
Monarchs Game Day Capsule
February 24, 2016 - ECHL (ECHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release
HEAD-TO-HEAD - The Monarchs and Thunder meet for the 11th time this season, with the two top teams in the East division splitting the previous 10 meetings. The last time the two teams met, the Monarchs completed a three-game sweep of the Thunder on Jan. 24, winning in overtime, 3-2. In their last five meetings, the Monarchs have gone 4-1-0-0 against Adirondack.
WHERE WE STAND - The Monarchs (71 points) remain in first place in the East, standing six points ahead of the Adirondack Thunder. Manchester enters tonight's game alone in first place in the Eastern Conference, one point clear of the Florida Everblades.
FIRST IS THE WORST, THIRD IS THE BEST - The Monarchs and Thunder are almost mirror images to one another when it comes to their distribution of goals this season. Adirondack tends to come out strong, scoring 51 of their 136 regulation goals in the first period (37.5%), but only 43 in the third period (31.6%). The Monarchs on the other hand have scored 43 of their 160 regulation goals in the first period (26.9%) and a league leading 64 third period goals (40%).
COLIN' IN - The Monarchs received goaltender Colin Stevens back from the Portland Pirates (AHL) yesterday, and he will be active tonight. The first-year goalie was called up to Portland on Feb. 19 and served as the back-up for the Pirates in two games. Stevens returns to the Monarchs on a six-game winning streak, and brings his 14th ranked GAA (ECHL) back to Manchester.
THUNDER TRAVELS - Adirondack checks in with the 19th ranked overall power play (15.7%) and 6th ranked overall penalty kill (86.1), but the Thunder have been far better on the road than at home. When away from the Glens Falls Civic Center, the Thunder have converted on 20.4% of their man-advantages, good for 5th in the league and have killed at 87.3%, good for 3rd in the league.
ROOKIE LEADERS - Tonight's game with Adirondack feature two of the top rookies in the entire league, with Manchester's Matt Leitner and Adirondack's Michael Kirkpatrick set to square off. With the call-up of Reading's Justin Crandall, Leitner sits in 1st place in rookie scoring with 48 points and his 36 assists tops ECHL rookies as well. Kirkpatrick has found the transition to the pros a good one, leading ECHL rookies with 21 goals, and sits in a tie for 4th place in rookie scoring with his 42 points.
THE STREAK - Maxim Kitsyn continues to ride a career-long point streak, scoring in 12 consecutive games. During the streak that started on Jan. 24, Kitsyn has posted seven goals and eight assists with a +10 rating. Kitsyn has also scored in 18-of-19 games stretching back to Jan. 6, scoring 12 goals and 11 assists in that span with a +19 rating.
Adirondack Thunder (30-16-2-3) at Monarchs (33-15-1-4)
Wednesday, February 24, 2016 - 7 p.m. - Verizon Wireless Arena
MONARCHS POINTS LEADERS
Matt Leitner: 48 points (12g, 36a)
Maxim Kitsyn: 44 points (22g, 22a)
Joey Diamond: 34 points (10g, 24a)
MONARCHS GOALTENDING LEADERS
Colin Stevens: 13-5-1-0, 2.36 GAA, 0.921 save %
Doug Carr: 8-4-0-4, 2.50 GAA, 0.924 save %
THUNDER POINTS LEADERS
Michael Kirkpatrick: 42 points (21g, 21a)
Ryan Constant: 24 points (6g, 18a)
Greg Wolfe: 22 points (9g, 13a)
THUNDER GOALTENDING LEADERS
Drew Fielding: 7-2-1-2, 2.00 GAA, 0.935 save %
Peter Di Salvo: 3-2-0-0, 2.32 GAA, 0.908 save %
ECHL Stories from February 24, 2016
- Stingrays Dominate Everblades with 6-1 Victory Wednesday - South Carolina Stingrays
- Monarchs Quiet Thunder, 3-2 - Manchester Monarchs
- Mavericks Defeat Comets 4-3 - Kansas City Mavericks
- Cyclones Earn Third Straight in Wild Affair with Atlanta - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Stingrays Swamp Everblades 6-1 - Florida Everblades
- Cyclones Defeat Gladiators 5-2 - Atlanta Gladiators
- Oilers Acquire Andrew Johnston from Fuel - Tulsa Oilers
- Campbell Recalled to AHL Texas - Idaho Steelheads
- ECHL Transactions - February 24 - ECHL
- Nailers Announce 25th Season Logo and Update WesBanco Arena Construction - Wheeling Nailers
- Game Preview: South Carolina at Florida, 7:30 p.m. - South Carolina Stingrays
- Americans Welcome 7th Annual Allen Police Versus Allen Fire Hockey Game this Weekend - Allen Americans
- Game Notes: vs. Atlanta - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Martin Recalled from Solar Bears to Marlies - Orlando Solar Bears
- Kalamazoo Wings to Host "We Are Kalamazoo" Game - Kalamazoo Wings
- Monarchs Game Day Capsule - Manchester Monarchs
- Gameday: Adirondack at Manchester - Adirondack Thunder
- Forward Justin Crandall Loaned to Chicago - Reading Royals
- ECHL Today - February 24 - ECHL
- Missouri Sweeps Season Series against Indy Fuel with 5-3 Win - Kansas City Mavericks
- Late Linsmayer Tally Beats Oilers - Idaho Steelheads
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