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AHL Manchester Monarchs

Monarchs Weekly Report

April 5, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

At Lowell (3/31): Goaltender Matt Lopes made his pro debut stopping 42 shots to extend the Manchester Monarchs win streak to five games as they topped the Lowell Devils, 4-3, at the Tsongas Center on Wednesday night. The Monarchs picked up goals from defenseman David Kolomatis, right wing Trevor Lewis and right wing John Zeiler (2). Center Brad Mills, right wing Patrick Davis and right wing Matt Halischuk lit the lamp for the Devils. Monarchs goaltender Jeff Zatkoff (10-9-0) stopped 1-of-3 shots through 5:33 of the game before leaving with a lower body injury. Lopes (1-0-0) earned his first professional win in his pro debut with 42 saves on 43 shots. Devils netminder Mike McKenna (22-16-6) took his 16th loss of the season with 31 saves. Manchester went 2-for-7 on the power play. Lowell was 0-for-7 with the man advantage.

Vs. Bridgeport (4/2): With a 4-1 victory over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the Manchester Monarchs clinched a playoff berth in the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs on Friday night at the Verizon Wireless Arena. Center Justin Azevedo, center Corey Elkins, left wing Bud Holloway and center Oscar Moller scored for the Monarchs. Defenseman Brendan Witt tallied the lone goal for the Sound Tigers. Marking the second game in a row where a Monarchs netminder has made his professional debut, goaltender Jean-Francois Berube (1-0-0) stopped 23-of-24 shots on goal and earned his first professional win. Sound Tigers netminder Scott Munroe (18-16-3) drew the loss, halting 26-of-30 shots on net. Both Manchester and Bridgeport were 0-for-1 on the power play.

Vs. Providence (4/3): Goaltender Jonathan Bernier earned his ninth shutout of the season with 21 saves as the Manchester Monarchs blanked the Providence Bruins, 3-0, for the sixth time this season at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Saturday night to extend the team's season-high win streak to seven games. Center Trevor Lewis, center Oscar Moller and defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov picked up goals for the Monarchs. Bernier (30-20-6) stopped all 21 shots on goal earning his ninth shutout of the season and 30th win of the season. Bruins goaltender Dany Sabourin (26-26-0) drew the loss, halting 34-of-37 shots on net. Manchester went 2-for-4 on the power play. Providence was 0-for-4 with the man advantage.

NEWS & NOTES

The Manchester Monarchs (42-26-3-6) clinched a berth in the 2010 Calder Cup Playoffs with a 4-1 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on Saturday. The Monarchs can finish no lower than third place in the Atlantic Division. They currently have 93 points. The Worcester Sharks (47-23-3-3) lead the Atlantic Division with 100 points followed by the Portland Pirates (44-22-7-4) with 99 points.

The Monarchs are 24-11-1-3 at the Verizon Wireless Arena this season.

Manchester is 8-1-0-1 in their last 10 games. The Monarchs are currently on a seven-game winning streak, the longest winning streak of the season.

The Monarchs penalty kill is ranked fifth in the AHL. They have given up 45 goals in 313 attempts when their opponent has had the man advantage. Manchester has not allowed a power play goal in their last seven games.

Their power play is ranked sixth in the league with 57 goals on 284 opportunities with the man advantage.

Manchester has been outshot by their opponent in 53-of-77 games thus far this season.

The Monarchs are 21-1-1-1 when scoring the first goal on home ice.

Left wing Bud Holloway (19-27=46) leads the Monarchs in both assists (27) and points (46).

Holloway and right wing John Zeiler (10-9=19) are tied for 13th in the AHL with five game-winning goals this season.

Center Corey Elkins (20-21=41) ranks second on Manchester's roster with 41 points.

Elkins leads the Monarchs with 20 tallies this season.

Center Gabe Gauthier (8-27=35) is tied with Holloway for the team lead in assists with 27 and sits in third place with 35 points.

