Photo Credit: Joseph Borek
You could tell early on the Reading Royals main goal was to limit the division leader Admirals in shots and rightfully so. They have one of the most potent offenses. At the 13:45 mark of the first, the Royals still did not allow a shot to the Admirals and had three shots of their own. One being a nice odd angle shot from Jacob Pritchard saved by Evan Cormier. Unfortunately, it was a bit of an odd play where the puck ended up out in front of netminder Kirill Ustimenko, and the Growlers were able to score on their first shot of the game. The goal was Ty Pelton-Byce’s first career ECHL goal.
Even after that first goal for the Growlers, the Royals throughout the rest of the period were still the better offensive team themselves. The aforementioned Jacob Pritchard had a few chances on the net. One of which hit the post on the Power Play. A Power Play that was still 0-2 for the Royals at this point in the game but looked better. They just still need to have more of a first shot mentality.
The newcomer Brad Morrison looked solid, as well, making a stellar move before the second Reading Power Play. He broke through the defense, and if Morrison did not get knocked down he likely would have scored a highlight real goal. Royals Head Coach Kirk MacDonald talked about being impressed with his play in the post game presser, and on how he is a talented offensive player. Imagine how he can look with reps if this was with weeks off for Morrison. The Royals may have been down 1-0, at the end of the first, but they led in shots 11-3, and scoring chances by a good margin. Now all the Royals had to do was carry that same good play into the second and they were likely going to get a better result.
In the second the Royals did not bring the same play from the first as the Growlers with 13:19 to go in the second brought the shots to 12-10. This, however, is to be expected as the Royals could not expect to take it to the first place Growlers in full force both of the first two periods. However, what was not expected was just how flipped the ice was. Morrison and Pritchard did still look good at least in the first half of the second getting their chances in the offensive zone among others. In the second half of the second, it seemed the Royals were rarely in their offensive zone if ever. That was one of those when were really bad were really bad times in the game Kirk MacDonald has talked about this season, in an overall nice early season for our Royals thus far.
How the Royals controlled most of the offensive ice in the first, the Growlers did the same in the second and then some. Newfoundland had the more key chances and high octane shots in the second period prompting Kirill Ustimenko to step up and make some huge saves for the Royals just like vet Pat Nagle has done all season before his call-up. This was the opposite of the first for the Royals, but it would be naive to think as Royals fans they would outplay the Growlers the whole first 40. Just like I said before, I think most expected a bit more push in the second.
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In the second the Royals only had three shots on net to Newfoundland’s 17. As coach Kirk MacDonald pointed out post game the Tyler Ebbing penalty seems to be what turned the tide fully to the Growlers in the second. They seemed to really grab the play for the rest of the period after that. On those 17 shots, the Growlers earned another goal, unlike just the fortunate first goal they got in the first. The second goal for the Growlers was on a nicely placed shot by Orrin Centazzo.
Kirill Ustimenko was the star of the second period for the Royals looking again like his 2019-20 season self. Now it was up to the Royals to again play big in front of their netminder in the 3rd after a bleak second period to have a fun exciting comeback in this one. At the end of the second, the Royals did bring some jam and excitement though in the form of a fight. Mike Crocock took on big-time physical force Nathan Noel of the Growlers. Noel won the fight but hats off to Crocock to even take on a guy like Noel who is one of the ECHL’s better players at dropping the gloves. Would the fight be the energizer the Royals needed to set them straight for the 3rd period?
Early in the third, it was noticeable that the Royals had some major game-planning between the 2nd and the 3rd as they came out with a lot more spunk and did seem to carry some energy from Crocock’s late 2nd-period fight with Noel. Then however after the first couple of minutes, the Growlers were able to grab back the ice to their side. The Royals did continue to look good on the penalty kill as they and Ustimenko did kill off another Growlers Power Play prior to Gordie Green getting some post luck and potting one on the rebound off the post later on. A play Kirk MacDonald pointed out was due to players being out of position. Post luck the Royals were not so fortunate to get. We gotta remember hockey is a game of inches. Even with getting outplayed after the first 20, and the first 12 of the second the Royals could have been even then down one 3-2. This being after the Green goal if both McNally and Pritchard had the same puck luck with the post earlier on. Now that is not to make an excuse for the off-play compared to the first and early second it is just to point it out.
That off play stopped though after Dominic Cormier was able to wire one home past Evan Cormier to get the Royals on the board and avoid the shutout on some Cormier on Cormier action. After this goal, the Royals looked to be more aggressive offensively for the first time since the 1st and some moments in the first half of the second. Then they got a powerplay with 3 to go and pulled USTI and were able to get a goal on a great passing play from Dichiara to Ebbing. Now this late push in the 3rd does not excuse the off-play after a good first 30 about but it does give the Royals more to build off of as they take on the same Newfoundland Growlers team tomorrow.
This was the first big test of the season for the Royals and they showed some good in the first 20, really off play then from about the 12 min mark of the second till the 5 minutes left mark of the 3rd, and then picked it up. Like head coach Kirk Macdonald pointed out in the post-game presser the Royals still have not played a bad full game yet minus maybe the Maine game in my opinion on the Maine game. He also pointed out he was angrier after the Norfolk OT loss rather than this tilt. That is likely because in this tilt the Royals are playing the top team in the division and one of the most potent in the league and yes had a dumpster fire middle while they were bad, but didn’t let it get them down and battled all the way back to make it a game in the end.
Having that never-give-in mentality is a key characteristic of all contending teams and the Royals have that. This is a game they got to learn from the very bad moments and build on the good moments in this one. The Royals get a quick chance to rebound playing the same Growlers team at 7 pm tonight on Saturday on Hockey Fights Cancer Night.. Go Royals.
The stars in a losing effort tonight would be Kirill Ustimenko for keeping the Royals in the game, especially in the 2nd. Brad Morrison for looking very sharp in his first game considering he has been off for a few weeks. Then last but not least, the powerplay for, being able to pot a PP goal to hopefully spark and get the Royals powerplay going fully. Time to lace em back up and bounce back tomorrow and show them the energy of the Royal Lion after this 3-2 loss.
