AHL Manchester Monarchs

Tukonen's Shootout Goal Earns Eleventh Victory

November 25, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Manchester Monarchs News Release


MANCHESTER, NH - Right wing Lauri Tukonen scored the lone shootout goal to push the Manchester Monarchs past the Hartford Wolf Pack, 2-1, in a shootout at the Verizon Wireless Arena in front of a crowd of 8,678 fans on Friday night. Manchester (11-3-0-3, 25 points) has a firm grip on second place in the Atlantic Division. Hartford (9-6-1-3, 22 points) is in fourth place in the Atlantic Division.

The Wolf Pack took a 1-0 lead at 15:19 of the first period as left wing Alexandre Giroux scored shorthanded. Giroux took advantage of an odd man rush, skating down center ice on a 2-on-1 breakaway. Giroux shot the puck in the net, glove-side, on Monarchs goaltender Adam Hauser for his 11th goal of the season. Goaltender Robert Gherson earned his first assist of the year on Giroux's goal. Defenseman Martin Grenier also assisted on Hartford's only goal of the evening.

After a scoreless second period, Monarchs sniper left wing Jeff Tambellini recorded his 14th of the season on a 5-on-3 power play. Wolf Pack's defenseman David Liffiton was in the box for interference and defenseman Joe Rullier was off for cross-checking. Cycling the puck, Tukonen shoveled a pass to defenseman Denis Grebeshkov at the left point who quickly redirected the puck to Tambellini. The Monarchs leading scorer ripped a mighty slap shot from the right point past Gherson to tie the game at 1-1.

In the shootout, Hauser blanked all four of Hartford's shooters: Giroux, center Jeff Taffe, left wing Fedor Fedorov, right wing Colby Genoway and defenseman Thomas Pock.

Tukonen was the final and only shooter to find the back of the net for the Monarchs in the shootout. Gherson stopped Tambellini, left wing Noah Clarke, center Connor James and right wing Brad Smyth.

Hauser (7-2-1) earned his seventh win of the season stopping 30 shots by the Wolf Pack. Gherson (2-0-1) took his second loss of the season with 25 saves.

Manchester went 1-for-7 on the power play. Hartford was 0-for-6 with the man advantage.

The Monarchs are 4-3 in shootouts, recording three of those four wins on home ice. Manchester has pushed 11 of their first 17 games into a shootout or overtime, winning eight of those games.

The Monarchs will travel to play the Springfield Falcons for the third time this season on Saturday, November 26 at 7:05 p.m. before returning home to host the Providence Bruins at 4:05 p.m. on Sunday, November 27.

Catch all of the play-by-play action of Monarchs hockey this season with Ken Cail on the Monarchs Radio Network (WGIR-AM 610, Manchester; WGIN-AM 930, Rochester; WGIP-AM 1540, Exeter) and at www.monarchshockey.com. Watch the game live on B2 Networks for just $6 per game. Log onto www.monarchshockey.com and click on the link to B2 Networks ten minutes prior to the each Monarchs game to watch the game live!



American Hockey League Stories from November 25, 2005


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