Center Oscar Moller (14-16=30) had his six-game scoring streak of nine points (3-6=9) come to an end when he was held off the scoreboard on Wednesday night in Lowell. His streak tied Elkins for the longest point streak of the season. Elkins recorded eight points (5-3=8) from January 16-26. He's scored a goal in each of the last two contests.

Moller also has moved up the Monarchs roster and into sole possession of fourth place.

Defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov (10-19=29) also leads Monarchs blueliners with 29 points.

Defenseman Alec Martinez (6-21=27) leads the Monarchs with a plus/minus rating of plus-12. He is followed closely by right wing Scott Parse (4-11=15), who was recalled by the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday, March 3, and Zeiler who have plus-11 ratings. Right wing Kevin Westgarth (11-14=25) and defenseman Joe Piskula (2-10=12) each have plus-10 ratings.

Martinez has recorded 13 points (2-11=13) in his last 10 games to bring him into a tie for sixth place on the Monarchs roster with center Justin Azevedo (14-13=27).

Azevedo's four-game point streak (3-1=4) came to an end on Wednesday in Lowell.

Defenseman David Kolomatis (7-19=26) and left wing Dwight King (10-16=26) are tied for eighth place with 26 points each.

Right wing Kevin Westgarth's career-high 25 points (11-14=25) are ranked 10th on the team.

Rookie center Andrei Loktionov (8-15=23) returned to the Monarchs line-up on Friday, March 26 against Bridgeport after being sidelined with an upper body injury since November 25. In six games since his return, Loktionov has recorded six points (2-4=6).

Goaltender Jonathan Bernier has a record of 30-20-6 in 57 games of the season. His 30 wins are ranked third in the AHL.

Bernier's nine shutouts lead the AHL.

Bernier is ranked second in the league with a 2.03 goals-against-average and is ranked first with a .937 save percentage.

Bernier was recalled by the Kings on Monday, March 29 and appeared in two games with Los Angeles bringing his NHL total for the season to three games with a 3-0-0 record, a 1.30 goals-against-average, a .957 save percentage and one shutout. He was assigned to the Monarchs on Friday, April 2 and will join the team on Saturday, April 3.

Netminder Jeff Zatkoff has played in 22 games for the Monarchs this season, recording a 10-9-0 record, a 2.92 goals-against-average, a .915 save percentage and two shutouts.

Goaltender J.F. Berube earned his first professional win in his debut on Friday, April 2 against the Sound Tigers by stopping 23-of-24 shots in the Monarchs 4-1 victory.

MONARCHS TRANSACTIONS

4/2/10: The Los Angeles Kings (NHL) assigned goaltender Jonathan Bernier to the Manchester Monarchs (AHL).

4/2/10: The Manchester Monarchs (AHL) signed goaltenders Jean-Francois Berube and Dave Wilson to amateur tryout agreements.

4/2/10: The Manchester Monarchs (AHL) released goaltender Matt Lopes from his amateur tryout agreement.

3/31/10: The Manchester Monarchs (AHL) signed goaltender Matt Lopes to an amateur tryout agreement.

3/30/10: The Manchester Monarchs (AHL) signed defenseman Jacob Muzzin to an amateur tryout agreement.

3/29/10: The Los Angeles Kings (NHL) recalled goaltender Jonathan Bernier from the Manchester Monarchs (AHL).

MONARCHS INJURY REPORT

4/2/10: Right wing Kevin Westgarth is day-to-day with an upper body injury.

3/31/10: Goaltender Jeff Zatkoff is week-to-week with a lower body injury.

MONARCHS PROMOTIONS

Shirt Off Our Back/Team Photo Night - The first 2,000 fans to the Monarchs last regular season home game of the 2009-10 season on Friday, April 9 against the Portland Pirates at 7:30 p.m. will receive a full color team photo, courtesy of WGAM. Don't miss your chance to win the Shirt Off Our Back on Friday! Fans can purchase raffle tickets for $1 and put it in the bucket of their favorite Monarchs player. Following the game, the winners will be escorted down to the ice and receive their game-worn purple road jersey from the player himself. Proceeds will benefit Special Olympics of New Hampshire and the Monarchs Care Foundation.

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