ECHL Reading Royals

Reading Royals Weekly

Published on December 8, 2014 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


NOTES OF THE WEEK

1. The Royals started the week with a pair of losses at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania: (i) on Thursday to the Toledo Wall- eye (6-4); and (ii) Saturday to the South Carolina S ngrays (4-2). However, the team finished the week with what may be the most complete performance to date, a 2-0 win over the S ngrays on home ice.

2. Reading slipped into sixth place in the East Division of the ECHL's Eastern Confer- ence with the 4-2 loss to South Carolina on Saturday; but regained a e for fiDh place in East with South Carolina (10-8-1-1=22) aDer Sunday's win over the S ngrays.

3. Through the first twenty games this season, the Royals 10-8-1-1 record translates into a .550 win percentage which is fourth best in the East Division and eighth best in the Eastern Conference. Only the top four teams in each division will qualify for playoffs.

4. Last year, through twenty games the team's record stood at 10-9-1-0=21. The best record through twenty games in team history was established in the 2005-06 season when Reading was 14-5-0-1=29.

5. The back-to-back losses to start the week stretched Reading's losing streak to three, equaling the longest losing streak of the season. The Royals also lost three straight from November 1 through November 14, 2014.

6. All three of the losses in this most recent losing streak were on home ice. The longest home losing streak in team history is five games which the Royals have done twice including last season (11/29 - 12/28/13) and the 2008-09 season (11/23 - 12/06/08).

7. The Royals are eight games into the longest home stand in team history at ten games. So far, the team has gone 4-3-0-1 during this extended s nt at home. Reading will complete the homestand with back-to-back games against the Wheeling Nailers this Friday and Saturday before heading out on the road for five straight.

8. Reading was outscored 18-9 during this most recent three game losing streak and 7-0 in the first period during those three games; however the team outscored the opposi- on 5-3 in the third period of those games.

9. Thursday's 6-4 loss to Toledo marked the fourth me this season that Reading has been touched up for six or more goals in a single game. The team is 0-4-0-0 in those games.

10. With respect to goal differen al, the Royals are currently playing to an overall minus-1 (67 goals for - 68 goals against). The team is a minus in every period except the third: (i) first: (minus-4) (16-20); (ii) second: (minus-4) (20-24); and (iii) third: (plus-6) (28-22). (NOTE: Reading has also been credited three goals in the team's shootout wins).

11. Overall, Reading's team goals against average sits at 3.40, which is twenty-first out of the twenty-eight teams in the league. The 2004-05 Royals established the team record for team goals against average at 2.14. Last year, the Royals had a 2.53 team goals against (and a plus-47 goal differen al). In the championship season (2012-13), Reading had a 2.57 team goals against and a team record plus-61 goal differen al.

12. Although the Royals have only scored a total of eleven goals over the last four games (which is an average of 2.75 goals per game), Reading's sixty-seven goals scored translates into a 3.35 goals per game average, which is seventh best in the league. The most prolific team in Royals' history was the 2002-03 team which averaged 3.63 goals per game. Last year, the Royals averaged 3.18 goals per game (and during the championship season, the team scored goals at a rate of 3.42 goals per game-which was fourth best in the league).

13. The Royals registered the team's first shutout of the year and forty-fiDh regular season shutout in team history on Sunday, when Mar n OuellePe made all twenty-four saves he was required to make in the team's 2-0 win over South Carolina. That was the twen- ty-fourth regular season shutout on home ice for Reading.

14. Sunday's shutout was the second me Reading blanked the South Carolina S ngrays in team history. Last year, Brandon Ander- son-who was the goaltender for the S ngrays on Sunday-shutout South Carolina (4-0) on February 28, 2014 at Santander Arena. (Incidentally, yesterday Anderson became the twenty-ninth goaltender in team history to play both for and against the Royals.)

15. Reading generated a season high forty-two shots on goal in Saturday's 4-2 loss to South Carolina. Twenty-one of those shots came in the third period, which is also a team season-high for shots in a single frame.

