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Regular Season APRIL 2005

04/26/05  No Minor Contribution

  • NHL lockout allows some of the Kings' top prospects more time to develop on farm team
    By Helene Elliott, Times Staff Writer

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    • MANCHESTER, N.H. — Dustin Brown had scored a goal, delivered several bone-crunching checks and goaded two Providence Bruins into penalties, a productive night by any measure. But the 20-year-old Manchester Monarch winger wasn't done.

    The Kings' top farm team was tied with its Boston counterpart in the third period of their American Hockey League playoff game Saturday when Brown barreled in on net. He bowled over goalie Hannu Toivonen, sending Toivonen's helmet flying and igniting a chorus of curses by the irate Bruins.

    "There are going to be complaints when you play physical," Brown said after the Monarchs had won, 4-2. "Goalies aren't little antiques out there. They can handle it."

    Were it not for the lockout, Brown would have been scoring goals and annoying goalies throughout the NHL.

    Chosen 13th overall by the Kings in the 2003 entry draft, he was projected to play at least a limited role for them this season. So was center Mike Cammalleri, who led the AHL with 46 goals and was second in scoring with 109 points.

    Mathieu Garon, acquired from Montreal in June, would have started in goal. Tim Gleason and Denis Grebeshkov would have vied for the fifth or sixth defense slots, Tom Kostopoulos would have carved a niche as a fourth-line winger with offensive skills, and La Verne native Noah Clarke would have pushed veterans for a job.

    Instead, they rode buses in the AHL, with no hope of promotion this season. But it wasn't all bad: The Kings own the Monarchs and closely monitor their progress. And because Manchester is a few hours' bus ride from most of its rivals, the team took only two plane trips; less travel time means more practice time, ideal for incubating young talent.

    "If there's any silver lining, it's that these young players got to play a whole season, uninterrupted, in Manchester," King General Manager Dave Taylor said. "If we'd played the season, any injuries we had, we'd have had to pull players back and forth.

    "Over the years we've had development teams in Phoenix and Long Beach, and this is the best we've ever had."

    Although a 6-3 loss to Providence on Monday left the Monarchs with a 2-1 series deficit — and Garon was pulled for the second time in three games — they had a successful regular season. They tied Rochester for the AHL lead with 51 victories and had the second-most points, 110, and goals, 258. That's impressive in a league whose caliber was elevated when NHL teams sent many of their top prospects to play there during the lockout. For the Kings, undermined for decades by bad drafting and iffy minor league operations, the Monarchs became a pipeline to a promising future.

    "These kids are playing the roles they're going to be playing in the NHL," said Kevin Gilmore, assistant general manager of the Kings and GM of the Monarchs. "Tim Gleason and Denis Grebeshkov are playing 23, 24 minutes a game. It's great for their development. We have eight to 12 guys there that … if all goes well, will be playing together as Kings over the coming years."

    Whether the lockout will erase a season from players' contracts is subject to bargaining between the NHL and the players' union, but the Kings and other NHL clubs are assuming it will. If so, the Kings — who previously let go Adam Deadmarsh, Jason Allison, Ziggy Palffy, Jaroslav Modry, Ian Laperriere and Jozef Stumpel — will take the contracts of Roman Cechmanek, Martin Straka, Luc Robitaille and Stephane Quintal off the books, leaving at least half a dozen openings.

    Cammalleri, Brown, Gleason, Grebeshkov and center Yanick Lehoux, who had 54 points in 38 games before tearing a knee ligament in January, are signed to NHL entry-level contracts. Cammalleri and Gleason, though eager to play in the NHL, said they wouldn't become replacement players if there were no labor deal in the fall.

    "I wouldn't cross," said Gleason, who had 24 points and 112 penalty minutes in 67 games and was a physical presence. "I'm definitely on the players' side on this one."

    Said Cammalleri: "I think that it's a situation that has to be resolved through the union and the National League, and hopefully they'll get results."

    Playing in Manchester was a huge boost for Cammalleri, who played big minutes in crucial situations. He's intent on proving King Coach Andy Murray wrong for cutting his ice time in 2003-04 after he slumped from eight goals in 11 games to merely one in his next 18. He was sent to Manchester in early March and finished the season there.

    "When he's been down here in the past, he was probably a little disappointed that he got sent down, and you could tell for a while. He would be grumpy," Monarch Coach Bruce Boudreau said.

    Not this time. Expecting that the NHL season would be lost, Cammalleri made the best of centering for Brown and veteran right wing Brad Smyth on the top line. Among his 46 goals were 17 power-play scores, many on one-timers taken on one knee in the faceoff circle, a la Pat LaFontaine.

    He also scored points with Boudreau by leading cheers from the bench.

    "There was never a doubt that he loves to score and loves to play and competes every night, but I didn't know how good a team player he would be," Boudreau said. "He surprised the heck out of me."

    Boudreau compared Brown to a young Deadmarsh for his fearless body checking and knack of getting on opponents' nerves. Boudreau, who had a 17-year pro career, marveled that Brown lost most of his bottom teeth to a high stick with six minutes left in a game on April 2 but insisted on returning and scored in overtime.

    "He couldn't play the next night and he played with a cage for a week, but just to come back out says volumes to me of what kind of person he is," Boudreau said of Brown, who had 29 goals and 74 points this season.

    Grebeshkov's game is built on finesse, and he led AHL defensemen with 44 assists.

    Boudreau compared Gleason to King Mattias Norstrom for his intensity and ability to lead.

    "Take his first year, when he didn't score a goal, and this year he had 10," Boudreau said. "Take his first year when he had no fights, and this year he had eight or nine and he fought some heavyweights. I see the brightest future for him."

