Monarchs Related News Articles
Regular Season MARCH 2005
He Didn't Make The
Cover of the Rolling Stone
BUT
He Did Make The Cover of The Hockey News
" Congratulations to Mathieu Garon !
"
... Joe Z
3/13/05 Monarchs
end the Lowell jinx
Monarchs 4 Lock Monsters
2
Monarchs
goals scored: 1st period... Smyth
(PP goal), Miles ;
2nd period... Cammalleri;
3rd period...
Steckel
Hauser
in goal
click here for
game details
3/14/05 Monarchs
ride Hauser
Special to The Union Leader
LOWELL, Mass. — Goaltender Adam Hauser finished with 43 saves and his 16th win as the Manchester Monarchs skated past the Lowell Lock Monsters, 4-2, before 5,290 fans at the Tsongas Arena last night.
Hauser collected 19 of his saves in the third period, helping the Monarchs set a new franchise record for wins in a season. With a record of 41-17-3-3 and 88 points, the Monarchs also moved back into first place in the American Hockey League's Atlantic Division.
The Monarchs opened a 2-0 first period lead with goals from right wing Brad Smyth and center Jeff Miles.
Smyth, celebrating his 32nd birthday, sliced his 16th of the season inside the right pad of Lowell netminder Cam Ward (40 shots, 36 saves) at 1:59. Defenseman Denis Grebeshkov and right wing Tom Kostopoulos assisted on the power play goal.
Grebeshkov also had a hand in the second goal of the period, recorded by Miles at 16:50. Miles scored his fourth of the season with a well-placed wrist shot from the left circle. A cross-ice pass from right wing Dan Welch set up the play.
The Monarchs withstood three Lowell power play chances in the period, and then increased their lead to 3-0 with the 40th goal of the season for center Michael Cammalleri. Kostopoulos and defenseman Tim Gleason shared assists as Cammalleri fired the puck through the pads of Ward from 15 feet away.
With the goal, Cammalleri established a new franchise record for points in a season. The third-year pro has eight goals in his last six games and 89 points (40 goals, 49 assists, 89 points) on the season.
The Monarchs moved four goals in front of the Lock Monsters at the 5:47 mark of the third period. Center David Steckel hammered home his seventh of the season after receiving a pass from right wing George Parros in front of the Lowell net. Defenseman Mike Weaver also assisted.
Larose spoiled Hauser's shutout bid with his 17th goal of the season, scored on the power play at 7:49. Center Eric Staal and left wing Dustin Johner assisted on the team-leading 10th power play goal of the season for Larose.
Staal tipped his 19th of the season past Hauser at 10:48. Left wing Colin Forbes and Larose collected assists.
3/13/05 Cammalleri
doing it all — with flair and style
By JIM FENNELL
Sunday News Staff UNION LEADER
MANCHESTER — Mike Cammalleri weighed his options as he skated across the crease with the puck on his stick.
He could try to catch Worcester goalie Curtis Sanford off guard by taking a quick shot, or he could get himself in better shooting position.
Now, if you’re wondering why Sanford would be surprised by any shot taken by the American Hockey League’s leading goal scorer, you have to understand Cammalleri was flying through the air while he was making this decision.
In the air.
Cammalleri, who had jumped over a fallen defensemen, was just regaining control of the puck while he was airborne and hadn’t yet landed when he decided to shoot.
“I thought I could catch the goalie off guard if I shot it in midair,” Cammalleri said. “And it worked.”
Of course it did.
Everything Cammalleri tries this year seems to work. The third-year center out of Ontario has been the hottest player in the AHL and is the single biggest reason why the Manchester Monarchs are still in position to win their division.
He was recently named the league’s player of the week for the second time this season, and is considered one of the leading contenders for the Les Cunningham Award as the AHL’s most valuable player.
Cammalleri, 22, who could become a restricted free agent after this year, leads the AHL with 37 goals. He trails Jason Speeza of Binghamton by three points in the scoring race, with 86 points in 61 games, and has two games in hand.
So it does not take too great a leap to believe that only the NHL lockout has prevented him from taking his place centering one of the Los Angeles Kings lines.
“If this league is as good as everyone is saying it is right now, then he has to be considered one of the top young scorers in the game,” Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau said.
Boudreau said Cammalleri wants to be the guy, the one player everybody else looks to on the Monarchs. Dustin Brown, who has played on the same line with Cammalleri in Manchester and Los Angeles, says Cammalleri, one of the team’s hardest workers, is already the guy.
“Obviously he’s our leader,” Brown said. “He’s been leading this team pretty much single-handedly lately. The bottom line is he’s just shooting and the puck is going in for him, and that’s helping us win.”
