ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Hold Off Chiefs

Published on February 28, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (26-24-1-356, 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 Johnstown Chiefs (15-34-5-338, 4th East Division), 4-3, at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The win, which was the Royals' fourth consecutive victory at home, lifted the Royals back into second place in the East Division-and in a tie with the Gwinnett Gladiators for ninth in the American Conference. This game ran Reading's record in games decided by one goal to 17-5-1-0. Goaltender Josh Johnson (win, 5-2-0-0; 28/31) registered his first regulation win as a member of the Royals. The Chiefs' John Murray (loss; 5-20-2-0; 29/33) became the nineteenth goaltender in team history to play for the Royals (as he did when he began his pro career in 2008) and against the organization, as well. Reading was blanked on the power play for the twenty-third time this year (0-7). The Chiefs also failed to capitalize on the power play (0-3).

Reading struck early, when Scott Langdon activated off the right point and fired a hard shot from the circle. Murray rejected that shot, but Langdon got a whack at his own rebound, which Murray stopped as well. But the third whack went to Ben McLeod at the top of the crease, and he punched it in for his thirteenth of the year 1:44 into the game. Johnstown tied it 1:32 later, when a long break-out pattern sprang Jeff Martens into the offensive end. Martens appeared to have run out of real estate deep on the right wing side, but he turned and wheeled the puck on net, and that shot hit Johnson in the upper body and fluttered into the net for his third of the year.

The Chiefs took their only lead of the game 14:13 into the first when they were able to convert off the rush. Troy Schwab tossed a cross-crease pass from right to left that appeared to strike Brian Kaufman in the right skate and ricochet into the net for his third of the year. Reading tied the game at two with 2:39 left in the first when Dinos Stamoulis picked off a centering pass from the Chiefs in front of Reading's net and started a rush in the other direction. Stamoulis fed Giliati, who carried into the offensive end on the left wing side and dropped to the trailing Andrew Sarauer, who came straight down the slot and ripped a snap shot top shelf, glove side for his thirteenth of the year.

Reading re-took the lead 13:10 into the second period with a perfect give-and-go between Langdon and Rob Slaney. Langdon carried into the offensive zone on the right wing side and dropped the puck just inside the blue line to Rob Slaney, who took control and moved down the right side. As Slaney went in that direction, Langdon went to the slot, and Slaney threw a perfect saucer to a spot ten feet off the top of the crease where Langdon swept in and re-directed puck over Murray bar-and-in for his third of the year. The Royals got what proved to be the game winner with 1:30 left in the second. Ryan Cruthers battled for possession behind the Johnstown net and fed the puck to the left side of the crease, where Olivier Labelle stepped in-and with Murray sprawled out in the reverse snow-angel in front of the net-and roofed it for his eighteenth of the year.

The Royals played solid-styled defense in the third, but Johnstown was still able to make a game of it when Troy Schwab took a pass from Brian Marshall out in front of the Royals' net and fired it top shelf for his fourteenth of the season 7:29 into the period. From that point forward, the Royals strengthened their defensive effort and were able to keep the Chiefs at bay and run the team's record to 16-10-0-2 at the Sovereign Center this season.

The Royals seek to snap a seven game road losing streak when the team travels to Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey on Tuesday (March 2, 2009 @ 7:00 pm). The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will begin at 6:30 pm.

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ECHL Stories from February 28, 2010


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