Monarchs Weekly Preview
December 28, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release
WEEK IN REVIEW
The Monarchs played two games after the Christmas break, facing off against the Adirondack Thunder in a home-and-home series.
Friday night saw the Monarchs head to Glens Falls, N.Y. to play their fourth consecutive road game and seventh of eight away from the Jungle. Adirondack jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the first period, and then added to their lead, taking a 4-0 advantage into the third period. The Thunder added their fifth goal of the game before Stefan Legein broke the shutout, scoring his 8th goal of the season. Adirondack tacked on a sixth goal late in the third period, ending the game 6-1. Cedrick Desjardins got the start and was replaced at the start of the third period by Colin Stevens after allowing four goals in the first two frames.
The Monarchs bounced back Saturday night, blanking the Thunder, 2-0, at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Stevens made the start and recorded the first shutout in his professional career, stopping all 44 Adirondack shots on goal. Despite being outshot 18-5 in the third period, the Monarchs got enough support from Alex Roach (3) and Maxim Kitsyn (9) for the two-goal advantage. Tony Pisano made an instant impression on Monarchs fans, winning two fights in his Jungle debut.
WHERE WE STAND
The Monarchs head into the week in sole possession of first place in the East Division for the third straight week with 39 points, leading Elmira (36 pts.) and Adirondack (36 pts.) for the division lead. Manchester's 39 points are good for second in the Eastern Conference, and third in the ECHL.
BE VEWY, VEWY QUIET...
The Monarchs will face the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for the first time in franchise history on New Year's Eve, and will finish off their three-game set with games Saturday and Sunday, both beginning at 3 p.m. Greenville changed their name from the Road Warriors before the season began to pay homage to the 1920's Swamp Rabbit railroad. The Swamp Rabbits currently sit in 4th place in the South Division with 32 points, and sport a 5-7-0-0 away from the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
LEADING THE WAY
Matt Leitner continues to lead the Monarchs in scoring with 29 points on seven goals and 22 assists, good enough for a second-place tie for ECHL rookies in points and the lead in assists. Maxim Kitsyn finds himself second on the Monarchs roster in scoring with 19 points (9g, 10a) and Stefan Legein sticks in the top-3 with 18 points (8g, 10a).
TOUGH SLEDDING
The East Division of the ECHL has been no walk in the park up to this point in the season. Currently, the division is the second toughest to play in the entire league with a .578 combined winning percentage between the five teams, trailing only the South division who have a .585 combined winning percentage. Adirondack holds the highest winning percentage in the Eastern Conference (.750), with Elmira (.621) and Manchester (.617) holding the 4th and 5th spots respectively in the Conference.
START YOUR ENGINES
Scoring first is always important, but for the Monarchs, scoring first leads to almost certain victories. Heading into the week, Manchester is 10-2-0-1 when lighting the lamp first in a game, a whopping .770 winning percentage. When the Monarchs fail to score first all isn't lost, but the team sports a 9-9-0-0 record and .500 winning percentage when conceding the first goal.
THREE IS THE KEY
The Monarchs are averaging 2.9 goals per game through 31 contests thus far, but hitting three goals is the magic number for the team. In games when the Monarchs are able to score three or more goals, the team's record is 15-0-0-0.
TICKETS
The Monarchs return to the ice Dec. 31 (7 p.m.), when they host the Greenville Swamp Rabbits for a New Year's Eve showdown. Fans will enjoy the largest indoor fireworks display in New England after the final whistle as well as the much anticipated year-in-review video.
To purchase tickets, visit ManchesterMonarchs.com or contact the Front Office at 603-626-7825!
Visit us at ManchesterMonarchs.com, follow the team on Twitter: @MonarchsHockey, and like us on Facebook for additional information.
GAMES
Thursday, Dec. 31, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 2, 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 3, 3:00 p.m.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS WITH GREENVILLE
Last Game - Never played
This Season - 0-0-0-0
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