16. The Royals have had forty or more shots on goal three mes this sea- son and are 1-2-0-0 in those games.

17. Overall, Reading is averaging 31.80 shots per game, which is eighth best in the league.

18. The Royals held the S ngrays to a season low two shots in the second period of Sunday's 2-0 win. Overall, South Carolina generated 24 shots in that game (thirteen of which came in the third period). That marked the third me this year that Reading has held the opposi on to twenty-five or fewer shots, and Reading is 1-1-1-0 in those games.

19. Overall, Reading is averaging allowing 31.00 shots per game against (twenty-first in the league). The championship team in 2012-13 was the best team in Royals' history with respect to restric ng shots for the oppo- nent, averaging just 26.89 shots against per game. (Last year, the Royals allowed just 28.94 shots against per game.)

20. Reading's power play has been held off the board in the last three consecu ve games (including an 0 for 7 performance in Sun- day's 2-0 win) and in four of the last five played. Over the last six games, the team has scored one power play goal in twenty chances with the man advantage, which is a 5.0% scoring ra o.

21. Overall, the Royals have scored eighteen power play goals in 101 chances with the man advantage, which is a 17.8% scoring ra- o-twelDh best in the league.

22. On Thursday, the power play unit coughed up a short-handed goal against to give the Toledo Walleye a 1-0 lead 7:14 into the first period of the 6-4 loss to the Walleye. That was the fiDh short-handed goal against on the season given up by the Royals which is ed for third-most in the league. (Orlando and Utah have allowed six SHGAs).

23. ADer blanking the opposi on's power play in four straight games and nine of the previous ten games, the Royals' penalty killers were touched up for three power play goals against (on just four chances) in South Carolina's 4-2 win over Reading this past Satur- day. That marked the second me this season that Reading has allowed three PPGAs in a single game-the other coming in the 7-6 loss to the Fort Wayne Komets on November 8 (3-8)

24. Reading's penalty kill returned to form on Sunday, blanking the S ngrays on three chances with the man advantage. Reading has held the opposi on's PP off the board in ten of the last twelve games and has killed thirty-two of the last thirty-six chances that the opponent has had on the power play, which is an 88.9% kill ra o during that me span.

25. Overall, Reading's penalty kill has an 81.2% success rate (thirteen power play goals against in sixty-nine chances for the opposi- on), which is twen eth in the league.

26. Reading is the least penalized team in the league, averaging just 11.90 penalty minutes against per game.

27. Adam Hughesman is riding a three game point and goal scoring streak (3g-2a=5pts). Hughesman, who leads the Royals with twenty-three points (8g-15a) in twenty games, broke a three game streak without a point when he scored the Royals' first goal early in the second period of Thursday's 6-4 loss to Toledo. Hughesman recorded an assist on Mike Marcou's goal late in the second in that game to record his sixth mul -point performance of the year. ADer scoring the Royals' first goal in Saturday's 4-2 loss to South Carolina, Hughesman recorded his team lead- ing seventh mul -point performance of the year (1g-1a) factoring in both goals in the 2-0 win over the S ngrays on Sunday. Hughesman, who leads the Royals with sixty shots on goal, is currently ed for eleventh in the ECHL scoring race.

28. Cam Reid picked an assist in Thursday's 6-4 loss to Toledo, as well as Sunday's 2-0 win over South Carolina. Although Reid has not scored in six games, he has had at least one point in sixteen of the twenty-games played by the Royals this season.

27. David Marshall has recorded at least one point in five of his last six games (3g-4a=7pts). On Sunday, Marshall scored his eighth goal (which is ed for the team lead with Adam Hughesman) 1:38 into the third period to break a 0-0 deadlock between the Royals and S ngrays. That goal proved to be Marshall's fourth game winner of the year, which is ed for the league lead in that category. (Reading has had seven regula on wins this season and Marshall has scored the GWG in four of those games). Marshall also assisted on Adam Hughesman's insurance goal on Sunday to record his sixth mul -point game of the year.

