ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Pull Out Shootout Win Over Toledo, 5-4

Published on March 13, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (31-26-1-3=66, 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 Toledo Walleye (31-26-2-4=68, 3rd North Division), 5-4, in a shootout at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals and Walleye, who are in a statistical dead heat in the battle for playoff spots in the American Conference, needed a shootout to resolve their final match-up of the regular season. Reading had to hold off a long sequence of five-on-three power play against during the waning moments of overtime to get to the shootout and pull out the two points. Matt Dalton (win, 18-18-0-2; 28/32) made several game saving stops-including a spectacular glove stop on during the overtime power play for Toledo-to pick up the win in his first game against the Walleye. Toledo's Alec Richards (sol, 16-11-0-4; 26/30) lost his second shootout decision to the Royals this season (0-0-0-2). Reading's power play was held off the board (0-4). The Royals' penalty kill gave up a couple of goals against; but came up big during Toledo's long power play sequence in overtime.

The Walleye jumped on the board with a five-on-three power play goal 8:15 into the game. Toledo worked the puck on the perimeter with the two skater advantage until Sebastien Piche fed Chris Robertson deep on the right wing side. Robertson, who was planted along the goal line, ripped a perfect sharp-angle shot bar-and-in on the short side for his seventeenth of the season. Toledo took a 2-0 lead 11:37 into the game when Robertson was the beneficiary of a defensive zone turnover by the Royals that resulted in a loose puck right out in front of the Royals' goal. Robertson stepped in and ripped a quick shot that beat Dalton under the arm-pit for his second of the game. Eleven seconds after that, the Royals got on the board, when Chase Watson charged down the left wing side, carried behind the Walleye net, came out on the far side and wrapped the puck under Richards for his third goal of the year.

Reading tied the game at two 1:51 into the second when Scott Langdon charged deep into the offensive zone as he tried to track down a loose puck behind the Walleye goal. He was joined there by Ryan Cruthers, who won the battle for the puck and chipped it over the goal towards the front of the crease where Langdon had gained inside position. Langdon batted the floating puck out of mid-air into the net for his fifth of the season. Reading took the team's first lead of the game at the 8:45 mark of the second when Jimmy Fraser picked off a clearing attempt by the Walleye in the left circle. Fraser settled and fired a snap shot across the body of Richards for his sixth of the year. Twelve seconds after that the Walleye re-tied the game at three, when Piche ripped a shot from the top of the right circle that went over the Royals' goal and ricocheted off the back-glass and bounced back over the Reading goal, landing on the left side of the crease where a crashing Sal Peralta got enough of the bouncing puck to punch it behind Dalton for his eighth of the year.

Reading re-gained the lead at 4-3 12:21 into the second period, when Dinos Stamoulis forced a pass down the right wall, where Rob Slaney took possession and turned and fired towards the Toledo net. That shot deflected off a Walleye stick and ended up on the stick of Matt Ward who was wide open and all alone in front of the net. Ward fired the puck behind Richards for his second goal of the season. Toledo bounced back once again, however, with a power play goal by Tony Romano at the 16:00 minute mark of the second. Romano walked the goal line to the right of the Royals' net and forced one through on the short side for his tenth of the season.

The two teams battled through a scoreless third period-and overtime-thanks in large part to several big stops by Dalton, particularly during the long power play sequence for the Walleye-which included 1:05 of five-on-three followed by five-on-four for the final forty seconds in overtime. In the shootout, the Royals got three straight goals from Olivier Labelle, Andrew Sarauer, and Cruthers, while Dalton rejected three of the five shots he saw from the Walleye to help the team pick up the critical two points in the standings.

The Royals return to action tomorrow afternoon (Sunday, March 14, 2010 @ 5:05) when Elmira Jackals visit the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will begin at 4:35 pm.

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