Picked the right game last night...

When the season schedules were released for the NHL, AHL, and ECHL just a few months ago, I spent more than a fair amount of time constructing my own schedule of games that wifey and I would like to attend. With our commitment to the Capitals and the Bears, there were always going to be 'fill-in' weeks where these teams would be either away or idle. There were also going to be conflicting schedules, where decisions had to be made over which games we would rather attend. Spaces were filled out on this schedule with a handful of Reading Royals games, and last night we were certainly glad that we opted to see the Royals play the Steelheads over the Hershey-Philadelphia game at the Giant Center. The Royals' new affiliation with the Toronto Maple Leafs meant lots of new faces and talent on the roster, and we were keen to see what they had to offer for the 08-09 season. Of course, we wanted to see Slapshot also - one of the most entertaining mascots out there in this part of the country.

We arrived a little late at the Sovereign Center in downtown Reading, with the game half way through the first period and scoreless as we took to our seats. There was a pretty decent turnout of just under 6000 people, and the night was set for a good match-up. Listening to NHL Home Ice on XM as we drove to Reading, we heard part of an interview with Habs GM Bob Gainey, and were surprised to learn that his son plays for the Idaho team that we'd be seeing that same evening. Although we root for the Royals, we were keen to see if Gainey had the skill-set that his father possessed "back in the day".

Less than two minutes after taking our seats, the Royals lit the lamp as Jeff Corey deflected a flying puck into the back of the net. The crowd of just under 6000 in attendance were ecstatic, and celebrated once again just 43 seconds later when Shawn Snider increased the lead to 2-0. A great start, and a glimmer of hope for this team that had only one victory so far this season.

The second period saw plenty of mis-matches, as both teams struggled to keep out of the penalty box. Good (or not good) to see that Reading have a Power Play that is on par with that of the Capitals and the Bears - none of my teams can seem to capitalize on the man advantage. What did impress me about the Royals, however, was their PK unit. The guys showed great chemistry when outnumbered, and looked very cool and collected when facing a 5 on 3 disadvantage later in the game. It was good to see Danny Taylor looking very composed in goal, with the two strikes against him being pretty irrelevant as he collected the second star for the evening. Good to see a fellow wayfaring Englishman having success here in North America.

With a 6-2 victory, Reading collected the much needed two points, and we left the Sovereign Center with a strong desire to return for more Royals hockey. So glad that I added six of their games this season to our season schedule. As things turned out, the Capitals ended the evening blown out by the Sabres, and the Bears took a hammering from the Phantoms. Whilst we were not happy about that, we smiled knowing that the one obscure game we chose turned out to be the most enjoyable of all. Go Royals!