ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Slip up Against Toledo in OT, 4-3

January 7, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Toledo, OH - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (1st Atlantic Division, 20-9-2-042), 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 Toledo Walleye (4th North Division, 13-15-2-129), 4-3, in overtime at Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio. The Royals held two separate leads in this game, but needed a late game goal from Chris Blight to get to overtime. Despite the OTL, the Royals stretched the team's unbeaten streak to six games (4-0-2-0). Royals' goaltender Michael Hutchinson (OTL, 1-0-1-0, 43/47 in 61:53) made a boat-load of brilliant stops-including one on a penalty shot-to give his team a chance to win. Toledo's Joe Palmer (win, 4-7-0-0, 17/20 in 61:53) was forced to make some big stops as well despite only seeing twenty shots from Reading. The Royals power play was held off the board for the sixteenth time this season (0-2); but the Reading penalty killers blanked the opposition's power play for the twelfth time this season (0-6).

After a scoreless first, Reading broke through 6:20 into the second after a scrum behind the Toledo net. Chris Blight freed the puck for Eric Castonguay, who slipped the puck to the top of the crease, where Alain Goulet stepped in and punched it through for his third of the season. Toledo evened the game on a disputed goal at the 13:09 mark of the second. Tyler Gotto fired from the right point and the puck appeared to be headed way over the Royals' goal. However, someone reached up with a stick and deflected it down over the shoulder of Hutchinson and in. Although the Royals argued that it was deflected in by a Toledo high stick, the goal was allowed and credited to Gotto for his fourth of the year. With 13.4 seconds left in the second, Rob Kwiet took down Dominic Osman, who had a clean cut breakaway. Osman was awarded a penalty shot, but Hutchinson rejected his bid with a solid right pad stop.

5:54 into the third, the Royals took their second lead of the game when Tyler Murovich slid a pass from behind the Toledo net to a waiting Yannick Riendeau who held long enough as he cut through the low slot to get Palmer to sprawl to the ice, allowing Riendeau to fire a back-hand into the upper reaches of the net for his sixth of the season. Toledo re-tied the game at two at the 8:05 mark of the third, when Ryan Stokes charged from the high slot all the way to the Royals' net where he took a back-hand that was rejected by Hutchinson, but the rebound slid to the right side of the goal where Zach Torquato tracked it down and buried it into a wide open net. The Walleye took their first lead of the game 2:06 later, when Johnny May fired one from the goal line deep on the right wing side that would have gone through the low slot, but instead hit a Royal in front of the net and ricocheted through the legs of Hutchinson. But Reading bounced back to tie with just 2:51 left in regulation when Blight, who had just served a minor penalty for tripping, came storming out of the penalty box to take a long pass from Castonguay. Blight carried deep on the left wing side, used a Toledo defender as a screen, and beat Palmer five-hole for his third of the year.

1:53 into overtime, Toledo took the two points when a defensive zone turnover by the Royals provided a point blank opportunity for Sal Peralta. He didn't waste it drilling the puck high glove side on Hutchinson for his second of the year, sending the 6752 in attendance into a wild frenzy of delight.

The Royals travel to Wheeling, West Virginia, where they'll face the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday (January 8 @ 7:35 pm). The Royals game night broadcast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show presented by The Works at Wyomissing on the Royals Broadcast Network (WRAW 1340 am in Reading, www.1340wraw.com) at 7:05 pm. 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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ECHL Stories from January 7, 2011


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