    Cammalleri predicted the same for both defensemen.

    "Grebby's got hands like you wouldn't believe. Better than any forward," Cammalleri said. "Gleason has become a monster…. We've kidded him that he's in the weight room more than he's in the locker room. He's such a force and he's such a great influence, the kind of guy I would hate to play against. He works real hard. He's one of those guys who will be the cornerstone for a team for a long time."

    Those cornerstones are ready to move into place.

    "Next year is definitely a mystery," Gleason said, "but there's definitely a core of guys that want to be there and can be there, and it's just a matter of time."

     

    04/18/05  Monarchs on top, at last
    Special to the Union Leader

    WORCESTER, Mass. – Goaltender Mathieu Garon made 29 saves as the Manchester Monarchs skated past the Worcester IceCats, 2-1, for their first ever Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference championships yesterday afternoon before a crowd of 10,211 at the DCU Center.

    The Monarchs closed out the 2004-05 regular season with a record of 51-21-4-4 and 110 points. They will host the Providence Bruins in the first round of the 2005 Calder Cup playoffs starting Friday at 7:35 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Arena.

    Left wing Noah Clarke started the scoring for the Monarchs with his 21st goal of the season at 11:41 of the first period. Defenseman Mike Weaver shoveled a pass to Clarke just inside the IceCats blueline and Clarke rifled the puck past Worcester goaltender Curtis Sanford. Right wing Tom Kostopoulos also assisted on the play.

    Defenseman Denis Grebeshkov scored the game-winning goal on a breakaway as he stepped out of the penalty box to a perfect pass from center David Hymovitz. Kostopoulos added an assist to Grebeshkov’s fifth of the year at 17:50 of the first period.

    The IceCats’ lone goal came at 8:23 of the final period as center Brendan Brooks was able to poke the puck free from a scramble in front of the net and past Garon for his 20th goal of the season. Left wings D.J. King and Brian McCullough assisted.

    With the win, Garon finished the season with a record of 32-14-4. Sanford (19-25-2) took the loss, his 25th of the season, stopping 21 shots. Manchester and Worcester each went 0-for-1 on the power play.

    Yesterday’s game marked the 10th and final meeting between the teams this season. In the 10 games, the Monarchs posted a record of 7-3-0-0. It was the final game in history for the IceCats as the franchise is moving to Peoria, Ill., next season. The Monarchs have a record of 18-14-4 in 36 meetings with the IceCats over the last four years (2001-05).

    Playoff tickets will go on sale today at 9:30 a.m. at the Verizon Wireless Arena box office, by calling Ticketmaster at 868-7300 or by visiting Ticketmaster online at www.ticketmaster.com. Fans will also be able to purchase first round playoff tickets at all Ticketmaster locations, including Filene’s at the Mall of New Hampshire.

    Monarchs vs. Bruins

    * = if necessary

     

    04/17/05  Bridgeport beats Monarchs 2-1
    Associated Press

    BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Goalie Wade Dubielewicz had 40 saves as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers beat the Manchester Monarchs 2-1 in the American Hockey League Saturday night.

    Manchester opened the scoring on the power-play when George Parros swept home the rebound of a Mike Cammalleri shot at 18:25 of the first period. Denis Grebeshkov also assisted.

    The Sound Tigers tied it 1-1 on a breakway goal by Nathan Gillies off an assist from Jean Desrochers 9:29 into the second period. It was Gillies' second goal of the season and Desrochers' first AHL point.

    The Sound Tigers took the lead at 15:00 when Barrett Heisten tallied his seventh goal of the season off assists from Chris Campoli and Steve Regier.

    Dubielewicz blocked 40 of 41 shots. Manchester pulled goalie Adam Hauser in favor of an extra attacker with 51 seconds left to play but was unable to tie the score. Hauser stopped 18 of 20.

    Manchester was 1 for 5 on the power play. Bridgeport was 0 for 5.

    The Sound Tigers finish their season at Bridgeport's Arena at Harbor Yard Sunday against the Hershey Bears.
     

    " I  AGREE 100 %  WITH THIS NEXT ARTICLE ..... "

    04/17/05  Boudreau: Monarchs undeserving of boos
    By JOHN HABIB
    Sunday Sports Writer UNION LEADER

    Take a look at the American Hockey League standings and the Manchester Monarchs own the second-best record overall.

    Considering that, head coach Bruce Boudreau couldn't quite understand why the Monarchs got showered with boos during their game with Lowell Friday night that resulted in a 4-1 loss at the sold-out Verizon Wireless Arena.

    "Everyone has a right to boo, but I don't understand it," said Boudreau. "I just want to believe that those boos came from people who haven't been to all 40 home games this season. They must not be aware that we've got the second-best record in the entire league. I want to believe those were fair-weather fans, who cheer and jump on the band wagon when things go well and, boo when they don't go well."

    In the first period, starting goalie Mathieu Garon allowed three goals 12:07 into the game and was eventually replaced by Adam Hauser.

    "Both of our goalies have played exceptionally well all year, and for them to get booed was not right," said Boudreau. "Look, I understand every team and every player gets booed at some point in time. But I'll be the first to say that all our players, when they hit the ice, come out to play to win. They work their rear ends off. Now some nights you have it and others you don't have it. But to have the second-best record in the league right now speaks for itself."

    Boudreau didn't want to leave the impression that his comments were directed at all the fans. "We have great fans and, the majority are very supportive," said Boudreau. "Those are the ones who have been with us through the good and bad times."

    Manchester started last night's action within reach of Rochester for the best overall record in the AHL.

