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ECHL Reading Royals

The Royal Road Ahead: Reading Royals at Brampton Beast

March 22, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


ROYALS PRE-GAME NOTES

- This afternoon, the Royals and Beast complete a three-game set at Powerade Centre in Brampton, Ontario, with the fifth and final matchup of the regular season between the two teams.

- So far, the Royals have compiled a record of 2-1-1-0 against the Beast. Brampton became the first team ever to beat the Royals in the organization's annual Pink in the Rink Game on Saturday, January 10, at Santander Arena (4-2); but Reading bounced back the next day to defeat Brampton (6-2). On Thursday (March 19), in the first game of this three-game set, the Royals had to battle back from a two-goal deficit to earn a tie, which the Beast broke 34 seconds into overtime with an OT GWG by Justin Donati.

- On Friday, in the second of the three-game set, the Royals bounced back to beat the Beast, 6-3. In that game, Reading scored on the team's first shot 53 seconds into the contest; however, the Beast rebounded to tie the game on a late first period power play goal (by Cal Wild) and then took a lead 3:21 into the second on a multi-rebound punch back by Tyson Fawcett. Reading responded by tying the game at two with a power play goal of their own (by Michael Caruso) 7:42 into the second; and then re-took the lead later in the period on a bullet out of the right circle by David Marshall. However, the resilient Beast re-tied the game at three on a late-period four-on-four breakaway by Bobby Hughes. In the third, Reading pulled away with three in the final frame, which included a goal by Adam Hughesman early in the period (2:20) off a face-off win, which proved to be the game winner. The Royals added some insurance with a high snap shot from the point by Brett Flemming that snuck through at 5:26. The Royals then iced things with an empty netter by Kevin Walrod with 58.5 seconds left.

- Friday's win pushed the team's record to a season best twenty-four games over .500 (40-16-4-2=86), which places Reading in second place in the East Division-six points behind the first place Florida Everblades, who have already clinched a playoff spot in the East.

- In order to clinch a playoff spot, the Royals need to eliminate three teams within the Eastern Division from having the capacity to catch Reading in the standings. The Gwinnett Gladiators and Greenville Road Warriors can no longer reach 86 points; and the Elmira Jackals can only get to 87. So, the 'magic number' for the Royals to clinch a playoff spot is two (with respect to Elmira), i.e. if the Royals win in any way today, the team will clinch a playoff spot.

- Reading has compiled a record of 3-2-2-0 in the team's last seven games; 7-3-3-1 in the last fourteen; 19-3-3-1 in the last twenty-six; and 31-8-3-1 in the last forty-three.

- Today's game is the 999th regular season game in Royals' team history. Reading's historical record coming into this afternoon's contest is 524-379-95, which is a .573 overall win percentage.

- This afternoon's contest is also the 499th road game in team history. Reading has gone 239-210-49 on the opposition's ice in the fourteen year history of the team, which translates into a .529 win percentage.

- Friday's 6-3 win over the Beast, which was the first win ever for the Royals on Canadian soil, pushed Reading's record to the forty-win plateau for the third straight season-and the fourth time in the last five years (and the sixth time in the 14 year history of the team). The team record for regular season wins stands at 46, which the team reached in each of the last two seasons (2012-13 and 2013-14).

- Reading's win at Powerade Centre on Friday was also the twentieth road victory of the season for the Royals, who have won twenty or more on the road in five straight seasons (and six times in the history of the team). The team record for road wins in a single season is 22, which was accomplished last in the 2013-14 season: (22-12-1-1).

- Friday's win marked the second time in a span of three games that Reading scored on the team's first shot. (Jordan Heywood notched a goal on Reading's first shot 1:07 into last Sunday's 6-1 win over Kalamazoo.) The Royals have compiled a record of 27-4-0-2 when scoring the game's first goal.

- In the 6-3 win over Brampton on Friday, the Royals and Beast entered the third period tied at three. Reading has compiled a record of 10-3-2-0 when entering the third period tied with the opposition.

- The Royals had to come back from a 2-1 deficit early in the second period to pull out the two points in Friday's win. Thus, that victory was technically the eighteenth come-from-behind win of the year for Reading.

- On Friday, Reading got six goals from six different players for the second time in a span of three games. (The Royals also got six goals from six different players in last Sunday's win over Kalamazoo.) Twelve different players recorded at least one point for Reading in the 6-3 win over the Beast on Friday.

