ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Explode Against Toledo, 8-2

Published on January 14, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (1st Atlantic Division, 23-9-2-048), 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 Toledo Walleye (4th North Division, 13-18-0-329), 8-2, at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. This win, which stretched the Royals current unbeaten streak to season high nine games (7-0-2-0), marked the sixth time in team history that the Royals have scored eight (or more) goals in a single game. Toledo scored the game's first goal, so technically it was the Royals twelfth come-from-behind win of the season. Reading goaltender Michael Hutchinson (win, 3-0-1-0, 19/21; 40:00) played the first two periods and avenged last Friday's overtime loss to the Walleye. Zane Kalemba (no decision, 9/9; 20:00) played the third period and was perfect. Toledo's Joe Palmer (loss, 4-9-0-0; 10/15; 20:39) sustained the loss in his second start of the season against the Royals. Jimmy Spratt (no decision; 13/16; 39:13) came into the game early in the second period and allowed three goals on sixteen shots. Reading scored three power play goals in a single game for the first time this season (3-7); but also gave up a short-handed goal. Reading's penalty killers kept the opposition's power play off the board for the fourth straight game (0-2).

Toledo struck first 4:04 into the game, when a neutral zone turn over by the Royals' power play unit allowed Randy Rowe to take off on a clean break. Rowe didn't waste the opportunity firing over the right shoulder of Hutchinson for his eighth of the year. Reading didn't trail for long, as twenty-seven seconds later, while the Royals were still on the power play, Ben Gordon scored his first of the game, when Rob Kwiet fired a perfect cross-ice pass from deep on the left wing side to a waiting Gordon, who was set up in the right circle for the quick snap shot. 7:55 into the first, it was Gordon's turn to pick one off in the neutral zone and take off on a break. Gordon didn't waste his chance either, sliding the puck under Palmer for his fifteenth of the year. Thirteen seconds after that, Brett Gallant forced a turnover below the goal line in the Toledo end and slipped the puck to right side of the crease, where John Scrymgeour stepped up and banged in what proved his second of the season-both of which have been game winners. The Royals stretched the lead to 4-1 at the 13:02 mark of the second, when Chris Blight deflected a Louis Liotti shot from the high slot for Blight's fifth of the year.

Reading chased Palmer forty-seven seconds into the second with the team's fifth goal of the night. Todd Perry shot from the right point and missed the net; but the puck ricocheted off the end wall and bounded towards the right side of the Toledo net, where Tyler Murovich forced it through for his second of the year. Toledo goaltender Jimmy Spratt took over at that point. 5:33 into the second, Toledo's Tyler Doig was assessed with a major penalty and a game misconduct for an illegal hit to the head of Blight. Nineteen seconds into the ensuing power play, Rob Kwiet blasted one from the left point that beat Spratt high glove side. Thirty-one seconds after that, Reading built the lead to 7-1 with their third power play goal of the night. Cody Wild slid the puck from left circle into the crease, where it got through a sprawled Spratt; Casey Haines then found the loose puck just above the goal line and tapped it over for his sixth of the year. Toledo cut the lead to 7-2 when Ryan Stokes fired one from the mid-slot that snuck through Hutchinson with 2:14 left in the second. Fourteen seconds after that, things got a bit messy as Reading's Brett Gallant and Stokes fought; followed shortly thereafter by a tilt between the Royals' John Scrymgeour and the Walleye's Kyle Page. Things settled down in the third; but the Royals added to the team's lead when Murovich re-directed another Liotti shot from the high slot give Reading a season high six goal margin of victory.

The Royals travel to First Arena in Elmira, New York, tomorrow (Saturday January 15, 2011 @ 7:35) where they'll face the Elmira Jackals for the ninth time this year. The Royals game day broadcast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show presented by The Works at Wyomissing on the Royals Broadcast Network (WRAW 1340 am in Reading, www.1340wraw.com) at 7:05 pm. You can also catch all of the Royals away games this season on Royals TV exclusively on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel, and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Season tickets for the Royals' 2010-11 season are currently available. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com .

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