Royals Captain Yannick Tifu receives congratulations from his teammates on his first goal of the post-season (All Photos Credit: M. Richter)
Tonight, the Reading Royals played (and won) their first game of the 2013 Kelly Cup Playoffs (against the Greenville Road Warriors). To celebrate their fourth straight playoff appearance (and first year affiliated with the Washington Capitals), they donned special jerseys for the occasion.
While the Friday night gameslot meant a modest crowd, the playoff atmosphere was in full swing in the Sovereign Centre as the Royals embarked on their post-season quest for the Kelly Cup. That atmosphere translated well to the ice, where rough checks, frequent skirmishes, and a desperate scramble for the lead – any lead – were in evidence for all sixty minutes of regulation.
Notable Notes:
- Defenseman (and sophomore Caps prospect) Brett Flemming, got into a fight with Matt Lowry just 5:42 into the first period. He’s a recent addition to the Royals lineup, having only been reassigned from Hershey for the start of ECHL playoffs.
- Royals Captain Yannick Tifu had the lone goal of the game, 12:01 into the second period, and it was a beauty. He was assisted by Nikita Kashirsky and Alex Berry.
- Goaltender Riley Gill earned crowd honours for Best Check of the Game for physically removing an opponent from his net with extreme prejudice. He also snagged an 18 shot shutout.
- The Reading PK had a perfect 3/3 record for the game. The team as a whole earned 26 PIM, thanks in part to some active officiating decisions to “Let the boys play.”
- Jordie Johnston of the Road Warriors was assessed a double-minor for attempted Butt-Ending just 3:08 before the end of regulation, giving the Royals an unexpected breather while closing out their first home win of the post-season. You don’t see that one every day.
The Royals and Road Warriors face off again tomorrow night at 7:05, and the lineups are expected to be the same. Tonight’s special jerseys will not be in attendance, however. The jerseys go on sale tomorrow morning at 8AM through the Royals website, first-come/first-served until they’re gone.
A few more examples of tonight’s snazzy temporary threads:
