Being part of the Los Angeles Kings system is usually a plus for the Reading Royals, who get the benefit of developing some of the NHL club's draft picks and prospects.

Lately, though, it's been a curse. A plague of injuries in the system has led to a gutting of the Royals' roster, with AHL affiliate Manchester taking 10 players who have been in Reading at some point this season.

Unfortunately for the Royals, there is no Class-A level club to turn to for replacements. Instead, they have to work the free agent market to fill their numerous gaps.

But even with five new faces on the bench, coach Karl Taylor expected more out of his team than it gave in Tuesday night's ugly 5-1 loss to the Wheeling Nailers. The four-goal loss was the most lopsided of the season for the Royals.

“It wasn't about winning tonight,” Taylor said. “It was about the effort and how we played, and it was embarrassing. From the top down. I have to do a way better job finding players and also getting our guys ready to go. We weren't ready to play.”

Taylor took the blame for the loss, but his team was outplayed, not outcoached. At times, the Royals (21-8-2) looked lost and listless in dropping a matchup that pitted co-ECHL North Division leaders.

A good midweek crowd of 4,497 turned out to welcome Reading back from a successful seven-game road trip, but the Nailers (22-10-2) provided an icy reception from the opening minutes. Wheeling scored three goals while holding Reading to just five shots in the first period.

The first goal came just 72 seconds after the opening faceoff as Kurtis McLean scored during a pile-up in front of the net. The Nailers then picked up a Cam Paddock tip-in 5:12 before the intermission and a Drew Fata power-play goal 1:41 later on a wrister from the right circle.

The Nailers continued to pour it on in the second as they got a pair of goals within the first 4:17 of the period to go ahead 5-0. The Royals came back with a Dany Roussin goal 6:27 into the period during a two-man advantage, but didn't do much else offensively in managing just 21 shots.

Reading goalie Yutaka Fukufuji allowed five goals on the first 19 shots he faced, but he didn't get much help.

“I don't blame ‘Fook' for anything,” Taylor said. “We didn't box out, we didn't match guys, we let guys get rebounds. ‘Fook' is a great goaltender, and we hung him out to dry. If I'm him, I'm the maddest guy in the room. There's no support and no help.

“You don't win hockey games doing that, and that's a reflection of me. I gotta do a better job. I've gotta work harder.”

More moves: Reading added three free agents to its roster before Tuesday's game, including retired center Graig Mischler. The 27-year-old New York native, who had 63 points here last season, started and had four shots on goal.

The team also signed 25-year-old defenseman Brad Sullivan and 27-year-old forward B.J. Stephens. Sullivan skated in 11 games last year with Dayton, while Stephens spent last season in the SPHL.

The new trio is expected to be around on a day-to-day basis while the Royals wait for players to return from Manchester. The Monarchs got four players back from the Kings on Tuesday, but Royals coach Karl Taylor said he hadn't been told if any of his players would be coming back.