The Adirondack Thunder and Reading Royals met for the middle game of their three-game weekend series on Saturday Night. Coming into the night, Adirondack would be down two key pieces as Darian Skeoch and Ryan Wheeler were both scratched from the lineup. The Royals only lineup change would be Parker Aucoin coming in for Jacques Bouquot. Unlike Friday night, the first period was relatively quick and quiet. Each team had a power-play chance but couldn’t convert, as the Royals outshot the Thunder 11-10 in the opening frame.
“It’s a lot about management, we have a lot of management we have to handle with the three-in-three here, and then the four in five plus travel so manage the puck, put your guys in situations to have success and if you manage shifts, and you manage shifts and period, and not getting stuck out there for too long. Trying to play the forwards under 20 and the D around 20 or less so that they can have the proper energy, more mentally on the backside of the thing, we’re doing our best”
Head Coach Pete MacArthur on trying to manage minutes with the busy schedule for the Thunder
In the second, Adirondack opened the scoring at the 7:56 mark, as Filip Engaras fed Andre Ghantous for his first goal of the season. The Thunder would waste no time doubling their lead as less than four minutes later, Ghantous would feed Kurt Gosselin, who blasted a shot from the point past Keith Petruzzeli to give the Thunder a 2-0 lead. Reading would respond 22 seconds after the Ghantous goal as Parker Aucoin would fire a shot that beat Tyler Brennan’s glove side, a goal that Brennan would surely want back. Just a minute after the Reading goal, Josh Filmon would take a double minor for hooking and send Adirondack on a four-minute penalty kill, which would be successful as the Thunder, after Saturday Night’s game, are now 21/21 on the PK. As the second period was coming to a close, Ryan Leibold threw a puck towards the net that found the stick of Connor McMenamin, who tipped it in as the horn sounded on the middle frame as the Royals erased the two-goal deficit.
“Ya, feels great. The boys played well and when it was my time to burry on some chances I was able to do so and give the boys some life which was good but I think the team giving me those good passes or making those plays, I don’t think I would have those plays so kudos to those guys for giving us a good W”
Kurt Gosselin on his two goal night against his former team
After giving up a two-goal lead and a goal at the buzzer, Adirondack came out of the gates quickly as they would come out of the gates quickly and had a golden chance to get the lead in the opening minute, but Petruzzeli would make an un-real save to keep the game tied up at two. Adirondack, who hadn’t scored on the PP since October 19th, would finally breakthrough on the man advantage as Alex Young would feed Kurt Gosselin for his second goal of the night against his former team at the 8:53 mark of the third period for his second goal of the game. Ryan Smith would add an empty-netter, and Tyler Brennan would make 24 saves for his second win of the season, while Adirondack would win 4-2. Reading, who was held to just two shots in the opening period on Friday night, would be outshot 14-2 in the third; these are the only two times this season that Adirondack has held a team to two shots or less in a period this season.
