ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Win Wild Game 1 Over Florida, 7-6

Published on April 14, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA- The Reading Royals of the ECHL (1-0-0), 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 Everblades (0-1-0), 7-6, in Game One of their American Conference Semi-Final Series at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals held three separate two goals in the early going, but trailed by two early in the third before mounting a late game come back to pick up the win. The victory gives the Royals a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven second round series. Matt Dalton (win, 4-0-2, 27/33) picked up the win in his sixth playoff game over the past eight days. The Everblades' Adrian Lemay (loss, 0-1-0, 26/31, 54:22) came on in substitution of Chris Beckford-Tseu (no decision, 3-2-0; 0/2; 4:40), who started and played the first 4:40, allowing two goals on two shots. The Royals first goal of the game was scored while the team was playing with the man advantage (1-3); while the Everblades got three power play goals-all by Mike Bayrack-in four chances with the power play (3-4).

Reading struck on the team's first shot of the game 2:09 into the first period, when Aaron Brocklehurst fired a shot from the right point that appeared to be deflected on the way in, slipping through Beckford-Tseu for Brocklehurst's first of the playoff season. The Royals' Jared Ross, playing in his first game back with the Royals after a long stint in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, scored a carbon-copy goal 2:31 later-on Reading's second shot of the game-when he fired one from the right point that hit something on the way into the net, too. Florida cut the Royal's lead to 2-1 when Mike Bayrack fired a back-hand from the low slot that Dalton kicked to the left side of the net. Milan Gijac skated into the loose puck forcing it over the goal line for his sixth of the playoff season at the 10:20 mark of the first. 1:02 after that, the Royals regained the two goal lead when a turnover in front of the Everblades' net provided Olivier Labelle with a chance to turn and fire a rocket that ricocheted off a pipe and the cross-bar before going in for his sixth of the playoff season.

Florida cut the lead to one again (3-2) at the 12:46 mark of the first on the first power play goal of the night for Bayrack. On this one defenseman Scott Hotham ripped a blast off the left point that Dalton kicked out, but Bayrack was right there for the put back and his second of the playoff season. Reading re-gained the two goal for the third time of the game at 4-2 with 2:12 remaining in the first, when Greg Scott threw a beautiful pass from deep on the left side across the crease to a waiting Marc Cavosie who pounded it home for his third of the playoff season.

The Everblades bounced back with a three goal second to grab the lead at 5-4. That comeback started 11 seconds into the second-right off the face-off to start play-when Gajic walked through a Reading defender in the neutral zone, carried into the offensive end, and dished through the slot to Ross Carlson, who snuck up on the right side and ripped it home for his first of the playoff season. Four minutes later, Florida tied the game at four when Matthew Pistilli slid a pass from deep on the left side of the ice across the Royals' crease to Ryan Lang at the right side of the net, where he drilled it home for his second of the season. Bayrack's second power play goal of the game gave the Everblades the lead. On this one, it appeared that Ernie Hartlieb got a chance from in tight, but his shot deflected off a Royal to an open spot in front of Reading's net, and Bayrack stepped into the space and chipped it in for his third of the playoff season.

Florida took a 6-4 lead 2:53 into the third period when Bayrack bagged his third power play goal of the night. On this one, Gajic slid the puck through the legs of a Reading defender to Bayrack, who had an easy back-door tap-in to complete the power play hattrick. Reading then began the process of climbing back in the game. 4:28 into the third, Ryan Cruthers bagged his fourth of the playoff season when he fired one from the right circle that hit the stick of a Florida player, then hit the back of a skate of another Everblade and ended up in the net. Reading then tied the game at six at the 6:24 mark of the third, when Rob Kwiet carried into the offensive end and fired a shot on net. Lemay stopped that bid, but the rebound fell to the low slot where a charging Labelle drilled it bar-an-in for his seventh of the playoff season.

The Royals completed the third period comeback when Alex Berry settled a loose puck in the slot, maintained his poise as he weaved in front of the Florida net and fed Greg Scott for a point blank chance. Scott's bid hit the pipe but Jared Ross stepped up to corral the loose puck and rip it home for his second of the game with just 5:23 remaining in regulation. Reading held off the late game push of the Everblades to win for the team's fourth playoff win of the season.

The Royals and Everblades play Game Two of their best-of-seven American Conference Semi-Final Series tomorrow (Thursday, April 15 @ 7:05 pm) at the Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will begin at 6:35 pm.

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