ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Earn Come Back Shootout Win Over Wheeling, 5-4

Published on February 26, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (26-23-1-3=56, 2nd East Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, defeated the Wheeling Nailers (27-26-2-3=59, 4th North Division), 5-4, in a shootout at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. Despite scoring first, the Royals had to fight back from three separate one-goal deficits to earn the tie in regulation and the shootout win. Reading, who made three of four shots in the shootout, is now 6-4 in games that go beyond regulation time and 4-3 in the shootout. Josh Johnson (win, 4-1-0-0, 40/44; 3/4 in the shootout) won his debut performance for the Royals after being acquired from the Bakersfield Condors yesterday. Wheeling's Michael-Lee Teslak (loss, 11-14-2-2; 1/4 in the shootout) dropped to 2-1-1 against the Royals this season-with one of his wins over Reading coming for the Elmira Jackals in shootout back on October 17, 2009. The Royals scored on the power play for the first time in three games against Wheeling this year (1-5). The Nailers scored on their first two power play opportunities-and picked up another goal two seconds after another power play had expired (2-5).

Reading struck first 3:58 into the game when Ryan Cruthers, who ended up with four assists on the night, stole the puck in the left corner off the fore-check and fired a pass to the top of the crease where Olivier Labelle re-directed the puck through Teslak for his fifteenth goal of the year. The Nailers tied the game on their first power play chance of the night 8:44 into the first when Joey Haddad threw a cross-ice feed into the left circle where a waiting Jon D'Aversa uncorked a one-timer high and hard glove side for his second goal of the year. The Nailers took their first lead of the game on their second power play at 14:55 of the first. Aaron Clarke fired a perfect pass from above the right circle to Thomas Beauregard who was planted on the back-door at the left side of the Royals' net. Beauregard slammed it home for his thirty-fourth goal of the year.

Reading tied the game at two 8:58 into the second when Scott Langdon kept the left point, stepped up and fired a low snap shot towards the net which was perfectly deflected up and over Teslak from in tight by Labelle for his second of the night and sixteenth of the year. The Nailers took the lead back at the 11:48 mark of the second two seconds after a power play chance ended when Andrew Lord punched one back from in tight after a scramble around the Royals' net. Once again, however, the Royals bounced back to tie things 16:51 into the second while on the power play. Cruthers did a great job to pinch off the left wall and knock down an effort to clear by the Nailers. Cruthers quickly settled and fired; and Teslak kicked out the left pad to make a stop. The rebound popped into the right circle where Stefano Giliati took control and quickly ripped it back into the upper reaches of the net for his eleventh of the year. Twenty-one seconds later, however, the Nailers came right down to re-take the lead at 4-3, when a rebound of shot by Lord kicked to the left side of the Royals' net where Colin Power fired a back-hand that went off the right side of Johnson, who was attempting to recover after the original shot, and into the net.

Reading tied the game again (at four) forty-five seconds into the third when Giliati worked a perfect give-and-go at the offensive blue line with Cruthers. Giliati broke behind the defense and buried his chance on Teslak for his twelfth of the year. The two teams traded chances from that point forward with both Johnson and Teslak making several big stops at big moments, sending the game to overtime. The Royals got the benefit of a late power play in the extra session, but were unable to capitalize, which meant that it would take a shootout to resolve things. In the shootout, Wheeling shot first and Beauregard bagged his chance; but Labelle answered for the Royals. From that point forward, Johnson rejected the next three shots by the Nailers (Mitch Ganzak, Haddad, and Billy Ryan); while the Royals got goals from Giliati and, shooting fourth, Andrew Sarauer, which gave Reading the critical two points.

The Royals seek to snap a team record six game road losing streak tomorrow (Saturday, February 27, 2010 @ 7:00 pm) when the team travels to Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey, to take on the Trenton Devils. The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show at 6:30 pm.

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