AHL Manchester Monarchs

Pirnes Nets OT Game Winner Against Pirates

Published on January 9, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


PORTLAND, ME – Center Esa Pirnes scored 1:37 into overtime as the Manchester Monarchs rallied to beat the Portland Pirates, 2-1, on Friday night at the Cumberland County Civic Center before a crowd of 3,091. Pirnes, who also collected the game-tying goal with 1:16 remaining in the third period, jammed a rebound by goaltender Maxime Ouellet for the game-winner. Right wing Pavel Rosa and defenseman Joe Rullier assisted for the Monarchs, who improved to 3-0-0-1 in four meetings with the Pirates this season.

The win was also the third in four games for the Monarchs (19-15-2-3, 43 points) overall, who snapped the Pirates' league-best nine-game unbeaten streak (6-0-3-0) and moved into sole possession of second place in the Atlantic Division.

Sustained pressure in the Monarchs zone led to the Portland goal, scored with 7:26 remaining in the opening period by center Jason Ulmer. Right wing Graham Mink set up Ulmer for his fifth goal this season after fighting through center Steve Kelly's check in the left corner. Left wing Mike Vigilante also assisted on Ulmer's goal, which was slammed home from the right post.

Goaltender Adam Hauser was tested two more times in the period, but the second-year pro responded well, stopping left wing and former UNH Wildcat Mike Souza on a partial breakaway with 3:15 remaining in the period. He also absorbed Ulmer's one-timer from the slot with 1:05 remaining in the opening stanza. Hauser finished with 15 saves and his ninth win.

The opening period belonged to Ouellet, who turned aside all 11 shots attempted by the Monarchs. He was challenged most by Kelly's backhander through the slot 1:45 into the contest, and left wing Chris Schmidt's between-the-circles wrist shot eight minutes in.

Ouellet frustrated the Monarchs with nine more saves in the scoreless second period. He also had a little help from the left post, hit by left wing Jeff Giuliano with his backhander through the crease with 13:40 left. Ouellet also stoned left wing Ryan Flinn's bid from the slot just over a minute later. Hauser countered with six saves of his own, kicking away Ulmer's bid from the left circle with 14:10 remaining in the period and using his blocker to get a piece of left wing Roman Tvrdon's lower left circle shot following an odd-man rush into the Monarchs zone with less than five minutes left in the period.

More of the same in the third period for Ouellet, who made several spectacular saves while protecting the slim one-goal lead. The Monarchs, however, continued to apply the pressure and scored on their 18th shot of the period to tie the game, with Pirnes depositing Kelly's slot feed into the net. Moments before the Monarchs had replaced Hauser with an extra attacker. Rosa also earned an assist as he kept the play alive by knocking down the Pirates clearing attempt at the blue line.

NOTES: Los Angeles Kings, the NHL affiliate of the Monarchs, announced on Friday that leading scorer Ziggy Palffy is scheduled to undergo right shoulder surgery on Monday (Jan. 12) and will miss the remainder of the 2003-04 NHL season. Palffy, 31, suffered a dislocated right shoulder during overtime of the Kings 4-4 tie with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Wednesday, Jan. 7.

The Monarchs on Friday assigned goaltender Terry Denike to the Reading Royals. The 22-year-old, recalled by the Monarchs on Jan. 3, did not appear in a Monarchs game. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound native of Mississauga, Ontario, has appeared in three games for the Royals this season and has a 1-1-0 record, a 3.89 goals-against-average and a .894 save percentage. Selected by the Kings in the fifth-round (152nd overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Denike also has appeared in two games for the Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League.

Due to Saturday's New England Patriots playoff game, the Monarchs game against the Lowell Lock Monsters will be broadcast on Rock 101 FM (WGIR-FM) instead of Newsradio 610 AM (WGIR-AM) in Manchester. Radio coverage of the Monarchs on Rock 101 FM and the rest of the Monarchs Radio Network (WGIN 930 AM, WGIP 1540 AM and WTSL 1400 AM) will begin with pre-game show coverage at 7:05 p.m. The Monarchs Web cast of Saturday's game (www.monarchshockey.com/multimedia) will not be affected by the scheduling conflict.

The Monarchs return to the Verizon Wireless Arena for a pair of weekend games against the Lowell Lock Monsters and the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Monarchs host the Lock Monsters at 7:35 p.m. on Saturday, January 10 and the Wolf Pack at 4:05 p.m. on Sunday, January 11. The first 5,000 fans attending Sunday's game will receive a free Ryan Flinn Bobblehead Doll, courtesy of Pepsi.

Monarchs Ticket Availability as of January 9

Sat., Jan. 10 vs. Lowell: Only 550 seats remain.

Sun., Jan. 11 vs. Hartford: Only 200 seats remain.

For Manchester Monarchs ticket information, visit the Monarchs on-line at www.monarchshockey.com or call (603) 626-7825.

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American Hockey League Stories from January 9, 2004


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