ECHL Reading Royals

The Royal Road Ahead: Reading Royals at Wheeling Nailers

Published on March 28, 2015 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


ROYALS PRE-GAME NOTES

- Tonight, the Royals take on the Wheeling Nailers for the eleventh of what will be twelve total matchups between the two teams over the course of the regular season. It is the sixth and final regular season game between Reading and the Nailers at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling

- So far, the home team has won every game in the series between the Royals and the Nailers with Reading capturing all five games that have been played at Santander Arena and Wheeling winning all five of the games that have been played here at WesBanco Arena.

- Although the Royals have not yet won this season at WesBanco (0-4-1-0), Reading did get one point in the standings here in Wheeling the last time these two teams met on Friday, February 13. In that game, the Nailers snapped Reading's team record twelve game win streak in a 3-2 come-from-behind overtime win, which was resolved 3:13 into OT on a goal by Riley Brace.

- After tonight, the Royals and Nailers will face each other one more time in the 2014-15 regular season on Wednesday, April 8 (@ 7:30 pm)

- The Royals are coming off a 3-2 win last night (Friday, March 27) over the Indy Fuel at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis, Indiana, to run the team's record to 6-0-0-0 against the Fuel (and 4-0-0-0 at Indiana Farmer's Coliseum).

- Last night's victory for the Royals pushed the team's record back to a team season-best twenty-five games over .500 (42-17-4-2=90), which places Reading in second place in the East Division still seven points behind the first place Florida Everblades, who also won last night (5-3 in Elmira).

- With last night's victory, Reading reached the ninety-point plateau for the third straight year; the fourth time in the last five seasons; and the sixth time in team history. The team record for points in the standings was established in 2012-13, when the Royals recorded 99 points (46-19-3-4).

- Friday's game in Indianapolis was the 500th road game in Royals' team history (241-210-49) and kicked off a late-season five game road for the Royals. The 3-2 win in that game stretched the team's current road unbeaten streak to six games (4-0-2-0).

- The win over the Fuel was the twenty-second road win of the year for Reading, which ties the team record for road victories in a single season. This marks the third time in team history that the Royals have won twenty-two away games: (i) 2010-11 (22-12-1-1); and (ii) 2013-14 (22-12-1-1).

- The Royals scored the game's first goal last night 1:41 into the second period on a deflection by Olivier Labelle of a Maxim Lamarche shot from the right point. The Royals have compiled a record of 29-4-0-2 when scoring the game's first goal this season.

- Olivier Labelle notched the first goal of the game in Indianapolis on Friday. That was his team-leading twenty-sixth goal of the season and fourth 'first goal' of the season. For Labelle, tonight's goal was his ninth goal and twentieth point (9g-11a) in his last sixteen games with the team. It was also his ninety- seven goal as a Royal in his 221st game with the team.

- Reading took a 2-0 lead 9:59 into the second period of last night's game on a goal by defenseman Jordan Heywood. That was Heywood's ninth goal of the year, which leads all defensemen on the team. His twenty-two points (9g-13a) also leads all first year players on the Royals.

- Reading got what proved to be the game winner in last night's contest 15:35 into the third period from defenseman Brett Flemming. That goal, which was Flemming's first game winner of the season, stretched his point streak to four games (3g-1q). Flemming, who has four goals in his last six games, has recorded at least one point in ten of his last thirteen games (4g-9a=13pts).

- Ian Watters assisted on both the goal by Jordan Heywood and the game winner by Flemming in Indianapolis on Friday. That was Watters' third multi-point performance of the season tonight.

- Maxim Lamarche recorded an assist (on Labelle's first goal of the game) and engaged in his fourth tilt of the season (with Indy's Mike Duco).

- David Marshall engaged in his fifth fight of the season last night when he took on Chris DeSousa of the Fuel in last night's game.

- Ryan Cruthers was involved in his first tilt of the season last night when he fought Indy's Pete Massar on Friday.

- Goaltender Martin Ouellette won his second consecutive game-and recorded his sixteenth victory of the season-by making 40 saves in last night's victory. That marked the fifth time this season that Reading's goaltenders have made forty or more saves in a single game-and the third time for Ouellette, who has won each of those games.

- Tonight's game marked the twenty-seventh time this season that Reading has held the opposition to two goals or less. The Royals have gone 27-0-0-0 in those games.

- Tonight's 94 penalty minutes between the two teams was a season-high for any game played by Reading this season. The Royals racked up a season high 52 penalty minutes (which included four fighting majors) in Friday's game.

Royals Recent Transactions

03/20/15 Add D Maxim Lamarche Assigned from Lehigh Valley (AHL)

Delete F Cam Reid Loaned to Adirondack (AHL)

03/26/15 Add D Ryan Misiak Signed to Amateur Tryout Agreement

NEXT UP FOR THE ROYALS

Reading Royals @ Florida Everblades

@ Germain Arena - Estero, FL

Wednesday, April 1, 2015 (7:05 pm Eastern Time)

NEXT UP: The Royals continue the team's current five game road trip on Wednesday, April 1 (@ 7:30 pm) at Germain Arena in Estero, Florida, where Reading will face the Florida Everblades. As with all Royals' road games this season, Wednesday'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 Wendesday'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.

READING ROYALS v WHEELING NAILERS

Head-to-Head Season Series

Head-to-Head Game No. 11 of 12 (6 @ REA) (6 @ WHL) REA v WHL: 5 - 4 - 1 - 0

@ WHL (10-18-14) WHL 6 - REA 3

GWG: R. Brace REA: Knapp (loss) (21/26) WHL: Palazzese (win) (37/40) REA pp (1-3) WHL pp (1-3)

@ REA (10-30-14) REA 3 - WHL 1

GWG: O. Labelle REA: Knapp (win) (29/30) WHL: Palazzese (loss) (19/22) REA pp (0-5) WHL pp (0-3)

@ WHL (11-01-14) WHL 3 - REA 2

GWG: S. Bakker REA: Ouellette (loss) (20/23) WHL: Palazzese (win) (24/26) REA pp (1-4) WHL pp (1-3)

@ REA (12-12-14) REA 5 - WHL 4

GWG: B. Alderson REA: Ouellette (win) (34/38) WHL: Palazzese (loss) (31/36) REA pp (2-5) WHL pp (1-2)

@ REA (12-13-14) REA 2 - WHL 1

GWG: R. Cruthers REA: Ouellette (win) (40/41) WHL: Hartzell (loss) (21/23) REA pp (0-3) WHL pp (0-5)

@ WHL (12-14-14) WHL 3 - REA 2

GWG: D. Army REA: Knapp (loss) (29/32) WHL: Hartzell (win) (36/38) REA pp (0-4) WHL pp (1-6)

@ REA (01-07-15) REA 5 - WHL 2

GWG: J. Heywood REA: Knapp (win) (26/28) WHL: Hartzell (loss) (40/44) REA pp (1-6) WHL pp (0-1)

@ WHL (01-09-15) WHL 6 - REA 5

GWG: M. Ellis REA: Ouellete (loss) (26/32) WHL: Palazzese (win) (43/48) REA pp (2-4) WHL pp (3-4)

@ REA (02-04-15) REA 2 - WHL 1

GWG: A. Hughesman REA: Knapp (win) (42/43) WHL: Hartzell (loss) (22/24) REA pp (0-3) WHL pp (0-3)

@ REA (02-13-15) WHL 3 - REA 2 (OT)

GWG: R. Brace REA: Knapp (OTL) (32/35) WHL: Hartzell (win) (29/31) REA pp (1-5) WHL pp (1-6)

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics

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