Worcester Railers (30-25-6-4) vs Reading Royals (28-28-4-6)
Santander Arena – Reading, Pennsylvania
Sunday, March 24, 2019 – 4:00 EST – ECHL Game #887
Referee: Stephen Reneau (#17)
Linesmen: Judson Ritter (#70), JP Waleski (#51)
Match Notes
- Season Series: Game 6 of 6. (Worcester leads season-series at 4-1)
- Reading is the only North Division team to have a losing record against other North Division teams (16-22-3-5)
- Worcester sits two points out of a playoff spot, Reading sits four points behind Worcester.
Players to Watch
- Matt Schmalz (Worcester) – Schmalz has four points in two games against Reading this season. He played a big role in the previous game between these teams, scoring two goals and picking up an assist in Worcester’s 4-1 win on January 12.
- Chris McCarthy (Reading) – The former Worcester Shark is looking for his first goal against the Railers this season. He currently has four assists and is the leading point scorer against Worcester. McCarthy was the leading goal scorer for Reading in games against Worcester with seven last season.
Railers Notes
- Yanick Turcotte is tied for first in the league for major penalties with 17. (Garet Hunt – Jacksonville)
- Tyler Barnes, Matt Schmalz, and Ryan MacKinnon each have four points against Reading this season.
- Barry Almeida needs one goal to pass his record for goals in a season. (22)
- Worcester has won both games that went into overtime or later against Reading this season.
- Railers are 9-0-1-3 when leading after two periods on the road.
- Cold Streaks: Yanick Turcotte (9 games), Ivan Chukarov (6 games), Tommy Kelley (3 games)
Recent Railers Additions, Subtractions, Transactions
- No new transactions have been announced.
Possible Railers Scratches
- Evan Buitenhuis – on reserve.
- Kyle McKenzie – on injured reserve, out for the season.
- Tommy Panico – on injured reserve, out for the season.
- Alex Vanier – on injured reserve, last played on February 17.
- Additional scratches to be determined closer to puck drop.
Royals Notes
- Chris McCarthy leads Reading with 68 points.
- Josh McDonald is on a three-game point streak. (2-3-5)
- Michael Huntebrinker has points in his last seven home games.
- Reading has been using five defensemen and eleven forwards in their last two games.
- Royals are winless when trailing after two periods at home. (0-14)
- Reading is undefeated in regulation when leading after two periods at home. (10-0-1)
Recent Royals Additions, Subtractions, Transactions
- Sam Becker was signed to a SPC on Wednesday.
- Corey Mackin was activated from reserve on Friday.
- Vinny Muto was placed on reserve on Friday.
Possible Royals Scratches
- Sam Becker – signed to contract on Wednesday, has not played.
- Jimmy Mazza – last played on March 16.
- Joe Houk – last played on March 6.
Head-to-Head
| Worcester | Reading | |
| Goals For | 2.72 – 24th | 3.08 – 18th |
| Goals Against | 2.97 – 9th | 3.32 – 19th |
| Shots For | 31.85 – 14th | 33.11 – 5th |
| Shots Against | 32.94 – 19th | 30.20 – 8th |
| Fighting Majors | 50 | 25 |
| Power Play | 13.8% – 26th | 16.7% – 16th |
| Penalty Kill | 85.7% – 4th | 81.2% – 19th |
| Avg Height / Weight / Age | 6′ 1″ / 191 lbs / 24.46 years | 6′ 1″ / 191 lbs / 25.52 years |
Team Records
| Worcester | Reading | |
| Scoring First | 19-8-1-3 | 23-9-1-2 |
| Leading After 1 | 12-1-2-4 | 18-4-2-2 |
| Leading After 2 | 19-0-2-2 | 21-2-2-1 |
| Tied After 1 | 11-9-3-0 | 7-12-1-3 |
| Tied After 2 | 9-6-2-2 | 5-3-2-4 |
| Trailing After 1 | 7-15-1-0 | 3-12-1-1 |
| Trailing After 2 | 2-19-2-0 | 2-23-0-1 |
| Outshooting Opponents | 12-11-2-3 | 16-18-2-3 |
| Out Shot by Opponents | 16-14-3-1 | 12-9-2-2 |
On the Island and at the Port
- Isles Ignite Offense, Beat Flyers 4-2 [NHL]
- Gibson, Bernier Boost Sound Tigers to 2-1 Win [Sound Tigers]
- Islanders host the Coyotes today at 3.
- Bridgeport hosts Syracuse today at 3.
Closing Statements
- For live updates during the game, follow us on Twitter @WooHockeyNews.