the Royals).

4. Ben Gordon scored the team's first goal in Sunday's 5-2 win over Elmira. That was his third 'first goal' and fifth power play goal. Gordon has 135 points in 114 total games with the Royals. He is four points behind Brad Rooney to become the all-time leading scorer for the Royals.

5. Ryan Cruthers registered his eleventh multi-point game of the year on Sunday (1g-1a). He has 108 points (40g-68a) in 94 total games with Reading. He is the fifth leading scorer in Royals' history.

6.Olivier Labelle scored his team leading sixth power play goal on Sunday. It was also his third GWG of the season.

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