AHL Manchester Monarchs

Monarchs Nipped at Saint John

Published on February 14, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick - Goaltender Levente Szuper was super down the stretch as the Saint John Flames snapped a two-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Manchester Monarchs at Harbour Station in Saint John, New Brunswick, on Friday night. The loss extended the Monarchs winless streak to three games, equaling a season high. The Monarchs and the Flames are scheduled to end their season series when they meet again on Saturday at Harbour Station (6:00 p.m). The Flames lead the season series with three wins compared to the Monarchs two.

The Flames built a two-goal third period lead when Brent Kelly collected his team's third unanswered goal of the game at 4:43. The unassisted goal, Kelly's sixth overall, was scored after the 20-year-old intercepted a clearing pass in the Monarchs zone and walked in all alone on Monarchs goaltender Cristobal Huet.

Greg Koehler's goal at 17:49 of the final period followed a late Monarchs flurry. Eric Healey and Steve Kelly each assisted on Koehler's first goal as a Monarchs player and 17th overall. Koehler, added to the Monarchs lineup after he was traded from the Nashville Predators to the Los Angeles Kings last week, has a four-game Monarchs scoring streak with one goal, six assists and seven points in the four games.

The Monarchs attempted several shots in the final minute with Huet pulled in favor of an extra attacker, but Szuper, the backstop from Budapest, Hungary, was up to the task as he earned his 11th win with 27 saves. Huet took the loss despite 29 saves, snapping his five-game unbeaten streak.

The Monarchs first shot of the game paid big dividends as Healey's wrister beat Szuper at 8:05. The goal was Healey's team-leading 23rd on the season and his fourth in four games. Healey set a career mark and finished second on the Monarchs with 24 goals last season. Kelly's assist was his second in as many games after returning from an injury that had him sidelined for two weeks.

The opening period also included strong net play from Huet, assigned to the Monarchs just hours before Wednesday's game against the Portland Pirates at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Huet, who backed up Kings starter Jamie Storr during his week-long stint in L.A., had 11 first period saves.

The Flames Blair Betts knotted the game at 1-1 6:04 into the middle frame. Betts pounced on a rebound and scored his first goal after Huet's sprawling save nullified a scoring chance from Martin Sonnenberg moments before. Sonnenberg and Chuck Kobasew shared assists on the play.

Kobasew gave the Flames their first lead at 2-1 when his one-timer over the blocker of Huet found the back of the net at 13:29. Defenseman Mike Mottau and Sonnenberg assisted on the power play goal, Kobasew's 12th goal this season.

The Los Angeles Kings on Friday assigned center winger Jared Aulin and defenseman Jason Holland to the Manchester Monarchs. Aulin, 20, has appeared in 17 games for the Kings this season, recording two goals, two assists, four points and zero penalty minutes. He has also appeared in 34 games for the Monarchs this season, recording eight goals, 26 assists, 34 points and 17 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-0, 192-pound Calgary, Alberta, made his NHL debut earlier this season and scored his first two NHL goals on February 7 vs. the Carolina Hurricanes at the STAPLES Center.

Holland, 26, has not appeared in a game for the Kings this season. In 44 games with the Monarchs this season, he has one goal, 18 assists, 19 points and 39 penalty minutes. In 27 career NHL games with the Kings, New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound native of Morinville, Alberta, has one goal, one assist, two points and 12 penalty minutes.

Both Aulin and Holland are expected to dress on Saturday when the Monarchs (28-13-7-3, 2nd North Division) close their season series against the Flames.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 14, 2003


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