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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Pull out a Point in Overtime Loss to Adirondack, 2-1

March 24, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (OTL, 36-24-3-277) of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, were defeated by the Adirondack Thunder (win, 35-20-6-480), 2-1, in overtime at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania.

In the front end of a late-season two-game set between Reading and Adirondack, the Royals fell behind in the first period, but held strong despite a relentless push from the Thunder, which included 1:41 of five-on-three power play for Adirondack in the second period. But it was the Royals' power play-which had scored just once in the last thirty-three chances with the man advantage over the last nine games-that came through when it was most needed: with just 6:17 left in regulation time to pull out a critical point in the standings despite the fact that Adirondack bagged the OT game winner with just 29.6 seconds left in the extra session.

The Thunder struck first when Cullen Bradshaw stepped up on the forecheck to dig a puck off the right wing half-wall in the offensive zone. Bradshaw fed J.C. Campagna, who was cutting through the mid-slot where he got a clean look and drilled the puck up and over the catching glove of goaltender Mark Dekanich for his third of the year.

From there the two teams went at it playoff style, trading chances in a back-and-forth punch and counter-punch knock-down drag out effort with the two goaltenders at either end, Mason MacDonald and Dekanich trading saves. Dekanich took one of those punches-quite literally-6:27 into the second period when Adirondack's Conor Riley ran over the goaltender and knocked him completely below the goal line, where it appeared that Riley continued to hold Dekanich down. Although the Thunder's Ryan Culkin was able to sneak the puck into the net in that sequence, that goal was waived off for goaltender interference.

MacDonald took a couple of heavy hits of his own, including one 1:12 after the Royals scored in the third period, when he came way out of the net to play a loose puck in the mid-slot with Reading's Steven Swavely bearing down on him. MacDonald and Swavely collided, causing MacDonald to come out of the game in favor of J.P. Anderson who would go take over in net-make all eight saves he was called upon make-and pick up the win in overtime.

Prior to knocking MacDonald out of the game, the Royals were able to break through on the big goaltender on team's third power play chance of the night. Justin Crandall threaded a perfect diagonal-up pass through the crease from the goal line on the left side of the net to a waiting Ryan Penny, who snuck up on the weak side through the right circle and buried the bar-down back-door blast for his twenty-third of the year.

Adirondack ended things-and claimed the two points-with just 29.6 seconds left in overtime when Ryan Culkin powered his way out of the right corner, cutting behind the Royals' net and forcing his way out on the left side towards the front on the net-where he appeared poised to try for the stuff in, but instead slipped the puck across the crease to a waiting Cullen Bradshaw, who buried carbon-copy back-door bullet for the OT GWG.

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2017 v Adirondack Thunder Santander Arena - Reading, PA (7:00 pm)

Scout Night Players Trading Card Set Giveaway (First 2000) Courtesy of Rieck's Printing Post-Game Autograph Session

ROYALS BROADCAST

AUDIO: iHeartRadio - Rumba 1340 in Reading Deibler Dental In Arena Broadcast: 99.3 fm Inside Santander Arena TELEVISION: Royals' Road Games are televised locally in Berks County, Pennsylvania on BCTV, which Can Found at Comcast Reading Cable Channel 15, Service Electric Cable Channel 19, Comcast Southern Berks Channel 965 Courtesy of Boscov's Travel and Apple Vacations

STREAMING VIDEO: ECHL.TV powered by NeuLion (Pay-Per-View)

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