ECHL Reading Royals

Two-Goal Slips Through Reading's Grasp in Loss to Elmira

February 11, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL (21-21-3-348, 3rd Atlantic 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 Elmira Jackals (26-16-2-256, t-1st Atlantic Division), 3-2, at Sovereign Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals held a two-goal lead early in the second period, but the Jackals responded with three straight to prevent Reading from winning back-to-back games at the Sovereign Center for what would have been the first time this season. This marked the sixteenth time this year that the Royals were unable to turn an in-game lead into two points-and the fourth time the team failed to hold a two-goal lead.

Goaltender Jussi Rynnas (loss, 4-3-0-0, 29/32 in 58:29) had his two game win streak snapped in his second loss of the year (in three starts) at the Sovereign Center. Elmira's Brian Stewart (win, 16-8-1-0, 21/23) won for the fifth time in seven decisions against the Royals (5-1-1-0). Reading's power play was blanked in three chances with the man advantage, dropping the Royals' record to 3-14-3-1 in games where the team failed to capitalize on the power play. Elmira's power play was also held off the board (0-3).

Reading struck 6:21 into the game while the two teams were playing four aside. Matt Caruana carried with speed from the Royals' zone through the neutral area and into the offensive end wide on the right side. Caruana found the trailer, defenseman Ryan Button, with a cross-ice pass. Button in turn fired a diagonal-down wrist pass to the top of the crease, where Kenny Ryan, who was cutting through the low slot, angled the puck up and over Stewart for his fifth of the year.

The Royals took a 2-0 lead 2:30 into the second period, when Casey Haines picked off an Elmira pass in the neutral zone and fed Yannick Tifu cutting down the high slot. Tifu ripped a hard snap shot low blocker on Stewart for his fourteenth of the season-and eleventh in twenty-eight games with the Royals.

Elmira started their come-back 1:06 later, when former Royal Chase Watson gained possession deep in Reading's defensive zone and fired from a sharp angle on the left. The puck deflected off the upper body of Rynnas and floated high into the air landing on the right side of the low slot, where Watson tracked it down. Unfortunately, Rynnas lost sight of the puck after it went off his body and was unable to make the lateral move in time to stop Watson's second bid, which he fired into an essentially open net for his first of the year.

12:20 into the second, Elmira tied the game at two when a disrupted play on the left wing wall in Reading's defensive zone resulted in the puck popping to the mid-slot, where the Jackals' Jordan Pietrus gained possession, came straight down the slot, and drilled a bullet over the left arm of Rynnas for his ninth of the year.

Elmira got what proved to be the game winner on a wild scramble around the Royals net with 2:44 left in the second. With bodies crashing all around him, Rynnas went to his back trying to cover the puck on the right side of the crease. Before he could get a whistle, however, the Jackals' Artem Demkov poked it through the pile into the net for his twelfth of the year.

The Royals, who have been outshot in the third period this season by a total of 237 shots (393 - 640), were only able to muster six shots in the third-but still had a couple of golden chances to tie the game; but were unable to bag the equalizer and dropped to 6-12-1-2 at the Sovereign Center this season.

The Royals head back out on the road tomorrow (Sunday, February 12, 2012 @ 4:00 pm) when the team will face the Wheeling Nailers at Cambria County War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The game night broadcast on Sunday will start at 3:30 pm with the Red Robin Gourmet Burger Pre-Game Warm-up Show on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Reading. Streaming audio is available free of charge courtesy of America One through the Royals' website, www.royalshockey.com. As with all Royals' road games this season, Sunday's game will be televised locally in Berks County on BCTV courtesy of Boscov's Travel and the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Check out the Reading Royals Statistics



ECHL Stories from February 11, 2012


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central