ECHL Reading Royals

The Royal Road Ahead: Reading Royals at Cincinnati Cyclones

February 11, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


ROYALS PRE-GAME NOTES

- This evening, the Royals kick off the team's third five-game road trip of the season at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, where Reading will face the Cincinnati Cyclones in the second of what will be three regular season matchups between the two teams-all to be played in Cincinnati.

- The last time the Royals played on the road was here in Cincinnati on Saturday, January 31, when Reading defeated the Cyclones, 5-1. In that game, the Royals got a couple of power play goals and 30 saves from goaltender Martin Ouellette to fuel that victory.

- This marks the fifty-seventh regular season matchup between the Royals and Cyclones in the two teams' respective histories. Reading has compiled a record of 26-25-5 against Cincinnati.

- The Royals and Cyclones have faced off four times in the post-season: (i) 2008 North Division Finals (won by Cincinnati, 4-3); (ii) 2010 American Conference Finals (won by Cincinnati, 4-3); (iii) 2011 Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals (won by Reading, 3-1); and (iv) 2013 Eastern Conference Finals (won by Reading, 4-1).

- The Royals enter tonight's contest riding and eleven game win streak, which ties the longest win streak in team history, originally established when Reading won eleven in a row from November 2 through November 23, 2012.

- Reading's eleven game win streak is the longest stretch of continuous wins in the ECHL this season. The longest regular season win streak in ECHL history was established by the 2007-08 Cincinnati Cyclones, who went seventeen consecutive games without a loss from January 13 - February 29, 2008.

- The Royals have won twelve of the last thirteen games, fifteen of the last eighteen, twenty of the last twenty-four and twenty-three of the last twenty-eight played.

- Reading's record currently sits at a season high nineteen games over .500 (32-13-1-1=66). The team is in first place in the East Division.

- The Royals' 32 wins leads all teams in the Eastern Conference and is tied with the Allen Americans and Colorado Eagles. The team's current win percentage (.702) is fourth best in the East and fifth best in the ECHL.

- Reading has won the last six consecutive games on the road, which ties the season-long win streak in that category. The team's 16-5-1-0 road record translates into a .750 win percentage. Only the Fort Wayne Komets (17-6-0-1) have won more road games than the Royals.

- Cincinnati plays in the North Division. This marks the twenty-sixth game of the year (out of thirty-eight total) that Reading will play against teams from the North. The Royals have compiled a record of 18-7- 0-0 against the North so far.

- During the current eleven game win streak, the Royals have scored the game's first goal eight times. Overall, Reading has notched the 'fg' twenty-seven times and has compiled a record of 22-4-0-1 in those games.

- Six of the eleven games in the team's current win streak have been decided by one goal. Reading has gone 16-5-1-1 this season in one-goal decisions.

- Reading has held the opposition to one goal or less twelve times this year (12-0-0-0). The team has gone 20-0-0-0 when allowing two goals or fewer.

- In the four games played last week, Reading was outshot by a total of 160-101 (on average: 40 to 25.5). In that span, Reading gave up 43 shots to the Wheeling Nailers a week ago Wednesday and gave up a team season-high 49 shots against on Friday to the Florida Everblades. The Royals are 4-0-0-0 when allowing 40 or more shots this season.

- During the eleven game win streak, Reading's penalty killers have blanked the opposition's power play eight times and have kept the opponent's PP off the board a total of twenty-nine times this season, compiling a record of 23-4-1-1 in those games.

- Over the last thirteen games, the PK has killed 45 of the 48 power play chances the opposition has had, which translates into a 93.8% kill ratio during that time span.

- The Royals penalty killers have scored a short-handed goal in three of the last four games. Reading has nine SHGs this season, which is tied for second most in the league.

- Reading's power play has scored at least one goal in twelve of the last seventeen games, going 19 for 75 during that span, which is a 25.3% scoring ratio.

- This past Sunday, Reading won for the fifth time in the shootout in the six games that have needed the skills competition for resolution. Sunday's nine round shootout against the Florida Everblades is the longest shootout ever at Santander Area (formerly known as Sovereign Center) in Reading. (It is the fourth time that Reading has had a nine round shootout-but the other three were all on the road. The longest shootout in team history went twelve rounds, which was also on the road: March 26, 2006 against the Trenton Titans in Trenton, New Jersey.)