“When I played with (Hall of Famer) Darryl Sittler, he always seemed to be in position to score the winning goal,” Boudreau said. “Good players make it happen and Mike makes it happen.”
Cammalleri, whose trademark is a deadly one-timer, seems to make it happen on a nightly basis, although he tries to deflect the praise.
“On a play like that, the thing that goes unnoticed was that it was a great forecheck by Brownie and (Brad Smyth) to get the puck to me there, and that’s why it ends up in the net,” Cammalleri said of his goal against Worcester that had a full house at the Verizon Wireless Arena on its feet. “Do I enjoy scoring goals? Yeah, it’s probably the most fun thing I can ever do other than winning games.”
That goal against Worcester — one of those goals that make you think of Bobby Orr scoring against the St. Louis Blues in the 1970 Stanley Cup finals — gave Manchester a lead that didn’t last. It’s been that way lately for the Monarchs.
After opening the season by winning 20 of their first 21 games, the Monarchs have struggled of late, losing nine of their last 14 games before yesterday’s matinee against Springfield. Cammalleri has been their only consistent scoring threat in that time.
“He’s keeping things a little more simple,” Brown said. “He’s just putting the puck on net. I don’t how many one-timer goals he has just from shooting the puck, and he has one of the best shots on the team, if not the best. He’s keeping it basic and I think the team is seeing that’s working for us.”
Cammalleri recently had a 10-game scoring streak snapped and is two points away from Pavel Rosa’s team record of 88 points set last year. He’s already tied Rosa’s franchise record for goals in a career (67) and is five goals away from matching the single-season team record set two years ago by Eric Healy.
“Mike is a naturally-gifted offensive player, as is Dustin Brown,” Boudreau said. “Some guys seem to have the puck follow them and that’s the way it is with those two guys. They’re not going to be denied too many games.”
Cammalleri’s influences are the great goal scorers of the NHL, guys like Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Pavel Bure and Ziggy Palffy. Even his father, a former semi-professional soccer player, made him aware of the impact a great goal scorer can have.
“One time I was having some fun with my father shooting pucks when I was kid. We were having a little competition and he scored a really nice goal that went off the crossbar and in, and he told me that should count as two when you score them that pretty,” Cammalleri said.
Cammalleri has always been a goal scorer, once leading the World Junior Championship in scoring while helping Canada to a silver medal in 2002. He has scored 14 goals in two call-ups for the Kings over the past two years, including one torrid streak last year, and continues to get better.
“This year, he’s been a lot more consistent,” Brown said.
With no NHL season, Boudreau said the borderline NHL players on the Monarchs have been better able to focus on their AHL games, and that has made Cammalleri a more consistent player. Still, it’s becoming a regular at the NHL that drives all of these players, including Cammalleri.
“He wants to prove that he can be a viable NHL player,” Boudreau said.
So far, Cammalleri is proving his point. With style.
Sunday News staff writer Jim Fennell’s e-mail address is: jfennell@theunionleader.com
3/12/05 The Monarchs zap
Springfield again
Monarchs 6 Falcons
3
Monarchs
goals scored: 1st period... Cammalleri;
2nd period... Brown Steckel
Cammalleri;
3rd period... Miles
Steckel
Garon
in goal
click here for
game details
3/13/05 Monarchs
cruise past Springfield Falcons, 6-3
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer UNION LEADER
MANCHESTER — Heard the Springfield Falcons are changing their name to “Endangered Species.”
Mike Cammalleri and David Steckel scored two goals apiece as the Monarchs again tore apart the Falcons, this time 6-3. That makes eight straight victories for Manchester over the Falcons.
The Monarchs (40-17-3-3, 86 points) tied a franchise record with their 40th victory.
The boo birds who scoffed at the Monarchs during Friday night’s loss to Philadelphia were no-shows yesterday as the lions roared, having won three of their last four overall.
“Obviously (fans) expect a lot from us and we expect a lot of ourselves. We’ve tried to rectify that,” said Cammalleri.
“It was a very important two points for our team,” said Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau. “Fans are entitled to boo . . . We’re going to bounce back. We’ve been pretty resilient all year.”
Still not satisfied? Look at it this way. If the Monarchs win three out every four over their remaining games that means 12 more victories in 17 outings. They would capture first-place in the division easily. Nine of their last 17 games are against teams that will not make the playoffs.
“That’s wonderful,” said Boudreau of that schedule.
The Falcons (17-39-2-3, 39 pts.) have lost eight of their last nine including five straight. They were shutout in five of those games.
Manchester never trailed and by the third period it was professional pond hockey with bruises. Springfield’s Jason Jaspers and Doug O’Brien scored. Monarchs’ Ryan Kinasewich missed a penalty shot, but Steckel potted his second on a power play and Vermont product Jeff Miles tallied on a back-handed toss across from the left side.
