Monsters Comeback Comes Up Short, 4-3
November 23, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Albany Devils News Release
Springfield, Mass. - The Springfield Falcons (9-6-1-2) scored the first four goals of the game and held on for a 4-3 win over the Lowell Lock Monsters (9-8-1-2) at the MassMutual Center on Wednesday night.
The first period belonged to the Falcons, with Springfield scoring just over a minute in and controlling the early tempo. D Doug O'Brien fired home his second of the season at 1:17 to make it 1-0 Falcons. It appeared that score would last despite a late Springfield power play, but with just six seconds remaining they extended their advantage. Dennis Packard snuck in a wraparound tally to make it 2-0 heading into the intermission. The Falcons outshot Lowell 14-9 in the first.
Springfield added two more goals early in the second. Marek Kvapil and David Spina tallied just 1:03 apart in the first five minutes of the middle stanza to give Springfield a commanding 4-0 lead. Lowell soon got on the board, however, with a power play goal at 6:03 to cut the deficit to three. David Gove notched his sixth on the campaign, chipping in a rebound opportunity of a Brad Richardson shot for his third goal in the last five games. Richardson, again on the right point of another power play, blasted home a one-timer from the top of the right circle just 1:40 later to make it 4-2. Lowell enjoyed a 12-3 lead in shots through the first nine minutes of the second.
The Monsters caught a break while on the power play in the third. Falcons G Gerald Coleman played the puck straight up over the glass to give the visitors a two-man advantage for over a minute. Colin Forbes lit the lamp by redirecting a Richardson shot to cut the lead to just one with less than eight minutes left in regulation. The Monsters pulled G Kevin Nastiuk for an extra attacker with 1:41 left in the game, but they could not get the equalizer, and suffered the 4-3 defeat. Nastiuk had been unbeaten in regulation in his last three starts.
Lowell returns home against the Falcons on Friday. The Lock Monsters are teaming up with the Lowell Sun to give one fans the chance to win $25,000 that night. If Lowell scores eight goals, one fan in attendance will win the cash. The eight goal stipulation is in honor of the Monsters eighth season in the Merrimack Valley, and is also the team record. The Monsters season-high so far in 05-06 is seven in a 7-3 victory over Springfield in October.
All games home and away can be heard live on 980 WCAP, and viewed through B2 Networks, the official broadband provider of the AHL, with the "Voice of the Lock Monsters" Ryan Johnston. Log on to www.lockmonsters.com to watch or listen online.
Individual tickets are on sale now at the Tsongas Arena box office, which is open from 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 - 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Full season, 20-game, mini-plans and Flex Packs are now on sale as well; contact the Lock Monsters ticket office at (978) 458-PUCK (7825) for remaining seat availability.
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