28. Although Pat Mullane's four game point streak (1g-4a=5pts) was snapped on Sunday, he has recorded at least one point in seven of his last nine games (3g-6a=9pts). Mullane leads all forwards on the team in plus-minus, playing to a plus-five (+5) in twenty games with the team.

29. Olivier Labelle's assist on Ryan Cruthers' goal against the Toledo Walleye last Thursday was Labelle's 144th career point as a Royal (76g-68a). Labelle, who played in his 176th game as a Royal on Sunday (tying Reagan Rome for third most in team history), is now ed with Ben Gordon for third on the all- me career ladder for the Royals. (Gordon had 53g-91a=144pts in 124 games). Yannick Tifu is second on the all- me scoring list with 179 points (66g-113a=179pts) in 184 career games with the Royals

30. Ryan Cruthers scored his third goal of the year 2:01 into the third period of play (to make the score 5-3, Toledo) in Thurs- day's loss. For Cruthers that was his seventy-fourth career goal with Reading, which is second only to Olivier Labelle (76) in that category. Cruthers, who played in his 231st game as a Royal (most ever) on Sunday, is the Royals all- me leading scorer with 236 points (74g-162a).

31. Defenseman Mike Marcou scored his third goal of the year against Toledo on Thursday. Marcou has thirteen points (3g-10a) in nineteen games with Reading, which places him ed for tenth amongst defenseman in league scoring. Marcou has seven power play points (1g-6a) which is ed with Adam Comrie for the team lead in that category.

32. Although he did not play in Sunday's win over South Carolina, Adam Comrie is riding a five game point streak (3g-3a=6pts). Com- rie, who is ed for the league lead amongst defensemen with six goals, leads the Royals with five power play goals-which also leads all defensemen in the league.

33. Defenseman Zach Davies ed his season high by genera ng five shots on goal in Reading's 4-2 loss to South Carolina on Satur- day. Davies' ten points (2g-8a) is third best amongst defensemen on the team.

34. Willie Coetzee scored a goal and pick up an assist in Saturday's loss to the S ngrays to record his second mul -point perfor- mance in just his fourth game with the team. Coetzee played to his personal best plus-2 (+2) in that game.

35. Defenseman Maxim Lamarche, who has played to a plus in nine of his sixteen games with the Royals (including Saturday and Sunday against South Carolina), leads the team in plus-minus at plus-8 (+8).

36. Ian WaPers scored his first goal as a Royal to draw Reading within one (at 5-4) with 8:31 remaining in Thursday's game against the Toledo Walleye. That was WaPers' fourteenth game with Reading this season. He also played seven with the team last year be- fore sustaining a season ending injury.

37. Bryant Molle engaged in his team-leading fiDh fight of the season 10:07 into the second period of Saturday's game against South Carolina when he fought the S ngrays' Anthony Collins. For Molle, that was his twenty-third career fight as a Royal, which is fiDh most in team history behind Malcolm MacMillan (35), Dave Stewart (27), Rob LaLonde (27), and ScoP Langdon (25).

38. Goaltender Mar n OuellePe was loaned to Reading by the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL on Thursday and played for the Royals that night against the Toledo Walleye. OuellePe made 28 saves on 33 shots, but sustained the loss, which snapped a five game unbeaten streak (3-0-1-1) for OuellePe. However, he bounced back on Sunday to make all twenty-four saves he was called upon to make against South Carolina to record his first pro shutout. That was OullePe's eleventh game of the season for Reading. He has compiled a record of 5-4-1-1 with the team with a 2.83 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.

39. Goaltender Connor Knapp made 29 saves on 33 shots in the 4-2 loss to South Carolina on Saturday. Knapp, who has appeared in eleven games for Reading, has a 5-4-0-0 record with Reading with a 3.50 goals against average and a .888 save percentage.

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