- Pat Mullane leads the Royals with 47 points (17g-30a), which places him eleventh in the ECHL scoring race. Mullane's six short-handed points (3g-3a) leads the league.

- Olivier Labelle has fifteen points (7g-8a) in his last eleven games. He scored his fourth game winning goal (and all-time career leading 18th GWG) on Saturday against Florida, while the Royals were playing with the man advantage.

- Cam Reid leads the Royals with eighteen goals. He has ten points (6g-4a) in his last eight games.

- Adam Hughesman has fourteen points (6g-8a) in his last fifteen games. He leads the Royals with 122 shots on goal.

- Ryan Cruthers scored his second power play goal of the year to give Reading a 1-0 lead 3:06 into Sunday's shootout win over Florida. (That was also his first 'first goal' of the year.) He leads the Royals with fifteen power play points (2g-13a). His 13 power play assists is third best in the league.

- David Marshall has scored a goal in four of his last five games. He scored his first short-handed goal of the year on Sunday against Florida. Marshall has sixteen points (7g-9a) in his last fifteen games.

- Sean Wiles has nine goals in his last seventeen games. He has played plus-13 (+13) in his last twenty- seven games.

- Defenseman Mike Marcou leads all defensemen in the league with twelve power play assists. He is second amongst ECHL d-men with fourteen power play points (2g-12a). His twenty-seven total points (4g-23a) places him fourteenth in defenseman scoring.

- Defenseman Zach Davies has six points (1g-5a) in his last seven games.

- Defenseman Maxim Lamarche has picked up at least one point in nine of his last eleven games (4g- 9a=13pts). Lamarched has played even or better in 37 of the 41 games he's played with Reading this year. He leads the team in plus-minus at plus-20 (+20).

- Andrew Johnston, shooting in the ninth round, scored the shootout winner on his first shootout attempt as a Royal on Sunday.

- Matt Hatch scored his second short-handed goal of the year on Saturday against Florida. He also assisted on Sean Wiles' insurance goal in that game to record his fourth multi-point game of the year.

- Defenseman Jordan Heywood scored his first pro power play goal in Saturday's win over the Everblades.

- Defenseman Bryant Molle leads the league with four short-handed assists.

- Goaltender Connor Knapp has won seven straight games for Reading. He made a personal season-high 42 saves in the 2-1 win over Wheeling last Wednesday and followed that up with a 27-save victory over Florida on Saturday. Knapp, who has won eleven of his last thirteen games for Reading, leads the team with 16 wins.

- Larry Courville, who is in his sixth full season as the head coach of the Royals, has pushed his personal all-time career record to 103 games over .500 (256-153-36), which translates into a team all-time best .616 win percentage. (Derek Clancey, who coached the Royals for two seasons, 2003-05, had a .615 win percentage: 80-47-17.)

Royals Recent Transactions

02/08/15 Add F Ryan Cruthers Activated from ECHL Reserve List

Add G Kenny Reiter Activated from ECHL Reserve List

Delete G Connor Knapp Recalled to Lehigh Valley (AHL)

Delete F Kevin Sullivan Placed on ECHL Reserve List

Delete F Ian Watters Placed on ECHL Reserve List

Delete D Gentry Zollars Traded to Bakersfield (ECHL)

02/09/15 Delete G Martin Ouellette Recalled to Lehigh Valley (AHL)

Add G Connor Knapp Loaned from Lehigh Valley (AHL)

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Reading Royals @ Wheeling Nailers

@ WesBanco Arena - Wheeling, WV

Friday, February 13, 2015 (7:35 pm Eastern Time)

NEXT UP: The Royals continue the team's five game road swing at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia, this Friday, February 13 (@ 7:35 pm) where Reading will face the Wheeling Nailers for the tenth time this season. As with all Royals' road games this season, Friday's game will be televised live locally in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel and Apple Vacations. The game night broadcast for Friday'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 7:05 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.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from February 11, 2015


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