- Reading has compiled a record of 8-1-0-0 when scoring six or more goals in a single game.

- Defenseman Bryant Molle scored the Royals' first goal 53 seconds into Friday's win. That was his second goal of the year (and second in his career as a Royal)-and the first non-empty-net goal that he has ever scored as a member of the Royals, and it came in his 183rd game with the team.

- Molle will play in his 184th game with Reading today, which will tie him (with Yannick Tifu) for the third- most games ever played by a Royal. Only Ryan Cruthers (268) and Olivier Labelle (218) have played more games for Reading than Bryant Molle.

- Michael Caruso's second period power play goal on Friday was his third goal of the season and his first in a span of twelve games. It was also his first power play goal (and power play point) of the year.

- David Marshall recorded his twelfth multi-point (and second three-point) game of the year on Friday (1g-2a). His goal in that game was his twentieth of the season and his 39th career goal as a Royal (in his 108th game with the team). Marshall currently has 98 career points with Reading (39g-59a), which places him tied (with Chris Blight) for eleventh on the all-time Royals career scoring list.

- Adam Hughesman also notched his twentieth goal of the year with what proved to be a third-period tie- breaking game winner (a 'true' game winner) 2:20 into the third period. That was Hughesman's second game winner of the year. Hughesman is riding a four game point streak (1g-3a) and has had at least one point in ten of his last eleven games (3g-11a=14pts). Hughesman has thirty-three points (11g-22a) in his last thirty games.

- On Friday, Marshall and Hughesman became the fifth and six players, respectively, to reach the twenty goal plateau for the Royals this season, joining Cam Reid (25), Olivier Labelle (23), Sean Wiles (23), and Pat Mullane (21). This marks the first time in team history that Reading has had six different players reach the twenty-goal plateau in a single season. In the fourteen year history of the team, the Royals have had five twenty-goal scorers on the team three times: (i) 2003-04; (ii) 2009-10; and (iii) 2010-11.

- Defenseman Brett Flemming has nine points (2g-7a) in his last ten games.

- Kevin Walrod is riding a three-game goal scoring streak (3g-1a=4pts) and has 4 goals in his last 7 games.

- Ryan Cruthers recorded his team-leading twentieth power play point (5g-15a) of the season on Friday. Cruthers has eleven points (4g-7a) in his last twelve games.

- Olivier Labelle recorded the primary assist on the game winner by Adam Hughesman on Friday. Labelle has had at least a point in nine of his last eleven games (7g-11a). Labelle has forty-four points (17g-27a) in his last thirty-nine games.

- Goaltender Martin Ouellette snapped his personal two-game losing streak with his twenty-five save win on Friday. It was the fifteenth win of the year for Ouellette with Reading in his twenty-fifth appearance of the season for the team. He has recorded both of the Royals' wins over Brampton this season.

Royals Recent Transactions

03/16/15 Delete F Kevin Sullivan Released from ECHL Contract

03/18/15 Add D Curtis Leonard Signed to Amateur Tryout Agreement

03/19/15 Delete D Curtis Leonard Loaned to Rochester (AHL)

Add D Maxim Lamarche Assigned from Lehigh Valley

03/20/15 Delete F Cam Reid Loaned to Adirondack (AHL)

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Reading Royals v Florida Everblades

@ Santander Arena - Reading, PA

Wednesday, March 25, 2015 (7:30 pm)

NEXT UP: The Royals return home to Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania on Wednesday (March 25 @ 7:30 pm) when the team will face the Florida Everblades. That night we will celebrate the Royals' 1000th regular season game in team history. Fans can take advantage of the Steak-umm Meal and Ticket Deal that evening, as well, when $25.00 gets you a Purple Zone ticket, a Steak-umm Burger, Fries and a large soda. There will be select draft beer for $2.50. The game night broadcast for Wednesday's matchup can be heard live on CBS SportsRadio 1240 am and 98.5 in Reading, Pennsylvania, starting with the pre-game warm-up show presented by Highmark Blue Shield at 7:00 pm Eastern Time. Streaming audio is available free of charge on the Royals' website (follow the 'headset' icon); and streaming video is available on a pay-per-view basis through ECHL.TV. For more information about the Royals, call 610-898-7825 or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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