ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Left Spinning by Kalamazoo, 5-4

Published on April 16, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (0-2-0), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, were defeated by the Kalamazoo Wings (2-0-0), 5-4, in Game Two of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semi-Finals at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The K-Wings exploded for three goals in a twenty-nine second span early in the first period and then held off the Royals to take a two-games-to-none lead with the playoff series headed to Kalamazoo. This marks the first time in team history that the Royals have lost the first two games in a best-of-seven playoff series.

Royals' goaltender Ben Scrivens (loss, 0-1-0; 31/36) sustained the loss in his first pro playoff start. Kalamazoo's Ryan Nie (win, 5-1-0, 28/32) made a number of spectacular saves, particularly in the second period when Reading outshot the K-Wings 18-7, to stretch his playoff win streak to five games. Reading scored a power play goal (1-7) late in the second to draw within one (at 4-3), but were unable to capitalize on a 1:24 sequence of five-on-three earlier in the second. Kalamazoo's last two goals, including the game winner, came while the K-Wings were playing with the man advantage (2-3).

As with Game One of the series, Kalamazoo's Dean Strong bagged the game's first goal. This one came six minutes into the first period after Ryan McGinnis flipped a puck towards the Royals' net. Reading defender Louis Liotti reached up with his hand to knock the puck down, but the puck flipped over his glove and fell to the right side of the slot, where Strong retrieved and slid the puck through a mass of humanity in front of the Royals' net that included a sprawled Scrivens, who had come out in an aggressive move, but got caught in a tough spot.

Twelve seconds later-directly after the face-off to restart play-Kory Karlander carried deep into the left corner and found a wide-open Justin Taylor coming into the offensive zone off the rush on the left side of the slot. Taylor ripped a beautiful snap shot high glove side for his fourth of the playoff season to make it 2-0 K-Zoo. Seventeen seconds after that, Taylor outraced three Reading players to a loose puck in the Royals' defensive zone. Taylor gained possession in the low slot, cut left-to-right across the top of the crease and back-handed the puck by Scrivens to complete the 29 second trifecta.

Reading settled down after that and got on the board 17:11 into the first when Rob Slaney gained possession behind the Kalamazoo net and wrapped the puck around the right pipe and jammed it in for his first career playoff goal to make it 3-1 Wings. But Kalamazoo bounced back with a late period power play goal to re-gain the three goal advantage. A.J. Thelen ripped one from the high slot that Scrivens stopped, but the rebound fell into the crease, where he lost sight of the puck; and before he could find it-or his teammates could complete the box-out-Andrew Fournier jammed it in with 1:30 left in the first.

Reading came out storming in the second period, and cut the K-Wings lead to 4-2 when the K-Wings sent a puck towards the left point from deep in the offensive zone. The puck slid through to the neutral zone, where Yannick Riendeau battled through a check to gain possession and take off on a breakaway. Riendeau laid down a perfect forehand-backhand-forehand stuff for his second of the playoff season 1:20 into the second period. After continuing the unrelenting attack in through the middle portion of the second, the Royals finally broke through with a late period power play goal to claw within one. Jared Ross fired off the right side, Nie made the save, and the rebound slid to the left circle, where Rob Kwiet gained possession and slipped a back-hand through Nie for his first of the playoff season.

Kalamazoo re-grouped in between periods and slowed the pace in the third. The K-Wings then regained a two goal lead with a power play goal that proved to be the game winner 2:50 into the third. Sam Ftorek set up Strong for a one-timer out of the left circle. Scrivens made the save on that shot; but Darryl Lloyd punched the rebound back through his legs for his second of the playoff season. From that point forward, the K-Wings kept the Royals at bay, thwarting a number of scoring chances by sacrificing the body and blocking shots. However, Ben Gordon made it a one-goal game again with four minutes left in regulation when he put back a rebound of a Rob Kwiet for Gordon's second of the playoff season. But the comeback effort would fall short, as the hole dug in a twenty-nine second span in the first period ultimately proved too deep.

The Royals and Kalamazoo Wings travel to Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo where they will play Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals on Wednesday (April 20 @ 7:00 pm). The game night broadcast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show presented by The Works at Wyomissing at 6:30 pm on WRAW 1340 am and on the internet at www.1340wraw.com. 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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