Toff Game Special teams continue to produce going 3-for-6 on the power play
February 15, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release
HARTFORD, CT - The Manchester Monarchs' special teams were clicking as they were 3-for-6 on the power play in their 4-2 defeat of the Hartford Wolf Pack at the XL Center on Saturday night.
Manchester (33-14-2-5) leads the Atlantic Division with 73 points. Hartford (19-25-0-5) sits in fifth place in the Northeast Division with 43 points.
"Tonight might not have been our A game, but we were able to come away with two points," said Monarchs Head Coach Mark Morris. "A strong goaltending effort from Martin Jones and key penalty kills kept Hartford off the scoresheet most of the night. Brian O'Neill got things started for us to get us back in the game after being down by one. Linden Vey's line continued to score timely goals distancing us from Hartford each time there was a strong push. We didn't have much prep time before the puck drop due to snowy travel conditions. The team will have a quick turnaround for our Sunday afternoon game against a rested St. John's team. We'll need to dig deep and ready ourselves for tomorrow. We'll need to bring a keen focus and our skating legs.
Right wing Tyler Toffoli doubled the Monarchs lead to 3-1 at 7:09 of the third period. Center Linden Vey picked up the loose puck in the left face-off circle and fed a pass to Toffoli in the slot. Toffoli snapped a wrist shot past netminder David LeNeveu and into the top left corner of the net. Center Nick Shore assisted on Toffoli's 14th goal of the season and the Monarchs second power play goal of the night.
The Wolf Pack struck first with center Darroll Powe's ninth goal of the season at 7:34 of the opening frame. Center T.J. Hensick carried the puck around the back of the net and up to the right face-off circle. Monarchs defenseman Colin Miller poked the puck away from Hensick, but it slid onto the stick of defenseman Tommy Hughes at the right point. Hughes ripped a snap shot that Powe was able to get a stick on and beat Monarchs goaltender Martin Jones for the 1-0 advantage.
The Monarchs tied the game at 1-1 at 15:43 of the first period with right wing Brian O'Neill's 12th goal of the season. Right wing Sean Backman blasted the puck from inside the right point and LeNeveu made the stick save. The puck caromed off of the end boards and took a strange bounce back into the crease. O'Neill was streaking into the blue paint and banged home the rebound to tie the game. Center Jordan Weal also picked up an assist on the goal.
Vey gave the Monarchs a 2-1 advantage at 3:48 of the second period. Cycling the puck with the man advantage, left wing Tanner Pearson fed the puck to left wing Nick Deslauriers at the left point. Deslauriers found Vey at the right point and the center carried the puck into the right face-off circle. Vey blasted a slap shot that beat LeNeveu on his stick side.
Defenseman Danny Syvret picked up a shorthanded goal at 18:36 of the third period to bring the Wolf Pack to within one goal. With LeNeveu pulled and an extra attacker on the ice, the two teams were skating five-on-five. Hensick won the draw in the right face-off circle and left wing Ryan Bourque fed the puck back to Syvret at the right point. Syvret took a couple of strides before unleashing a slap shot that traveled through traffic and beat Jones top-shelf. Syvret's sixth goal of the season brought the score to 3-2.
Toffoli finished off the Wolf Pack with an empty net goal at the 19-minute mark of the final period.
Jones (14-3-2) collected his 14th win of the season, stopping 34-of-36 shots faced. LeNeveu (3-6-0) took his sixth loss of the season with 24 saves on 27 shots.
Manchester was 3-for-6 on the power play. Hartford went 0-for-5 on the man advantage.
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