AHL Manchester Monarchs

Monarchs Weekly Report

Published on December 31, 2007 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

Vs. Portland (12/27): Center Geoff Platt scored two power play goals including the game-winner as the Portland Pirates squeezed out a 3-2 overtime win to drop the Manchester Monarchs at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Thursday night. Monarchs left wing Matt Moulson and defenseman Richard Petiot scored to push the game to overtime. Center Jason King added a tally to Platt's two goals for Portland. Monarchs goaltender Erik Ersberg took the overtime loss stopping 32 shots. Pirates netminder Gerald Coleman earned the win with 30 saves. Manchester went 0-for-4 on the power play. Portland was 2-for-5 with the man advantage.

At Worcester (12/29): Center Gabe Gauthier scored three goals in seven and a half minutes for his first professional hat trick to carry the Manchester Monarchs to a 3-2 come from behind overtime win to sink the Worcester Sharks at the DCU Center on Saturday night. Left wing Lukas Kaspar and center Josh Prudden scored goals for the Sharks. Monarchs goaltender Erik Ersberg collected his eighth win of the season stopping 21 shots. Sharks netminder Thomas Greiss stopped 42-of-45 shots in the loss. Manchester went 0-for-5 on the power play. Worcester was 1-for-4 with the man advantage.

Vs. Hartford (12/30): Left wing Nigel Dawes netted a pair of goals, including the game-winner as the Hartford Wolf Pack cruised to a 5-2 road win over the Manchester Monarchs at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Sunday evening. Center Bruce Graham, left wing Lauri Korpikoski and right wing Greg Moore added goals to Dawes' pair in the second period. The Monarchs battled back with goals from right wing Teddy Purcell and defenseman Peter Harrold. Monarchs goaltender Daniel Taylor was pulled in the second period after making 15 saves on 18 shots. Manchester netminder Erik Ersberg stopped nine shots in replacement of Taylor. Wolf Pack goaltender Miika Wiikman made 26 saves in the win. Manchester went 0-for-1 on the power play. Worcester was 1-for-3 with the man advantage.

MONARCHS NEWS & NOTES

The Monarchs (14-14-4-1) are in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with 33 points.

The Monarchs power play remains atop the AHL with a 27.1-percentage and the penalty kill is in 29th place with 75.8-percent.

The Monarchs have the best home power play record as they have scored 24 goals on 78 opportunities at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

Manchester scored seven power play goals in their last four road games for a total of 15 power play tallies on the road and has moved into fourth place in the league for road power play goals.

Manchester has scored at least one power play goal in 10 of their 14 wins this season.

The Monarchs are scoreless on the power play in their last three games, the first time this season they have not tallied on the power play in consecutive games.

18 of the 32 Monarchs games thus far this season have been determined by one goal. The Monarchs are 8-5-4-1 in one goal games, 1-4-0-0 in two goal games, 1-4-0-0 in three goal games and 4-1-0-0 in four goal games.

Manchester is 10-2-1-0 when leading after the first period and 8-1-1-0 when leading after the second period.

When scoring first in the game, the Monarchs are 10-3-2-0.

The best day of the week for the Monarchs to play is on Saturday. The team is 8-2-2-1 in 13 Saturday games this season. The Monarchs are undefeated in regulation when they play on the road on Saturdays with a record of 3-0-2-1. Manchester is 2-2-1-0 in five Sunday games, 0-1-0-0 on Mondays and undefeated with one win on a Tuesday. On Wednesdays, the Monarchs have a record of 0-1-0-0. In the lone Thursday game this season, the Monarchs lost in overtime. Manchester is 3-8-0-0 on Fridays thus far this season.

The Monarchs are 3-1 in shootouts this season.

Manchester is undefeated on home ice when the game goes beyond regulation. The Monarchs are 2-0 in overtime and 2-0 in shootouts at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

The Monarchs won their first overtime game on the road as center Gabe Gauthier collected a natural hat trick in a span of seven and a half minutes to come from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Worcester Sharks 3-2 in overtime on Saturday, December 29.

Right wing Teddy Purcell (12-31=43) leads the Monarchs with 43 points in 33 games.

Purcell has scored at least one point in 25-of-33 games this season.