    BUSINESS AT HAND: Tickets for the first round of the playoffs will be sold to the general public beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the ticket box office Monday at the Verizon Wireless Arena. All TicketMaster locations (www.ticketmaster.com) will sell tickets too.

    If Manchester wins the Atlantic Division title, it will play the Providence Bruins in the first round. Should Hartford win the division, and it could by winning out and, having Manchester lose its final two, the Monarchs would face Lowell in the opening round.

    Of meeting Lowell in a best-of-seven series, Boudreau said "It would be a great series with two rivals going at it. They may be the one team that has had our number this season. But when the playoffs open, what happened in the regular season between two teams doesn't matter. You start even. I think they would look forward to playing us and we would approach it as a great challenge. At some point, you have to beat the best to be the best and, Lowell is a very good team,"

    The Baby B's fought off Worcester and Portland for the fourth and final playoff berth in the division. "Patrice Bergeron made be the best of the lot and you throw in Andy Hilbert (team-leading scorer), Brad Boyes and Keith Aucoin and, they're a tough opponent. Hannu Toivonen is one of the top goalies in the league too."

    So Lowell or Providence? "Hey pick your poison," said Boudreau.

    BATTLE-TESTED: Regardless of who Manchester faces in the first round, the Monarchs have never reached the second round of the playoffs.

    Boudreau believes this team has players who have experienced the playoffs successfully with other clubs that, could push Manchester deep into the Calder Cup tournament this season.

    "We definitely have had guys who have been through the wars before," said the head coach. "Guys like Tom Kostopoulos (formerly played with Pittsburgh Penguins, Calder Cup finals with Baby Pens in Wilkes-Barre), Mike Weaver (won Calder Cup with Chicago Wolves in 2002), Brad Smyth (Calder Cup champ with Hartford in 2000, former AHL MVP and scoring champ) and Garon (Calder Cup finals with Hamilton) have been there. They know what it takes to win. Guys like Dustin Brown (U.S. National Junior team) and Michael Cammalleri, who have had success at the World Junior Championships. Believe me, we've got guys in our locker room who have tasted playoff success."

    While its been a successful regular season, Boudreau is still not satisfied.

    "We've got a lot of work to do," he said. "One of our sayings at the start of the season is, good is not good enough. If I get satisfied now, then what's to shoot for after that? True great athletes and teams are only satisfied when they get the ultimate goal. In our case, it's the Calder Cup."

    CAMMALLERI DOES IT ALL: Cammalleri has every single-season team record, according to Mike Kalinowski, media relations director. He has 46 goals, 62 assists for 108 points. "He's also the team's all-time leading scorer," said Kalinowski. "He will finish as the leading goal scorer in the AHL. Eric Healey accomplished that feat two years ago with 42 and Paval Rosa won the AHL scoring title last year."

    When it comes to big-time scorers, Manchester has certainly cornered that market over the last three seasons.

    John Habib is a staff sportswriter for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News.
     

     

    04/16/05  Monarchs title on hold until at least tonight
    By KEVIN PROVENCHER
    Staff Sports Writer UNION LEADER

    MANCHESTER — The Monarchs have two mulligans left to win the Atlantic Division.

    Showered with boos in the sold-out Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester was overrun by the Lowell Lock Monsters, 4-1, last night.

    Manchester (50-20-4-4, 108 points) had its four-game win streak snapped but tonight (7:05 p.m.) at Bridgeport they can capture their first division title. They need to either win or force the game to overtime. If they can't do it tonight they get a final shot on Sunday at Worcester. They can also back into the title if Hartford loses or is forced to OT at Springfield tonight.

    It was nothing more than points of pride for the Lock Monsters (45-27-1-5, 96 points), who will finish third in the Atlantic Division no matter what. The Lock Monsters snapped a two-game losing skid.

    Manchester was never in it as NHL journeyman Colin Forbes scored on a straight-on one-timer just inside the blue line 4:32 into the game. Four minutes later, from the left point Danny Richmond five-holed Monarchs' goalie Mathieu Garon.

    Meanwhile, Lock Monsters rookie goalie Cam Ward, the Calgary Flames' first pick in the 2002 draft, solidly earned his team-leading 26th victory of the season. Some consolation came midway through the third, when Manchester's Noah Clarke scored on a power play to a huge ovation.

    However, the hockey game was decided long before that. In fact, the only thing the "Great Wall" Ward had to do in the second period was decide what he wanted on his pizza for the 30-minute ride back to Lowell. The Monarchs didn't muster a shot in the period until 4:55 was left. With 1:23 to go in the second, boos loudly rained on the Monarchs as recent Lowell signee Shaun Sutter, son of Brian Sutter, scored making it 4-0.

    Lowell was up, 3-0, 12:07 into the opening period on goals from Forbes, Richmond and Carsen Germyn. For the second time this season, Garon was lifted in the first period against the Lock Monsters as Adam Hauser took over. Ward stoned George Parros on a penalty shot when it was two-zip 8:49 into it and the Monarchs missed three other wide open opportunities on the back door.

    Notes: Providence secured the fourth seed in the Atlantic Division with a 3-1 victory over Worcester. . . . Monarchs have signed left wing David Hymovitz, who played for Boudreau in Lowell. . . Center Mike Cammalleri had a 10-game points streak and four-game goal scoring streak stopped. . . . Defenseman Joe Rullier served the first game of his two-game suspension and defenseman Doug Nolan served his one-game suspension. The AHL booted both for brawling in the final minutes at Hartford on Wednesday.
     

     

    04/15/05  Time to change AHL awards procedure
    By KEVIN PROVENCHER
    Staff Sports Writer

    THERE HAS got to be a better way. Monarchs mentor Bruce Boudreau deserved to win the American Hockey League's coach of the year.

