AHL Manchester Monarchs

Monarchs Report

Published on December 4, 2006 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

Vs. Springfield (12/1): The Manchester Monarchs forced overtime with a late third period goal but came up short as the Springfield Falcons hopped on the bus with a 3-2 overtime victory at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday night. Former Monarchs left wing Eric Healey and left wing Justin Keller tallied in regulation for the Falcons and right wing Norm Milley's eighth goal of the season took the game in overtime. Right wing John Zeiler and left wing Jeff Giuliano scored for the Monarchs. Goaltender Jason LaBarbera took the overtime loss with 30 saves on the night. Falcons goaltender Jonathan Boutin earned the win stopping 33 shots. Manchester went 1-for-3 on the power play. Springfield was 0-for-4 with the man advantage.

At Hartford (12/2): Goaltender Jason LaBarbera returned to the Hartford Civic Center to face his former team for the first time since joining the Los Angeles Kings organization and his ex-teammate, goaltender Stephen Valiquette, captured his first shutout of the season in the Hartford Wolf Pack's 3-0 victory over the Manchester Monarchs on Saturday night. Left wing Brad Isbister, right wing Craig Weller and center Dwight Helminen tallied for the Wolf Pack. LaBarbera took the loss with 29 saves. Valiquette stopped all 26 shots for the shutout. Manchester went 0-for-6 on the power play. Hartford was 0-for-3 with the man advantage.

Vs. Bridgeport (12/3): Right wing John Zeiler scored twice and led the Manchester Monarchs past the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, 5-3, at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Sunday evening. Center Patrick O'Sullivan, right wing Konstantin Pushkarev and center Matt Ryan also tallied in the victory. Left wing Noah Clarke, left wing Matt Moulson, O'Sullivan, Ryan and Zeiler each earned two points in the game. The Sound Tigers collected tallies from center Frans Nielsen, center Jeremy Colliton and left wing Brandon Nolan. Former Monarchs left wing Jeff Tambellini recorded two assists for Bridgeport. Monarchs goaltender Jason LaBarbera earned his ninth win of the season stopping 33 shots. Sound Tigers netminder Billy Thompson took the loss with 28 saves. Manchester went 1-for-6 on the power play. Bridgeport was 0-for-2 with the man advantage.

MONARCHS NEWS & NOTES

The Monarchs (10-8-5-1) are tied for third place in the Atlantic Division with 26 points.

Manchester has a home record of 6-4-4-0 and a road record of 4-4-1-1.

The Monarchs power play is ranked eighth in the AHL after 24 games with a 19.9-percent man-advantage scoring percentage. Manchester has scored 28 goals on 141 opportunities so far this season with the man advantage

Manchester's penalty kill is ranked 23rd in the league after letting in 28 goals on 132 situations when the team has been down a man for a 78.8 percentage. The Monarchs have not given up a power play goal to their opposition in the last 17 opportunities spanning five games.

Left wing Noah Clarke leads the Monarchs in scoring with 20 points (10-10=20).

Clarke's ten goals also lead the team.

Clarke surpassed center Michael Cammalleri (71) on the all-time goals category for the Monarchs on November 22 versus Norfolk. The 5-foot-9, 192-pound native of LaVerne, California, has 72 goals in 223 Monarchs games from 2002-2006.

Clarke is in first place on the Monarchs all-time list with 23 power play goals.

Defenseman T.J. Kemp leads Manchester's blueliners with 15 points (2-13=15) and is tied for second in scoring with center Patrick O'Sullivan (7-8=15).

Kemp is also tied for fiftth place among AHL defensemen.

Rookie Kemp shares the Monarchs assists lead of 13 with fellow defenseman Eric Werner (0-13=13).

Defenseman Peter Harrold (2-11=13) was recalled by the Los Angeles Kings on Novmeber 21 and has two points, both assists, in seven games. He scored his first professional point in his debut against the San Jose Sharks on November 22.

Harrold and Werner are tied for 15th among defensive scorers in the AHL.

Right wing John Zeiler (5-8=13) and left wing Matt Moulson (5-8=13) are tied for fourth place in team scoring with Harrold and Werner with 13 points.

Right wing Konstantin Pushkarev scored his first goal of the season in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Pushkarev ended the 2005-06 season as the Monarchs leading goal scorer among active skaters with 19 goals.

With center Matt Ryan's two-point game against the Sound Tigers, every Monarchs player has scored at least one point this season with the exception of the goaltenders.

Ryan's two points on Sunday also brought him to 50 points (22-28=50) in 148 games as a member of the Monarchs over the last three seasons (2004-present).

Right wing Tim Jackman played in his 300th AHL game on Sunday against the Sound Tigers. He has 118 points (58-60=118) and 417 penalty minutes in those 300 games with the Syracuse Crunch, San Antonio Rampage and the Monarchs.

Goaltender Jason LaBarbera ranks second in the league among minutes played with 1,167 minutes in 20 games.

LaBarbera is tied for first place in the AHL with Houston's goaltender Josh Harding in the saves category with 655 on the season.

LaBarbera is tied for third in the league with a save-percentage of .925 and he is tied for 10th among goaltenders with a goals-against-average of 2.52.

LaBarbera recorded his second shutout of the season stopping 34 shots on November 26 against the Portland Pirates to move him into a tie for second place among AHL shutouts. The 3-0 shutout was his 100th AHL career victory.

LaBarbera has played in 205 AHL games with the Monarchs and Wolf Pack. He has a record of 101-64-20, a goals-against-average of 2.17 and a save-percentage of .925 in 11,348 minutes of work between the pipes and 5,100 saves in the AHL.

TRANSACTIONS

11-30-06 - The Manchester Monarchs (AHL) recalled goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji from the Reading Royals (ECHL).

11-29-06 - The Los Angeles Kings (NHL) recalled goaltender Barry Brust from the Manchester Monarchs (AHL).

INJURIES

Right wing Lauri Tukonen is week-to-week with a lower body injury.

IN THE COMMUNITY

12-4-06 - Right wing Mike Hoffman and defenseman T.J. Kemp will be guests at Monday night's Manchester Monarchs Booster Club meeting from 7:15-8:00 p.m. Hoffman and Kemp will speak to the Booster Club members about how their hockey careers have brought them to Manchester and then they will answer questions from the group.

12-6-06 - Forwards Tim Jackman, Patrick O'Sullivan and Matt Ryan along with defenseman Eric Werner will be at The Wild Rover on Wednesday, December 6 from 6-8 p.m. having dinner and signing autographs with fans.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS

Bellman's Jewelers Diamond Giveaway - The first 1,000 ladies 16-and-older will receive envelopes as they enter the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday, December 8 when the Monarchs host the Lowell Devils. 999 envelopes will contain cubic zirconium diamonds and one will contain a half-carat diamond valued at $2,500, courtesy of Bellman's Jewelers. Last year's real diamond went missing for over a week before the lucky winner found it in her trash can.

Toys For Tots - The Monarchs Care Foundation and Toys For Tots are teaming up to make the holiday brighter for children in need by asking fans to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the Monarchs game on Friday, December 8 versus the Lowell Devils. Get in the giving spirit with the Monarchs Care Foundation and Toys For Tots.

Executive Winter Hat Night - The first 5,000 fans to the Monarchs game on Saturday, December 9 versus the Portland Pirates will receive a winter hat, courtesy of the Executive Health and Fitness Center.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 4, 2006


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