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The Reading Royals have clinched their spot in the Kelly Cup Playoffs after they beat the Wheeling Nailers 3-2 and got some help as the Adirondack Thunder defeated the Trois-Rivières Lions. For Reading, this is now back-to-back seasons that they’ve made the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Key Players

For Reading, one of their biggest pieces came via an AHL trade as Hunter Johannes was traded from the Charlotte Checkers to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Since joining the Royals, he’s put up 11 goals and 13 assists for 24 points in 26 games. He also saw two games with the Phantoms. Ben Meehan has been a massive piece on the blueline for the Royals. The rookie defenseman has 12 goals and 34 assists for 48 points in 68 games this season. He is the only player with double-digit goal totals this season and has more than double the points of Jake Willets, who has 22 points, and is second on the team in points among Royals D-Men

Goaltending

The Reading Royals once again had a strong goaltending tandem that took them most of the way this season. Keith Petruzzelli made 37 appearances this season with the Royals, posting a 17-14-3 record with a 2.46 GAA, .915SV%, and four shutouts. Yaniv Perets signed an AHL deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms; however, he has spent the majority of the season in Reading, where he’s posted a 14-8-3 record with a 2.88 GAA, .908 SV%, and three shutouts. With two good goaltenders, the Royals will be one of the teams that will have a tough choice to make when it comes to the Game 1 Starter.

This article first appeared on Inside The Rink and was syndicated with permission.

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