    The award instead was won by the Rochester Americans fifth-year head coach Randy Cunneyworth after a vote by the league's selected media (one vote per team).

    The Americans have the best record in the AHL. The Monarchs have the second-best record. By record Rochester is the best team in the Western Conference and Manchester is best in the Eastern Conference. The two do not meet. For that matter Manchester plays only one team from the Western Conference.

    "I guarantee you (Cunneyworth's) well deserving of it," said Boudreau. "What Rochester did from game 10 to game 70 was absolutely amazing. They were almost perfect. To play perfect hockey for that long is incredible."

    Well, while Cunneyworth was remaking the Incredibles, Boudreau miraculously melded a group of players that included six newcomers and 10 rookies. With that makeup in a stacked AHL since there was no NHL, no one would have chosen the Monarchs to win the Atlantic Division title in the preseason. But, they somehow reinvented 75 percent of the team's lost scoring from a year earlier. Tonight they play for the Atlantic Division championship.

    "I think (Boudreau) was certainly in the running," said Monarchs publicist Mike Kalinowski. "The one thing that may not be pointed out that should be is how many injured players this team has had this season and how many man-games lost. And still this hockey team continues to win. We've been without Yanick Lehoux since January and still it's a close battle to win the division."

    Does it come down to that? If the league's leading scorer at the time, Lehoux, were not to have had a knee blown out by blatant Worcester Ice Cats' thuggery, Boudreau would have been coach of the year?

    "I have no idea," said Boudreau. "Everything is subjective on these votes. I'm really happy and very lucky to be in the position I'm in."

    And Boudreau, ever the gentleman, added, "It could have been one of 10 coaches. There's an awful lot of coaches who were deserving. I'm basing my thoughts on how consistent Randy Cunneyworth and the Rochester Americans were. If I was considered by anybody I feel honored. But, I've got to believe they made the right call."

    "The story here is the Monarchs have continued to win despite injuries," said Kalinowski. "This team has persevered through that. I would say the coach is a big part of that. This team was ready to play. They got the job done."

    Overlooking Boudreau as coach of the year certainly makes a case for handing out regular-season AHL awards by conference. Cementing that thought was the fact that Monarchs' leading scorer Mike Cammalleri, who is still in the running for the league's scoring title, was voted second team AHL All-Star.

    What does a guy have to do? Cammalleri owns nearly every Monarchs' scoring and points record. He leads the league in goal scoring. The problem is the league mandates that all-stars are chosen on the basis of position. Why not just pick the three best forwards? After all, the league does not mandate that all-star defensemen be chosen on the basis of left defense or right defense. And again why not select all-stars by conference rather than having media members vote for players they never see? Consider that the Monarchs play 14 of the 27 teams and only see one Western Conference team.

    "I've got to believe that if there were ever to be a change that would be a way to go," said Boudreau of choosing all-stars by conference. "But, until they come up with it they are what they are."

    Binghamton's Jason Spezza and Cammalleri are the two best forwards in the league. Spezza was the first team center and Cammalleri second team.

    "They went by position and I understand that," said Boudreau. "Let's make it clear that Jason Spezza is the marquee player in the American League. There are 15 writers who have never seen Jason play. There's a lot of writers who haven't seen Spezza or Cammalleri. If people sat in my shoes and saw what Mike Cammalleri has done for us in 75 games, I think the story would be different. Matter of fact, Binghamton has only four or five man games lost to injury all year. Their callups were limited. Cammalleri had to be the focal point of our team, especially since Yanick went down. I can't see anybody who is more valuable to their team than Mike Cammalleri is to our team."

    The AHL has expanded greatly. Now it is time for its awards and selection processes to expand and match that greatness.

    OUTTA HERE: In case you missed it Spezza told the Ottawa Sun that he has already spoken with European teams in order to take flight next season if there's still no NHL. Spezza called the AHL season "a grind."

    WEE WILLIE WINNER? The 5-foot-9 (is that on skates?), 180-pound deke meister Cammalleri can win the AHL's Willie Marshall Award for leading all goal scorers.

    ROOKIE LOOK-SEE: The Monarchs have rookie center Tyler Harrison, 20, here on an amateur tryout agreement. The 6-foot-5, 191-pound forward played for the Brampton Battalion of the OHL registering 119 points in 234 games over the past four seasons.

    "He's in a for a look-see," said Boudreau. "I told him that these games are very, very important to us and I wouldn't put him in a position to fail. If it became a meaningless game then we'd give him a chance to play."

    Harrison joins rookie goalie Ryan Munce on the same sort of experience gathering visit.

    JAMMED AIR WAVES: The Monarchs will move from their flagship radio station WGIR AM 610 to WGIR FM "Rock 101" for two games this weekend. Tonight's final regular-season home game versus Lowell (7:05 p.m. radio time) and tomorrow's game at Bridgeport (6:35 p.m.) switch to WGIR FM 101.1 due to a conflict with that station's coverage of the Boston Red Sox on the AM side. Sunday's final regular-season game at Worcester (4:05 p.m.) will be joined in progress on WGIR 610 AM after coverage of the NASCAR Nextel Cup race in Texas. Guess it's hard to argue with the Red Sox and NASCAR.

    Kevin Provencher covers the Manchester Monarchs for the New Hampshire Union Leader. His e-mail address is kprovencher@unionleader.com.
     

     

    04/14/05  Section 118 Monarchs Fan will be missed
     (click on image for a larger view)
    Seen at games wearing his Viking helmet & in his wheel chair and was instrumental in starting the floor tapping chant with his cane.

