ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Trounced in Trenton, 4-1

Published on February 6, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Trenton, NJ - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (23-19-1-3=50, 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, were defeated by the Trenton Devils (17-21-4-5=43, 3rd East Division), 4-1, at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey. This marked the ninth time this year that the Royals offense has been held to one-goal or less, and the team has compiled a 0-8-0-1 record in those games. This was also the first time in nine tries that the Royals have been defeated by the Devils (8-1-0-0). Goaltender Matt Dalton (Loss, 14-14-0-2; 52/56) faced a season high fifty-six shots as he sustained his first loss of the year to Trenton (5-1-0-0). Trenton's Dave Caruso (win, 8-13-0-2; 25/26) won for the first time in three decisions against the Royals (1-2-0-0). Reading's power play was held off the board for the twentieth time this year and for the sixth time in the last ten games (0-5). The Devils got a pair of power play goals, including a five-on-three PPG in the second period. Reading's penalty kill has given up at least one power play goal against in sixteen of the last eighteen games-and in the last six straight.

Trenton came out storming in the early going and Dalton kept the Devil attack at bay until the 4:54 mark of the first, when defenseman Tim Kunes fired a snap shot from the high slot that skipped to left side of the Royals' goal, where Matt Vokes deflected the puck over Dalton's extended right pad for Vokes' fifth goal of the year. Reading tied the game 1:16 later when Charlie Kronschnabel scored a short-handed goal twenty-two seconds after Chris Clark picked up the first penalty of the game. Kronschnabel forced off the forecheck behind the Trenton net, and with Caruso caught behind the cage, the puck popped over the net and fell out in front. Marc Cavosie kept the play alive, and although he wasn't able to punch the puck into the net; Cavosie settled and fed back to the mid-slot to Kronschnael, who ripped a one-timer by Caruso for his ninth of the year. Trenton regained the lead with a power play goal on that same penalty1:27 later. Jack Combs fed Ryan Ginand at the right side of the Royals' crease. Although Ginand was well-guarded, he was able to turn and wheel a spin-a-rama into the far side of the net for his tenth of the year.

The Royals got into penalty trouble early in the second when Ben Gordon picked up a hooking minor and was assessed with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty while on his way to the penalty box. While killing that penalty, Ryan Crane chipped a puck out of play from the defensive zone and received a delay of game minor, which gave the Devils a full two minutes of five-on-three 6:12 into the second. 1:13 into that sequence, the Devils finally broke through after a couple of failed back-door chances. After a scramble at the left side of the Royals' goal, the puck slid through to the right side of the crease, where Ginand punched it in for his second power play goal of the night. Trenton got further insurance with 35.3 seconds left in the second, when Brett Wilson tracked down a loose puck deep in the Reading defensive end and fed back up into the slot, where a trailing Combs stepped in and ripped a beautiful one-timer under the bar for his twelfth of the year.

That would be it for the scoring as neither team broke through in the third. For Reading, the team created neither the number nor quality of chances necessary to mount the comeback; and for Trenton, Dalton battled to the bitter end despite the score, as the Royals dropped out of first place in the East Division for the first time since November 27, 2009 (eighteen games into the season).

The Royals return to action tomorrow night (Saturday, February 6, 2010 @ 7:05 pm) when the Elmira Jackals visit the Sovereign Center for the annual Pink in the Rink game. The Royals will wear special jerseys which will be auctioned after the game, as the Royals seek to raise money for the Breast Cancer Support Services of Berks County. 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.

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