Monarchs Weekly Report
Published on May 3, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release
LAST WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS
At Worcester (4/28): Left wing Bud Holloway netted his fifth game-winning goal of the playoffs to lift the Manchester Monarchs over the Worcester Sharks, 3-2, in overtime at the DCU Center on Wednesday night to even the 2010 Calder Cup Atlantic Division Final series at 1-1 with game three returning to the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday night. Centers Corey Elkins and Justin Azevedo scored in regulation for the Monarchs. Left wing Brandon Mashinter and defenseman Derek Joslin scored for the Sharks. Monarchs goaltender Jonathan Bernier (5-1) earned his fifth playoff victory by stopping 31-of-33 shots. Sharks netminder Alex Stalock (5-2) took his second loss of the playoffs with 28 saves. Manchester went 1-for-3 on the power play. Worcester was also 1-for-3 with the man advantage.
Vs Worcester (4/30): Goaltender Jonathan Bernier stopped all 26 shots that came his way to earn his first shutout of the playoffs as the Manchester Monarchs skated to a 5-0 victory over the Worcester Sharks to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven 2010 Calder Cup Atlantic Division Final at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday night. Center Gabe Gauthier, right wing Trevor Lewis (2), left wing David Meckler and center Corey Elkins tallied for the Monarchs. Bernier (6-1) earned his sixth playoff victory by stopping all 26 shots on goal. Sharks netminder Alex Stalock (5-3) took his third loss of the playoffs with 31 saves on 36 shots. Manchester went 3-for-8 on the power play. Worcester did not have a power play.
Vs Worcester (5/1): Defenseman Derek Joslin scored the game-winning goal with 34 seconds remaining in the game to lift the Worcester Sharks, 3-2, over the Manchester Monarchs at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Saturday night. The 2010 Calder Cup Atlantic Division Final series is tied at 2-2 with game five scheduled for Wednesday, May 5 at the DCU Center. Monarchs centers Gabe Gauthier and Justin Azevedo scored for the Monarchs. Centers Ryan Vesce and Cory Quirk added on to Joslin's game-winner for the Sharks. Monarchs goaltender Jonathan Bernier (6-2) took his second loss of the playoffs after stopping 33-of-36 shots on goal. Sharks netminder Alex Stalock (6-3) earned his sixth win of the post-season with 19 saves. Manchester went 0-for-4 on the power play. Worcester was 1-for-5 with the man advantage.
NEWS & NOTES
The Manchester Monarchs (6-2) are deadlocked at 2-2with the Worcester Sharks (6-3) in the best-of-seven 2010 Calder Cup Atlantic Division Final.
During the regular season, the Monarchs were the underdogs with a record of 3-4-0-1 against the Sharks.
Worcester 5 @ Manchester 2 (Feb 14 2010) Final
Manchester 2 @ Worcester 5 (Jan 16 2010) Final
Manchester 2 @ Worcester 5 (Dec 29 2009) Final
Manchester 1 @ Worcester 3 (Dec 18 2009) Final
Worcester 3 @ Manchester 6 (Dec 11 2009) Final
Worcester 4 @ Manchester 5 (Dec 5 2009) Final SO
Manchester 1 @ Worcester 2 (Nov 6 2009) Final SO
Worcester 1 @ Manchester 4 (Oct 31 2009) Final
Manchester dropped game one of the division final to Worcester, 4-3, on Sunday, April 25 but rebounded with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Sharks on Wednesday, April 28 and a 5-0 shutout of Worcester on Friday, April 30 but the Sharks evened the series at 2-2 with a last minute goal and the 3-2 win on Saturday, May 1.
Left wing Bud Holloway (5-4=9) shares the Monarchs lead in goals scored in the playoffs with center Trevor Lewis (5-1=6) with five tallies each. All of Holloway's goals have also been game-winners. The AHL record for game-winning goals in a playoff season is six and held by right wing Darren Haydar.
Holloway is the only player in the AHL with five game-winning goals in the playoffs.
Holloway and Lewis' five tallies are tied for fourth place in the AHL.
Holloway's overtime game-winner on Monday, April 19 against the Pirates was the fastest overtime goal scored by the Monarchs in the playoffs. His goal at the two-minute mark beat the previous record of 1:46 into double overtime when left wing Jeff Giuliano scored the game-winner in the Monarchs 6-5 victory over the Hartford Wolf Pack on April 21, 2006.
Holloway is the only player to collect a point in all eight games this post-season. It's also the longest scoring streak in the Monarchs playoff history.
Lewis scored two goals in Friday's 5-0 blanking of the Sharks to move up into a tie for fourth place on the Monarchs roster with six points (5-1=6) in eight games.
Center Justin Azevedo (2-6=8) was held off the scoreboard for the first time in the playoffs in Friday's 5-0 win over the Sharks but he rebounded with his second tally of the post-season in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Sharks.
Azevedo moved into sole possession of second place on the Monarchs roster following Saturday's game.
Center Corey Elkins (3-4=7) is ranked third on the Monarchs roster with seven points in eight games.
Center Oscar Moller (2-4=6) and Lewis are tied with left wing Dwight King (1-5=6) for fourth place on the Monarchs with six points each.
Defensemen Andrew Campbell (1-3=4) and Jacob Muzzin (0-1=1) joined defenseman Mark Ardelan, center Marty Murray and center Patrick O'Sullivan among Monarchs players who have registered a plus/minus of plus-3 in a single game. Campbell and Muzzin picked up plus-3 ratings in the Monarchs 3-1 win over the Portland Pirates on Saturday, April 17.
The Monarchs scored a goal within the first 35 seconds of the game in three consecutive playoff games. Center Marc-Andre Cliche scored 35 seconds into the Monarchs 2-1 win over Portland on Monday, April 19; Lewis scored 31 seconds into the team's 7-2 win over Portland on Tuesday, April 20 and Moller scored 35 seconds into last Sunday's 4-3 loss to Worcester. The fastest opening goal in the Monarchs playoff history came when right wing Tim Jackman scored 28 seconds into the Monarchs 4-3 victory over the Providence Bruins on May 12, 2007.
Defenseman Joe Piskula (1-2=3) leads the Monarchs in plus/minus and is tied for second place in the AHL with a plus-7 rating through the first eight games of the playoffs.
Goaltender Jonathan Bernier is 6-2 between the pipes this post-season. His 1.73 goals-against-average ranks first in the AHL and his .944 save percentage also leads the league. He's stopped 238-of-252 shots through 485 minutes of play.
MONARCHS TRANSACTIONS
4/8/10: The Manchester Monarchs (AHL) signed center Jordan Nolan to an amateur tryout agreement.
4/5/10: The Manchester Monarchs (AHL) released goaltender Dave Wilson from his amateur tryout agreement.
4/5/10: The Manchester Monarchs (AHL) released defenseman Doug Nolan from his professional tryout agreement.
MONARCHS INJURY REPORT
4/28/10: Right wing Kevin Westgarth is week-to-week with a lower body injury.
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