     

    04/13/05  Monarchs Victorious in Hartford  5 - 1
     Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... Steckel, Kinasewich; 2nd period... Brown ; 3rd period... Cammalleri, Kostopoulos;
     Garon     in goal
         click here for game details

    04/14/05 Division within grasp of Monarchs
    Special to the Union Leader

    HARTFORD, Conn. – Center Michael Cammalleri and left wing Dustin Brown each collected a goal and two assists and goalie Mathieu Garon had 26 saves to lead the Manchester Monarchs past the Hartford Wolf Pack, 5-1, before 3,574 fans at the Hartford Civic Center last night.

    With the win, their fourth straight and 50th overall, the Monarchs (50-19-4-4, 108 points) moved one step closer to clinching their first-ever Atlantic Division title. They lead the second place Wolf Pack (48-23-3-3, 102 points) by six points with only three games remaining on the schedule. The Monarchs need only one more win or one more Hartford loss to claim the title.

    The Monarchs led, 2-0, after one period thanks to goals from center David Steckel and left wing Ryan Kinasewich. Steckel collected his 10th goal just 2:43 into the game when his shot deflected off the stick blade of a Hartford defender, dinged the near post and caromed into the Wolf Pack net. Defenseman Jason Holland and left wing Chris Schmidt shared assists.

    The Monarchs added to their lead 6:12 later when Kinasewich flipped a no-look pass from Matt Ryan over the shoulder of Hartford goaltender Jason LaBarbera (19 shots, 16 saves) for his second goal of the season.

    The Monarchs made it a 3-0 game when Brown sent a blistering shot into the Hartford net 3:18 into the middle period. Cammalleri and right wing Brad Smyth (two assists) assisted on Brown's 29th goal of the season. With his assist, Cammalleri extended his scoring streak to 10 games.

    The Monarchs opened a four-goal lead just 1:09 into the third period when Cammalleri sliced his league-leading 46th goal of the season past Valiquette (11 shots, 9 saves). Smyth and Brown assisted.

    Hartford got on the board just 1:06 later when center Jamie Lundmark slipped a loose puck past Garon. Defenseman Bryce Lampman and right wing Josef Balej assisted on his 14th goal of the season.

    But the Monarchs went back up by four with a power play goal from right wing Tom Kostopoulos at 8:43. He jabbed a loose puck into the net for his 25th goal of the season with assists going to defenseman Denis Grebeshkov and Cammalleri.

    The third period included 190 penalty minutes and a major melee with 4:30 remaining on the clock. The teams combined for 232 penalty minutes.
     

     

    04/12/05 Coach Boudreau feature article in The Hockey News
         ( click on picture for full size view of article )

    04/10/05 Congratulations go out to an ex-Monarch and now Springfield Falcon ...
    UNION LEADER

    and also to a cool Monarchs Fan couple in section 118 !


     

     

    04/09/05 Monarchs just barely beat the Falcons  Monarchs 4  Falcons 3
         Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... ; 2nd period... Cammalleri  Ryan ; 3rd period... Kostopoulos  Smyth;
     Garon     in goal
     click here for game details

    04/10/05 Monarchs rally past Falcons
    Special to the Sunday News

    SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Goals from right wings Tom Kostopoulos and Brad Smyth highlighted a third-period comeback as the Manchester Monarchs edged the Springfield Falcons, 4-3, before 4,282 fans at the Springfield Civic Center last night.

    With the win, their third straight, the Monarchs (49-19-4-4, 106 points) stayed four points in front of the Hartford Wolf Pack (48-21-3-3, 102 points) in the race for the American Hockey League's Atlantic Division title.

    The Monarchs, who locked up home ice advantage in at least the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs with the win, next meet the Wolf Pack at the Hartford Civic Center on Wednesday night.

    The Monarchs, 10-0-0-0 in head-to-head meetings with the Falcons this season, also had goals from centers Michael Cammalleri and Matt Ryan in the game. Center Craig Darby and left wings Adam Henrich and Derek Bekar had goals for the Falcons, who remain in seventh place in the division with a record of 21-46-5-3 and 50 points.

    Monarchs goalie Mathieu Garon (30-13-4) finished with 26 saves and his 30th win. He's the first goalie in franchise history to record 30 wins in a season. Falcons goalie Brian Eklund (11-22-0) took the loss. He finished with 24 saves.

    The Falcons grabbed the lead with a first-period power play goal scored by Darby at 9:34. Darby tossed a rebound into the Monarchs net with defenseman Marc Busenburg and Bekar assisting.

    A stalled Zamboni delayed the start of the second period for about an hour as crews attempted to move the resurfacing machine, with its blades embedded in the ice, from the neutral zone.

    The Monarchs tied the game 4:57 into the second period with a record-setting goal from Cammalleri, who moved into first place on the team's all-time points list with his league-leading 45th goal of the season. Defenseman Denis Grebeshkov (0-2-2) had the only assist as Cammalleri, with 165 career points (70-95-165), moved past former Monarchs center Steve Kelly (50-114-164) into first place on the all-time list.

    The Monarchs took their first lead at 15:16 of the period when Ryan finished a breakaway rush into the Springfield zone with his ninth goal of the season. Defenseman Troy Milam (0-2-2) and right wing Dan Welch each assisted as Ryan beat Eklund (28 shots, 24 saves) on the play.

    But the Falcons tied the game at 2-2 late in the period when Henrich stole the puck at center ice and then beat Garon (29 shots, 26 saves) on a breakaway for his ninth goal of the season. Henrich scored his goal with just 29 seconds remaining in the middle frame.

    The Falcons regained the lead 3:35 into the third period with Bekar's seventh goal of the season. Darby and defenseman Andreas Holmqvist assisted as Bekar, a former Monarch, scored his second goal in as many games against his former team.

