ECHL Reading Royals

'You Can Observe A Lot By Watching'....

March 10, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


If you were judging the book of Lawrence Peter 'Yogi' Berra by it's cover, you might come to the conclusion that he couldn't have been much of an athlete. Whether you saw him during his playing days in baggy flannels or later in life as a manager in even worse-fitting double-knit, Berra didn't exactly portray the 'All-American golden boy' image. Short and paunchy with a reputation for butchering simple phrases into humorous-and maybe even more thought provoking-malapropisms, it's easy to pigeon-hole Berra into a caricature of himself (at best)-and a talking bear raiding campgrounds in Jellystone National Park at worst. Fact of the matter is, however, Berra is considered by some of baseball's most respected statistical wonks as the greatest catcher of all time. A fifteen time all star and three time MVP, Berra was an unbelievable clutch hitter during his nineteen playing seasons, racking up a career .285 batting average with 359 home runs (when the only performance enhancing drug was probably a post game beer or two) and 1430 rbi. Perhaps even more importantly, Berra was also one the greatest defensive catchers ever to don the gear-a pronouncement that can certainly be statistically supported if you want to go down that road. But the secret to Berra's success (he was a member of 13 World Series Championship teams) was about way more than just sound fundamentals when he was squatting behind the plate. Like all exceptional leaders on the field (or the ice-or any other playing surface you want to choose), he had that intangible capacity to make the people around him better. (See eg, 1956 World Series perfect game by Don Larson.) This trait is immensely valuable in all walks of life-but, in sports, seems to hold more import in some positions than others-quarterback in football, pitcher and catcher in baseball, and, yes, the last line of defense in hockey. And in this regard, over this past weekend, the Royals experienced a bit of-to paraphrase the mystic wisdom of Yogi-"déjà vu all over again". In all three games played this past week, the Royals found themselves climbing out of holes, despite getting out of the gates with what appeared to be pretty decent starts fueled and filled (for the most part) with energy, effort and excitement. Now in all fairness to everyone involved, when you out-shoot and out-chance an opponent in the early stages of a hockey game only to find yourself trailing, there is ordinarily an element of a little thing known as "finish" involved in the offensive end of the ice. And, if we've learned anything from the New Jersey Devils, it's that defensive responsibility in this game cannot be thrust entirely upon the shoulders one person-it's a commitment to a way of life for everyone in the family. That all being recognized, I believe that it's also important to accept that, in sports as with life, there are certain positions where the gravity of responsibility weighs greater than others. And (hopefully) persons in these positions understood and accepted this fact before they chose that way of life-(or hopefully that way of life chose them). Quite simply, in our sport, goaltender is one of those positions. And in this regard, I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to be able to outdo the master: "90% of the game is physical, the other half is mental" ....

TOP TEN NOTES OF THE WEEK

1. The Royals were winless in the three games played this week (0-2-1), which matches the longest winless streak of the season for Reading (0-2-1) (12/28/07 - 01/04/08). All three games this week were out on the road, also matching the season long for consecutive games without a win on the road (0-3-0) (11/21 - 12/01/07). With 5 regular season road games remaining, the Royals are 15-13-3 on the road this season. The team record for road wins in a single season is 20, which was set in 2005-06.

2. Saturday's game in Cincinnati marked the fifteenth time this season that the Royals have played in a game that ended regulation time in a tie-and six of those games have come in the last 13 for the team. Saturday's game required the shootout to reach a resolution, which the Cyclones won. Reading has compiled a record of 9-6 in games resolved in either overtime (5-4) or the shootout (4-2).

3. In Saturday's shootout loss, the Royals entered the third period trailing the Cyclones 3-2 and picked up a power play goal (by Patrick Jarrett) 3:02 into the third period to tie things up (and ultimately get to the shootout). That marked the fifth time this season that the Royals have entered the third period trailing the opposition and picked up at least a point in the standings. Reading has compiled a record of 3-17-2 in such circumstances.

4. Joe Zappala scored a goal in each of the first two games played by the Royals this week, extending his personal goal scoring streak to a team record 8 games (during which he scored nine goals) (02/22 - 03/08/08) That streak was snapped in Sunday's loss to Wheeling.. Zappala has scored twelve goals in his last fourteen games. In Saturday's game, Zappala scored a goal and picked up an assist to register his eighth multi-point game of the year.

