MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com-Trenton, NJ – The Reading Royals of the ECHL (13-8-1-1=28, 1^st East Division), affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, defeated the Trenton Devils, 4-3, in overtime at Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey. The win, which was the Royals’ first overtime victory of the year, stretched the Royals win streak to six consecutive over the Devils, as Reading swept all three in this past weekend’s series. Goaltender Matt Dalton (win, 5-4-0-0; 37/40) picked up his first pro overtime win and his fourth victory of the year over the Devils. Trenton’s Gerald Coleman (otl, 5-4-1-2; 29/33) suffered his fourth loss to the Royals this year, although one came in a shootout and this one went to overtime (0-2-1-1). Reading’s power play was held off the board (0-5); while Trenton struck on their final power play of the night with just 43 seconds remaining in regulation (1-5).

The Devils attacked early in the game and created several quality scoring chances that were rejected by Dalton. Then, just over three minutes into the first period, Trenton’s Trevor Kell hit Rob LaLonde just as LaLonde leapt up against the glass in the Royals’ defensive zone. The force of Kell’s hit sent LaLonde’s body crashing through the protective glass and into the first row of seats while shards of broken glass rained around him. Fortunately, no one was hurt and play was re-started after a relatively substantial delay to reset the pane of broken protective glass. Shortly after played re-started, the Royals struck after Dalton made a solid kick save with his left skate and Reading charged off on a transition rush. Ben Gordon fed Daniel Steiner, who carried deep into the left circle and ripped a snap shot across the body of Coleman into the upper right corner of the net for his eighth of the year at the 4:36 mark of the first. Reading extended the team’s lead to 2-0 when Steiner stood up at the offensive blue line to intercept a Devils’ breakout attempt. Steiner fed Gordon into the offensive end, and Gordon in turn fired a pass through the slot that ricocheted off the stick of a Trenton defender and landed on the stick of Ryan Cruthers who was tight to the Devils’ net on the right side. Cruthers chipped the chance up and over the sprawling Coleman for his sixth of the season at the 15:36 mark of the first.

Reading took a 3-0 lead at the 4:47 mark of the second on the first goal of the season for Marc Cavosie. Immediately after Stefano Giliati exited the penalty box (where he had served a minor for roughing), he charged hard into the offensive zone and corralled and controlled on the right wing side. He was able to force a pass to the right point where defenseman Rob LaLonde settled and quickly fired a diagonal-down pass through the slot to Cruthers in the left circle. Cruthers in turn dropped a tap pass to the mid-slot, where a waiting Cavosie fired a one-timer that slipped through Coleman’s legs.
ADVERTISEMENT

Trenton began their climb back in with a giveaway goal from Dalton 4:19 into the third. Dalton settled a puck at the left side of his net and appeared poised to fire a long clearing pass up ice. Instead, he hesitated just long enough to allow Trenton’s Kyle Kurcharski to poke check the puck away from him. The puck slid across the crease, hit the right pipe and ricocheted out; but Kurcharski was able to get to it before Dalton, and Kucharski punched it in for his sixth of the year. Trenton drew within one (3-2) with a six-on-four power play goal by Kell with just 43 seconds left in regulation (and the goaltender pulled). After creating a sequence of sustained pressure, the Devils’ Brett Wilson slid a perfect pass from the right goal line through the crease to the waiting Kell who was planted on the back door to jam in his sixth of the year. With time ticking down, the Devils picked up the equalizer—again with the sixth attacker on the ice. On this one, defenseman Tim Kunes fired a wrist shot from the high slot that appeared to hit a sliding Royals’ defender and the deflect off the left arm of Dalton and into the net for Kunes’ fourth of the year with only 11.8 seconds left.

In overtime, the Devils—who clearly had grabbed the momentum—had the first couple of chances but Dalton responded in kind. Then the Royals took control and got the puck into the offensive end. Giliati was able to find some open space and ultimately slip a pass to LaLonde who had activated off the left point deep into the left corner. LaLonde then threw a perfect pass to the top of the crease, where Joey Ryan—who had activated off the right point—had gained valuable space. Ryan was able to get enough of the pass to deflect it between the legs of Coleman for his second of the season—and the first OT GWG this season for Reading.

The Royals remain on the road next week, starting in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Wednesday where they will take on the K-Wings in a showdown of the first place teams in the East and North Divisions of the American Conference. Game time from Wings Stadium on Wednesday night is 7:00 pm; and the game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will kick off at 6:30 pm.

Are You an Insider Yet?
SZ Insider. A look ahead into the big player feature, the big story, tips, rumors, and special opportunities for collectibles and memorabilia only available for our insiders. Free monthly to your e-mailbox. Click the link to subscribe to this FREE newsletter!