Purcell's 43 points are also ranked second in the AHL for overall scoring and is ranked first among rookies.

His 31 assists are ranked second in the AHL in that category and also rank first among rookies.

Purcell's 19 assists on the power play are tied for second in the AHL with teammate and defenseman Peter Harrold.

His seven power play goals are ranked third among rookies.

Gauthier (12-24=36) is ranked second on the Monarchs squad with 35 points in 30 games.

Gauthier's 24 assists are also ranked second on the Monarchs.

Gauthier has scored at least one point in 22-of-30 games this season.

Gauthier's 36 points are ranked seventh in the AHL.

Gauthier's 24 assists are also ranked ninth in the AHL in that category.

14 of Gauthier's 24 assists this season have come on the power play which ties him for sixth place in the AHL for power play assists.

Gauthier's seven power play goals are tied for sixth place in the AHL among power play tallies.

Gauthier collected his first professional hat trick by scoring three unanswered goals in a span of seven and a half minutes in the Monarchs 3-2 overtime win against the Sharks on Saturday, December 29.

Gauthier is the latest Monarchs player to score a shorthanded goal for Manchester this season as he netted the tally against the Worcester Sharks in the 3-2 overtime win on Saturday, December 29. Gauthier joins center Trevor Lewis, center David Meckler and left wing Jeff Giuliano with shorthanded goals this season.

Harrold leads Monarchs blueliners with 30 points (7-23=30) in 32 games.

19 of Harrold's 23 assists have come on the power play which ties him with Purcell for second in the AHL for power play assists.

The second year defenseman is also ranked second among defensemen with 30 points and tied for first among blueliners with 23 assists.

Center Brian Boyle is ranked fourth on the Monarchs squad this season and ranked second among AHL rookies with 29 points (13-16=29).

Boyle is also ranked second among AHL rookies with 94 shots on goal this season.

Boyle's eight power play goals are ranked second among rookies.

The rookie center's two game-winning goals are also tied for fifth place among rookies.

Boyle's 13 goals are tied for the lead AHL rookies.

Boyle's first professional hat trick on Saturday, December 22 against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers tied a franchise record for the most power play tallies in a game. Center Trevor Lewis recorded his first professional hat trick on Saturday, December 8 against the Chicago Wolves by scoring three power play tallies. Center Michael Cammalleri also scored three power play goals in the Monarchs 5-4 shootout win against Lowell on November 19, 2004.

Right wing Kevin Westgarth is tied for 13th place in the AHL in penalty minutes with 98 in 30 games. Westgarth is also tied for fourth place among rookies in penalty minutes. He has 14 major penalties that also rank first among rookies.

The Los Angeles Kings assigned right wing John Zeiler to the Monarchs on Friday night. The 6-foot, 196-pound native of Jefferson Hills, Pennsylvania, made his 2007-08 debut against the Sharks on Saturday, December 29. Zeiler has been held scoreless in two games but finished the evening with a plus-1.

Rookie netminder Erik Ersberg is spending the majority of time between the pipes for the Monarchs. In 19 games between the pipes, Ersberg has a record of 8-6-1, a 2.66 goals-against-average and a .905 save-percentage.

MONARCHS TRANSACTIONS

12/28/07: The Los Angeles Kings (NHL) recalled defenseman Jon Klemm from the Manchester Monarchs (AHL).

12/28/07: The Los Angeles Kings (NHL) assigned right wing John Zeiler to the Manchester Monarchs (AHL).

12/28/07: The Manchester Monarchs (AHL) recalled defenseman Patrik Hersley from the Reading Royals (ECHL).

12/27/07: The Manchester Monarchs (AHL) assigned center Patrick Jarrett to the Reading Royals (ECHL).

MONARCHS INJURY REPORT

Center Marc-Andre Cliche is week-to-week with a lower body injury.

Goaltender Dan Cloutier is week-to-week resting a lower body injury.

Center Scott Parse is week-to-week with an upper body injury.

Defenseman Joe Piskula is week-to-week with an upper body injury.

MONARCHS COMMUNITY REPORT

New Year's Eve Celebration - Bring in the New Year with New Hampshire's best indoor fireworks display following the Monarchs game against the Worcester Sharks on Monday, December 31 at 6:05 p.m.



American Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2007


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