    The Monarchs tied the game at 3-3 with a power play goal from Kostopoulos at 13:24. Milam and right wing George Parros assisted on Kostopoulos' 24th goal of the season.

    The Monarchs took the lead for good just 1:24 later as Smyth extended his goal-scoring streak to six games. Grebeshkov had the only assist on Smyth's 23rd goal of the season.

     

    04/9/05 Monarchs extend division lead
    Special to the Union Leader

    PORTLAND, Maine — Center Michael Cammalleri had one goal and two assists for the Manchester Monarchs, who increased their lead over the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League's Atlantic Division with a 4-1 victory over the Portland Pirates before 5,073 fans at the Cumberland County Civic Center last night.

    With their 48th win of the season, the first-place Monarchs (48-19-4-4, 104 points) opened a four-point lead over the Wolf Pack (47-21-3-3, 100 points) in the race for the division title. Hartford did not play last night.

    The Monarchs, who finished their season series with the Pirates with a record of 9-0-0-1, also moved one step closer to locking up home ice advantage in at least the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs. The Monarchs need just one more win in their last five regular season games to guarantee that advantage.

    Cammalleri, who remains in contention for the league's scoring title, upped his season total to 105 points (44 goals, 61 assists, 105 points) in the game. Binghamton Senators center Jason Spezza leads the AHL with 108 points (29-79—108) this season.

    Right wing Brad Smyth extended his goal-scoring streak to five games with his 22nd of the season, scored on a rebound 13:13 into the opening period to give the Monarchs a 1-0 lead. Left wing Dustin Brown and Cammalleri extended scoring streaks with assists on the play. Brown has an assist in six straight games. Cammalleri has points in eight straight contests.

    The Pirates tied the game 9:37 into the middle period with center Jason Ulmer sliding a backhanded rebound past Monarchs goalie Adam Hauser (33 shots, 32 saves) for his fifth goal of the season. Defenseman Jeff Paul and right wing Graham Mink shared assists on only the third goal in four games scored by the Pirates against Hauser this season.

    The Monarchs took back the lead with a short-handed goal, scored by right wing Tom Kostopoulos 13:03 into the period. Cammalleri had the only assist on Kostopoulos' 23rd goal of the season and second in as many games against the Pirates.

    The Monarchs opened a 3-1 lead just 1:28 later with Cammalleri's league-leading 44th goal of the season. Kostopoulos registered the only assist as Cammalleri's shot from the left circle squeezed through the pads of goalie Kirk Daubenspeck (27 shots, 23 saves) and slowly slid into the Portland net.

    The Monarchs had the only third period goal, scored by rookie center Jeff Miles at 2:27. Defenseman Troy Milam and left wing Ryan Kinasewich had assists on his fifth goal of the season. The Pirates pulled Daubenspeck after the goal and replaced him with Maxime Daigneault (8 shots, 8 saves).

    Hauser (19-10-0) recorded his 19th win of the season with 32 saves. Daubenspeck saw his record drop to 13-11-1 with the loss. The Pirates, out of playoff contention, are winless in their last eight games. With a record of 31-33-6-5 and 73 points, they are sixth in the division.

     

    04/7/05 Monarchs escape from Pirates
    By KEVIN PROVENCHER
    Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

    MANCHESTER — It took 3:52 of overtime to finally sink the wreck of the Portland Pirates.

    Mike Cammalleri's backhander lifted the Manchester Monarchs to a 5-4 victory over the Pirates last night before 9,916 in the sold-out Verizon Wireless Arena.

    Portland lost all five times in Manchester and has not beaten the Monarchs in regulation in nine games this season. Cammalleri, still gunning for the league's scoring title, knocked the Pirates out of the playoffs by pulling back his first shot that had gone over the net and bounced to the stick side off the back boards. It was his franchise-record 43rd goal of the season.

    Manchester's George Parros looked to have won it with 7:36 to play in regulation patiently scoring while moving through right circle traffic. But, the Pirates' Brian Willsie, who had a pair of goals in the game, tied it, 4-4, with 1:55 to play.

    Manchester (48-19-4-4, 102 points) maintains its slim two-point lead over Hartford for the Atlantic Division title since the Wolf Pack also won last night. The Monarchs' magic number to gain home ice for the postseason is down to three points with six games to go.

    In the first 2:30 of the third period, Pirates goalie Kirk Daubenspeck had made seven saves, each on shots that could have tied it. Then from the high slot, straight on Tom Kostopoulos swept in Brad Smyth's pass tying it 3-3 just 5:11 into the third period.

    Fighting for dear life, the Pirates were up, 3-2, at the end of two periods. Daubenspeck had staved off Brad Smyth's penalty shot 23 seconds before the period's end. And all-star Steve Eminger won a four-player scramble in front of Monarchs goalie Mathieu Garon for the go-ahead goal at 17:19.

    Maybe Maine's master of the macabre, Stephen King, was the referee and not Wes McCauley. Midway through the second period with the Monarchs ahead, 2-1, Portland's Brooks Laich flat-out ran over Garon. Manchester defenseman Doug Nolan proceeded to pound the heck out of Laich. McCauley's series of penalties boiled down to a Pirates' 5-on-3 (Manchester already was a man short). And Portland's Willsie promptly tied the game, 2-2, on a wide-open backdoor.

    Just 2:57 after Portland had tied the game in the first period, the Monarchs were back on top, 2-1. David Steckel shoveled in the slot rebound of Joe Rullier's right point drive on the power play. Buzzing the Monarchs' goal the Pirates' Laich popped a rebound past red-hot Garon at 14:26. Manchester had struck first as Smyth swatted Mike Cammalleri's rebound out of the air at 10:25.

