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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Fall in Series Finale to Nailers on New Year's Eve, 6-5

December 31, 2022 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Wheeling, WV - The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, fell to the Wheeling Nailers, 6-5, on Saturday, December 31st at WesBanco Arena. The Royals fell to 17-9-1 and suffered their third loss in their last four games, all losses coming down to one goal differentials. Kaden Fulcher suffered the loss in his fourth start with Reading (1-3). Fulcher earned 28 saves on 34 shots faced while Nailers goalie Bailey Brkin earned the win in his first appearance in goal for Wheeling this season (1-2). Brkin stopped 17 of 19 shots faced after coming in relief for Tommy Nappier 3:05 into the second period.

After seven minutes of scoreless hockey to open the game, the Royals and Nailers combined for five goals in the final 13 minutes of the first period. Wheeling scored the game's first two goals courtesy of Justin Addamo's first of two goals in the game and Cédric Desruisseaux's second goal of the series.

Jordan Timmon's answered back for the Royals with Reading's first tally 12:21 into regulation. Jacob Gaucher and Garrett McFadden each earned assists on Timmon's second goal as a Royal. The primary assist for Gaucher improved the rookie forward's point streak to seven games.

Adam Smith provided the Nailers a two-goal lead with his fifth goal of the season less than two minutes later. Wheeling's lead was cut back down to one after Trey Bradley handled a puck off of the ensuing center ice face off and snapped a wrist shot past Nappier for his ninth goal of the season.

Reading scored three-goals in the second period to take a two-goal lead into the third, 5-3. Charlie Gerard, Dominic Cormier and Max Newton scored for the Royals as Bradley and Will MacKinnon each earned multi-point games with assists on the second period goals. Bradley earned the primary assist on Cormier's fifth goal of the season for his seventh multi-point game as a Royal while MacKinnon tallied his second assist in the game on Newton's team leading 14th goal of the season. The helper earned MacKinnon his third multi-point game of the season.

Reading's two goal lead was erased 11:51 into the third period as Peter Laviolette and Brooklyn Kalmikov each scored for Wheeling to tie the score, 5-5. Laviolette's goal was the first of his professional career while Kalmikov's goal was the second to come on the power play for the Nailers. Wheeling scored on two of their three power play chances in the game while Reading went 0/2 on the man advantage.

Addamo finished the game the same way he began it with a goal for Wheeling which provided the Nailers a one-goal lead with 3:23 remaining in regulation. The forward snapped a wrist shot past the right pad of Fulcher for his second goal of the game and fifth multi-point game of the season.

Wheeling preserved the one-goal lead to take the series two games to Reading's one win which was earned in game two of the series on Friday, December 30th.

The Royals fell to 2-3 in the season series with Wheeling (112-87 all-time) and suffered their first regulation loss of the season when leading after two periods (14-1-1). In New Year's Eve games, the Royals dropped to 6-5-0-1 all-time and 2-2 against Wheeling with losses in two-straight meetings with the Nailers on the holiday (2018 and 2022).

The Royals return home on Saturday, January 7th to host the Worcester Railers in the Star Wars and Pediatric Cancer promotional night.

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