Royals Slip Down Stretch in Loss to Elmira, 5-2
Published on January 15, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release
Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (20-14-1-3=44, 1st 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, were defeated by the Elmira Jackals (18-15-2-2=40), 5-2, at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Jackals pulled away with a three goal third to pull within four points of the Royals for first place in the East Division of the American Conference. The loss dropped Reading's record to 3-5-0-1 in the team's last nine games; and the Royals are now 1-2-0-1 with two games to go in the season long six game home stand. Goaltender Matt Dalton (Loss, 11-9-0-2; 39/43) had another forty-plus shot against night, coming up big a number of times; but was unable to keep the Jackals third period attack at bay. Elmira's Julien Ellis (7-6-0-0; 38/40) was excellent for the Jackals, particular in response to the Royals' first period surge. Reading's power play was blanked by the ECHL's best penalty kill (0-6). Elmira got two goals-their first and the game winner---while playing with the man advantage (2-6).
Reading struck early when Rob LaLonde sprang Jimmy Fraser on a break behind the Elmira defense 1:18 into the game. Fraser beat Ellis high to the short side for his fourth of the year-three of which have come in his last three games. At the other end of the first period-with 2:37 remaining-Elmira tied the game with a power play goal. Brendan Connolly charged deep into the Royals' zone on the left wing side and slid a pass to the top of the crease, where a crashing Bear Trapp forced it through for his first goal in his first game of the year with Elmira.
The Jackals turned it up in the second, but Dalton was exceptional, coming up with an incredible pipe-to-pipe sprawling stop on a short-handed two-on-one break for the Jackals' Yanick Tifu and Matt Lowry 13:53 into the second frame. That stopped fueled the Royals' offense and a little over two minutes later Bryan Ewing scored in his first game as a Royal to give Reading a 2-1 lead. Marc Cavosie stole below the goal line and fed to Andrew Sarauer at the right side of the Jackals' net. Sarauer slid the puck into the crease, where Ewing won the battle and chipped the puck over Ellis for his ninth of the year. But the Royals got greedy in the waning moments of the second and got caught in the offensive zone below the puck, allowing the Jackals to have a late period odd man rush. The trailer, Brennan Turner, took the drop feed from Yannick Tifu and buried it top shelf glove side for his second of the season.
Elmira got what proved to be the game winner on the third of three consecutive power play opportunities given to them by the Royals in the early stages of the final period. Olivier Proulx walked the goal line on the right wing side and slid it under Dalton's stick, as he tried to pinch off at the right pipe. That goal, 8:14 into the third, proved to be the game winner. The Jackals added a breakaway goal by Tyler Donati with 4:56 remaining-as he gunned a twenty-foot slap shot through Dalton for his fourteenth of the year. Donati picked up an empty-netter with 57 seconds left, but by that time, the damage had been done.
The Royals and Jackals go at it again tomorrow (Saturday, January 16, 2010 @ 7:05 pm) at the Sovereign Center. The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show at 6:35 pm.
ECHL Stories from January 15, 2010
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