5. Shawn Collymore picked up at least one point in all three games played this week, as he continued his personal point streak to all nine games that he's played for the Royals this season. In those games, Collymore has scored five goals and assisted on nine others (fourteen points). In Saturday's game, Collymore scored a goal and assisted on the late game goal (by Joe Zappala) to draw within one with just 57 seconds left. That marked Collymore's second multi-point game of the year.

6. In Friday's loss in Cincinnati, Brock Hooton scored his third short-handed goal of the season, tying him for the team lead-with Chris Blight-in that category. Hooton also picked up an assist in that game to register his team leading thirteenth multi-point game of the year. Hooton scored his nineteenth goal of the Sunday in Wheeling, which also proved to be his team leading fiftieth point of the season (19g-31a=50pts). Hooton has picked up 16 points (4g-12a) in his last 16 games.

7. Dany Roussin scored his eighth power play goal of the year in Friday's game, which ties him with Joe Zappala for the team lead in that category. Roussin scored his twentieth goal of they year (tying him with Chris Blight for the team lead in that category) in Sunday's loss. In 2005-06, Roussin's first season with the Royals, he scored twenty-two goals (fourteen on the power play) in forty-one games.

8. Goaltender Terry Denike has started the last seven consecutive games for the Royals. He has compiled a record of 2-1-2 (3.88/.867) in those games, with two no decisions-both of which came this week. On Friday in Cincinnati, Denike started a played 20:58 and made five saves on nine shots; on Sunday, he started and played 21:40, making seven saves on ten shots. In Saturday's game, Denike sustained his first shootout loss of the season, making 29 saves on 32 shots in the 65 minutes of hockey and stopping 3 of 6 in the shootout.

9. The Royals scored a pair of power play goals in Saturday's SOL including the game tying goal early in the third period. That marked the fourteenth game this season that Reading has scored more than one power play goal.. Reading's PP was blanked in Sunday's game (0-7), marking the nineteenth time this year that the power play has been held off the board. In the last 25 games, the Royals have scored 36 power play goals in 160 chances with the man advantage (22.5% scoring ratio). Over the course of the season, Reading is 63 for 347 on the PP, which translates into a 18.2% scoring ratio (ninth in the league).

10. The Royals penalty killers held the Wheeling Nailers' PP (0-2) off the board in Sunday's loss, snapping a streak of 7 consecutive games in which the Royals' PK had given up at least one PPGA. Sunday's game marked the nineteenth time Reading's PK has blanked the opposition. Over the course of the season, Reading has allowed 64 PPGA in 342 chances for the opposition, which is an 81.3% kill ratio, which is seventeenth in the league.

CLOSING NOTES

1. As Reading enters play this week, the team's 'magic number' to clinch a playoff spot stands at 2. Any combination of two points gained by the Royals or lost by the Trenton Devils will result in the Royals clinching a playoff spot.

2. Brock Hooton's short-handed goal on Friday night was the thirteenth SHG of the season for Reading, which places the team second in the league in that category. (The South Carolina Stingrays have scored 15 SHGs this year.)

3. Anthony Feyock made his first appearance in an ECHL game on Friday, when he came on in substitution of Terry Denike 58 seconds into the second period. Feyock also substituted for Denike at the 1:40 mark of the second period in Sunday's game. In his two appearances this week, Feyock allowed 3 goals against on 34 total shots in 75:54 worth of game time. (2.37 gaa) (.912 save %).

4. Vladimir Dravecky scored a goal in Friday's loss in Cincinnati and Sunday's loss in Wheeling. Dravecky has scored 3 goals in his last 6 games.

5. Kevin Saurette registered an assist in each of the first two games this week. He also scored on his shootout shot attempt on Saturday night. Saurette has been the most effective shootout shooter for the Royals this season, going three for four (which includes scoring on his last three attempts).

6. Scott Parse picked up assists in each of the first two games this past week. Parse has registered ten points (2g-8a=10pts) in his last 12 games with Reading. Parse also scored on his first shootout attempt as a pro on Saturday night.

7. Dave Pszenyczny picked up two assists in Saturday's SOL in Cincinnati, marking his first multi-point game of the season with Reading. (Pszenyczny also had two multi-point games with Phoenix earlier this year.)

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ECHL Stories from March 10, 2008


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