    Portland (31-32-6-5, 73 points) is on a seven-game losing skid, which includes three losses to the Monarchs. The Monarchs have one regular-season home game remaining on Friday, April 15, versus the Lowell Lock Monsters.

    Notes: Friday's game time at Portland has been changed to 8:05 p.m. to accommodate a New England Patriots' parade in that city's downtown. it is the final game of the season with the Pirates. . . . C Cammalleri is on a seven-game points streak. With his first period assist he became just the second AHL player in four years to score 100 points in a season (last player to do it was Derek Armstrong in 2001 with Hartford). Armstrong is a contracted Los Angeles King if the NHL ever plays again. . . . LW Dustin Brown has a five-game assist streak. . . . RW Smyth is on a four-game goal streak. . . . Monarchs have eight power play goals over their last eight games. . . . 16th sellout of the season in the Big V. . . . Portland RW Willsie and C Trent Whitfield upped their points streaks to four games.
     

     

    04/03/05 Monarchs get mugged and robbed AGAIN by the Bruins and ref MORTON !
     Monarchs 2  Bruins 3
         Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... ; 2nd period... ; 3rd period... Smyth, Parros;
     Garon     in goal
     click here for game details

    04/03/05 Red-hot Bruins burn Monarchs
    Special to The Union Leader

    PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Goaltender Hannu Toivonen finished with 30 saves and left wing Andy Hilbert collected the game-winning goal with 5:41 to play as the red-hot Providence Bruins edged the Manchester Monarchs, 3-2, in front of a crowd of 6,728 fans at the Dunkin' Donuts Center last night.

    With the win, their sixth straight, the Bruins (38-26-3-7, 86 points) strengthened their hold on the fourth and final playoff spot in the American Hockey League's Atlantic Division. Even better, they pulled to within two points of the third-place Lowell Lock Monsters (41-25-1-5, 88 points), who lost to the Hartford Wolf Pack, 5-1, at the Tsongas Arena last night.

    The loss was a costly one for the Monarchs (46-19-4-4, 100 points), who saw their lead over the second-place Wolf Pack (46-21-3-3, 98 points) shrink to just two points. Like the Wolf Pack, the Monarchs have seven games remaining on their regular season schedule.

    The teams skated through a scoreless opening period thanks to Toivonen and Monarchs netminder Mathieu Garon. Toivonen stopped 11 shots in the period and Garon stopped 15.

    The Bruins took a 1-0 lead 3:45 into the middle period with left wing Thomas Kurka's sixth goal of the season. Center Brad Boyes and defenseman Milan Jurcina each assisted as Kurka scored on his own rebound after Garon (33 shots, 30 saves) got a piece of his wraparound attempt.

    An unassisted goal from center Ben Guite gave the Bruins a two-goal lead later in the period. Guite's eighth of the season found its way through traffic in front before hitting the back of the Monarchs net at 10:09.

    Things went from bad to worse for the Monarchs minutes later when defenseman Tim Gleason was viciously checked into the boards by Bruins right wing Yorick Treille at 12:26. Referee Dean Morton gave Treille a five-minute major for boarding, but the Monarchs failed to score during the ensuing man-advantage. Gleason left the game with an injury and did not return.

    The Monarchs made it a 2-1 contest with veteran right wing Brad Smyth's third goal in three games. Center Michael Cammalleri and defenseman Denis Grebeshkov each assisted on Smyth's 20th of the season, triggered from the right circle 1:22 into the third period. Cammalleri, who leads the Monarchs with 99 points on the season (42 goals, 57 assists, 99 points), extended his scoring streak to six games on the play. He has seven points (2-5—7) during the streak.

    The Bruins made it 3-1 with left wing Andy Hilbert's team-leading 37th of the season, wired home from the left circle at 14:19 of the period. Centers Keith Aucoin and Patrice Bergeron assisted.

    But the Monarchs quickly struck back with a goal from right wing George Parros, who deflected a shot from left wing Chris Schmidt past Toivonen at 14:58. Defenseman Mike Weaver also assisted on Parros' 12th goal of the season.

    The Monarchs pulled Garon in the final minute in an attempt to net the equalizer, but they were unable to get anything more past Toivonen (27-15-3), who finished with his sixth straight win.

    Garon took the loss, his first in four meetings with the Bruins this season. His record dropped to 28-13-4.

    The Monarchs, who finished the regular season with a record of 6-3-0-1 in 10 head-to-head match-ups with the Bruins, get back at it on Wednesday night with a game at 7:05 p.m. at home against the Portland Pirates.

     

    04/02/05 Monarchs just barely beat the Falcons  Monarchs 3  Falcons 2
         Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... Smyth, Gleason; 2nd period... ; 3rd period... ; OT period  Brown
     Hauser     in goal
     click here for game details

    04/03/05 Brown goal in OT lifts Monarchs over Falcons
    By KEVIN PROVENCHER
    Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

    MANCHESTER — Obviously the Springfield Falcons don’t read the newspaper. They had no clue last night that they’re in last place.

    Putting up a brutal fight, the Falcons finally succumbed in overtime to the Atlantic Division-leading Manchester Monarchs, 3-2, before 9,916 in the Verizon Wireless Arena.

    Dustin Brown, standing on the goal line, shoveled in the winner 47 seconds into overtime after tic-tac-toe power play passing by Mike Cammalleri and Tom Kostopoulos.

    With his gamewinner, Brown handed out a measure of justice after losing his teeth in a pool of blood late in the third period when he was high sticked by Falcon defenseman Paul Ranger — a play on which no call was made.

