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AHL Manchester Monarchs

Monarchs, Admirals Skate To A 3-3 Tie

February 26, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


NORFOLK, Virginia - Two games into their season-long 10-game road trip, and the Manchester Monarchs have yet to experience a loss. The Monarchs and the Norfolk Admirals skated to a 3-3 draw at the SCOPE in Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday night in a back and fourth affair. The Monarchs, who are on a season-long five-game winless skid, gained a point on the idle first place Providence Bruins in the North Division. The Portland Pirates, who entered Wednesday's action trailing the second place Monarchs by three points in the standings, kept pace by skating to a 2-2 tie at Saint John.

The Monarchs line of Steve Kelly, Greg Koehler and Eric Healey, which has consistently put up points in the month of February when other Monarchs combinations have struggled, did it again on Wednesday as all three collected multi-point games. Kelly opened the scoring by pouncing on a first period rebound in front of the Admirals net. The veteran centerman, who leads the Monarchs with 49 points overall, shoveled home his 15th goal of the season with both Koehler and Healey assisting at 7:26.

Travis Scott, who would finish the game with 38 saves in his fifth consecutive start, stopped all 10 shots he faced in the opening period. Goaltender Craig Andersson finished with four saves on five first period shots.

The Admirals tied the game on the power play 4:52 into the middle period as Brett McLean tapped in his 15th goal after defenseman Dimitri Tolkunov's drive from the point dribbled off Scott's glove. Defenseman Marty Wilford also assisted.

The Admirals were awarded a rare penalty shot just over a minute later, as referee Ian Walsh determined that Scott had tossed his stick while under pressure in the crease area. Igor Korolev, a 10-year NHL veteran who has spent most of the 2002-03 season in Chicago with the Blackhawks, recorded his second goal in five games with the Admirals at 6:14 of the period, giving them their first lead at 2-1.

But the Kelly, Koehler, and Healey combination followed a late Monarchs surge with Kelly's second goal of the game and 16th goal of the season. Much like on the Monarchs first tally, Kelly swept in Koehler's rebound. The goal was scored with just 53 seconds remaining in the period, and Koehler and Healey assisted. The goal drew the Monarchs even with the Admirals despite being outshot 16 to 6 in the period.

The Monarchs grabbed the lead at 5:01 of the third period with Derek Bekar's 9th goal. Bekar, who sliced the shot past Andersson on a semi-breakaway into the Admirals zone, was assisted by defenseman Joe Rullier, who notched his first point in 13 games. The Bekar goal was also the first scored by a Monarchs player other than Healey or Kelly in the last three games.

The Admirals rallied again late in regulation and tied the score at 3-3 with Mike Peluso's team-leading 19th goal. Peluso's wrap-around attempt beat Scott with 3:43 left on the clock. McLean and Matt Henderson assisted on the power play score.

The Monarchs closed regulation on the power play after right wing Shawn Thornton was whistled for delay of game at 18:32. But the Monarchs failed to convert. The Monarchs were 0-for-3 on the power play in Wednesday's game, compared to the Admirals 2-for-3 effort.

Norfolk held the 3-2 shots on goal advantage in the five-minute overtime session.

The Monarchs (30-16-9-3, 72 points) continue their season-long 10-game road trip when they return to the SCOPE for a rematch with the Admirals (30-17-8-4, 72 points) on Friday at 7:35 p.m. The Monarchs next home game is set for Friday, Mar. 14 vs. the Lowell Lock Monsters at the Verizon Wireless Arena at 7:35 p.m. Only a few hundred tickets remain for that game. For Monarchs ticket information, call (603) 626-7825.

NOTES: The Monarchs announced on Wednesday that rookie center Jared Aulin will be sidelined for at least a week with a mild knee sprain. Aulin, 20, ranks sixth on the team in overall points with 38 (9g, 29a). Aulin was injured against the Hartford Wolf Pack in Sunday's 2-2 tie at the Hartford Civic Center.

Other Monarchs scratches on Wednesday included right wing Pavel Rosa and defenseman Chris Aldous. The Monarchs on Wednesday also recalled defenseman Mat Snesrud for the Reading Royals of the East Coast Hockey League. Netminder Cristobal Huet, on recall with the Los Angeles Kings, earned his first NHL win as he replaced starter Jamie Storr in the Kings 5-3 victory at Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Huet, 27, collected 16 saves in over two periods of work. Center Chris Schmidt earned his first NHL assist on a Bryan Smolinski third period goal.



American Hockey League Stories from February 26, 2003


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