    Manchester (46-18-4-4, 100 points) stays ahead of second-place Hartford by four points. Hartford also won last night.

    Helping the Monarchs snap their two-game losing streak was former Monarch-turned-Falcon Derek Bekar, the University of New Hampshire grad who was whistled for an interference penalty with 32.6 seconds to go in the 2-2 regulation. That penalty spilled over to the overtime where the Monarchs’ lethal power play unit connected.

    Springfield (20-44-4-3, 47 points) has only one win in its last seven, but you would have never known it watching the action. Falcons’ goalie Brian Eklund was doing all he could to spoil the sold-out hockey night in the Queen City.

    Just 4:51 into the third period, the Monarchs’ Matt Ryan had the golden go-ahead opportunity — a penalty shot — snuffed by the Falcons’ Eklund. A former Brown University back-up netminder, Eklund finished with 34 saves.

    After a scoreless second period the Falcons tied it up 58 seconds into the third period on an unlikely assist by Monarchs goalie Adam Hauser (21 saves). Skating behind his own goal to play a dump-in, Hauser had the puck bounce off his stick right to would-be Monarch killer Bekar. And Bekar scored with ease. New hockey game — 2-2.

    With 59 seconds left in the first period, Gerard Dicaire’s wrister from the left wing circle on a power play five-holed Hauser and the Falcons were within a goal, 2-1.

    For the first 10 minutes of the game, the Falcons looked every bit the last-place team. Springfield trailed 2-0 before 10 minutes had been played. Monarchs defenseman Tim Gleason converted Mike Cammalleri’s hard-earned left corner dig out while short-handed at 9:07 and Brad Smyth snapped away the rebound of Brown’s shot from the point 1:43 into the game.

    NOTES: The sellout was the 15th of the season in the Big V. . . . The Monarchs’ magic number for home ice in the playoffs has been reduced to 7 with third-place Lowell. . . . Brown’s gamewinner was his team-leading sixth of the season. . . . Springfield has been outscored 71-30 all-time in the Big V. . . . Today the Monarchs are at Providence at 4:05 p.m.

     

    04/01/05 Monarchs on the Losing end of a good game although slightly "over-salted" with penalties by "MORTON"
     Monarchs 2  Bruins 3
         Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... ; 2nd period... Smyth  Cammalleri; 3rd period...
    Garon in goal
     click here for game details

    4/2/05   Bruins tip Monarchs
    By KEVIN PROVENCHER
    Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

    MANCHESTER —The only April Fools were the 305 who didn't buy a ticket to sell out this old-time hockey war.

    Andy Hilbert and Patrice Bergeron scored shootout goals as the Providence Bruins snuck away with a 3-2 victory last night before a near-capacity crowd of 9,611 in the Verizon Wireless Arena.

    The Monarchs have a four-game winning streak on home ice versus the Bruins.

    Manchester (45-18-4-4, 98 points) hosts the last-place Springfield Falcons tonight at 7:30 p.m. While the Monarchs saw their four-game win streak on home ice over the Bruins end, they stay atop the Atlantic Division leading Hartford by four points.

    Providence (36-26-3-7, 82 points) has won four straight and holds a five-point lead over Worcester for the fourth and final Atlantic Division playoff spot. Goalie Hannu Toivonen has anchored the four consecutive victories.

    The Bruins won the shootout, 2-1. Brad Smyth scored for Manchester.

    With 2:13 to go Monarchs defenseman Tim Gleason went to the penalty box for leg tripping Bruins Kevin Dallman. On the power play Monarchs goalie Mathieu Garon made six monster saves and Manchester defenseman Joe Rullier's slapper hit the crossbar with 30 seconds left. Before that onslaught the best chance in overtime belonged to the Monarchs' Brad Smyth, who hit the crossbar with a backhander at 3:06.

    All the regulation scoring came in the second period. To tie it 2-2 in the second period the Bruins capitalized on a double-minor (hook and unsportsmanlike) slapped on Monarchs' leading scorer Mike Cammalleri. Providence's Brad Boyes snapped in Keith Aucoin's short rebound at 15:23. The Bruins thwarted a potential Monarchs' runaway making noise midway through the second period as Maine-product Ben Guite easily finished Jay Henderson's wide-open rebound.

    In the second period the Monarchs went up 2-0 as Brad Smyth and Mike Cammalleri scored 1:14 apart. Smyth deflected Tim Gleason's right point shot. And Cammalleri one-timed his league leading 42nd goal on Dustin Brown's short feed.

    Toivonen's red-hot hands preserved a miraculously scoreless opening period that saw the Monarchs outshoot the Bruins, 16-4. The teams combined for 34 minutes in penalties and at one juncture the Monarchs had six players in the box. Both teams survived the other's two-man advantage. The Bruins had 47 seconds of 5-on-3, while the Monarchs had 1:30 where the ripped off six shots on Toivonen.

    Notes: The Monarchs' magic number for home ice in the playoffs stays at 12 since Lowell won easily over Portland, 6-3, last night. . . . The overtime gave the Monarchs a franchise record 98 points. . . . The Monarchs and Bruins have met 35 times and 21 of those have been decided by two goals or less. . . . Toivonen has only one regulation loss in his last nine decisions dating back before his knee injury of Feb. 18. . . . C Brendan Walsh was not included on the Bruins' playoff roster eliminating one of the team's three 230-plus penalty minute pugilists. . . . Monarchs have five straight games with a power play goal. . . . Bruins C Brad Boyes has a franchise record 19 power play goals and a career-best 32 total goals. . . . Monarchs D Beau Geisler was a healthy scratch. . . . Sunday the Monarchs are at Providence at 4:05 p.m.

     

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