Not only does Cammalleri continually prove he is the best goal scorer on two skates, but now he’s trying to rewrite records on one-knee. That’s how he scored twice last night upping his season’s total to a league-leading 39 goals.
Cammalleri’s second was a right circle fire of Brad Smyth’s quick pass at 13:57 of the second period for a 4-1 lead. That 4-on-3 goal ended Manchester’s 0-for-30 powerless streak on the power play. Game over.
“I’m playing with good players,” said Cammalleri. “I’m just there to put it in . . . I’ve said it a million times. Any time individuals have success it’s a collective effort.”
Steckel and “Sweet” Dustin Brown put the Monarchs up 3-0 in the second period. Brown streaked alone left wing and did a little tuck back between his legs. His short shot nearly 5-holed Brian Eklund (27 saves) and indeed a second poke at it did 5-hole the former Brown University netminder. Steckel, the big Buckeye, sliced across the crease and rifled away the fifth goal of his rookie campaign. Springfield’s Jim Campbell scored midway through the second on a powerplay swatting rebound out of the air past Monarchs goalie Mathieu Garon (18 saves).
For the only goal of the opening period Cammalleri went top shelf with a one-timer on one knee off Tom Kostopoulos’ center with 1:52 left in the stanza. The opportunity came thanks to defenseman Mike Weaver slapping a “take that” hit on 6-foot-3 Jean-Francois Soucy, who tried to run the diminutive former Atlanta Thrasher along the side boards. As Weaver sent the puck into the Falcons’ zone he also crashed into Falcons 6-foot-4 forward Adam Henrich knocking the rookie out of the game with a shoulder injury.
NOTES: Monarchs are at arch-rival Lowell today at 4 p.m. . . . The Falcons, who have not won on the road since Dec. 26, would have to win 15 of their last 19 overall to make the Atlantic Division playoffs . . . D Joe Rullier served his one-game suspension for receiving his third game misconduct of the season for not tying down his jersey Friday night. D Beau Geisler, a rookie out of Minnesota-Duluth, replaced him. . . . LW Noah Clarke is in a walking cast with an ankle or foot injury. . . . Friday night Cammalleri was shut out for only the fourth time in 2005. He is the franchise’s career power play goal leader with 21. . . . Ryan Fraser, the son of NHL referee Kerry Fraser, was the referee yesterday afternoon.
3/11/05 The Phantoms
spooked
another
win out of the Monarchs
Monarchs 2 Falcons
4
Monarchs
goals scored: 1st period... ;
2nd period... Gleason;
3rd period...
Giuliuano
Hauser
in goal
click here for
game details
3/12/05 Phantoms
bully the Monarchs
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer UNION LEADER
MANCHESTER — Broad Street's "Baby Bullies," the Philadelphia Phantoms, bashed their way to a big 4-2 victory over the Monarchs last night.
Four punch-filled fights amid Phantom goals in each period including a pair from former Los Angeles King Jon Sim booted the Monarchs out of first place in the Atlantic Division.
The Phantoms also staved off a fierce Monarchs' comeback in the third period, but Sim ended it all on an empty-netter with seconds to play.
However reluctantly, Manchester's (39-17-3-3, 84 points) two-game win streak came to a halt. Hartford took over first place in the Atlantic Division with a 2-1 victory over Bridgeport last night. The Monarchs fell out of first place for the first time since Jan. 14.
Today at 2:05 p.m. the Monarchs might catch their breath hosting the Atlantic Division's last-place team, the Springfield Falcons (Tampa Bay Lightning).
Philadelphia (36-20-2-4, 78 points) is on a two-game win streak locked in a tight struggle with the Binghamton Senators for first place in the AHL's East Division.
Keeping it interesting, Manchester's Jeff Giuliano streaked through the crease and his backhander made it a one-goal game, 3-2, with 8:12 to play. Joni Pitkanen, a Finnish defenseman who played all last season with the Philadelphia Flyers, had golfed a bouncing puck in for a 3-1 lead only 4:23 into the third.
Not only did the Monarchs extend their scoreless streak on the man advantage to 0-for-25, but they also gave up a shorthanded tally. Sim netted his 26th goal of the season for the Phantoms on a left wing break with 4:37 left in the second. Playing for his fifth different pro franchise over two-plus seasons, Sim extended his points streak to seven games with goals in five straight.
It was the third straight loss that the Monarchs have allowed a shorthanded goal.
Gleason screamed away left wing off the opening faceoff of the second period and blistered goalie Antero Niittymaki top shelf. The game was tied 1-1 with the first goal the Monarchs had scored on Philadelphia in four periods this season.
Former Boston College winger Tony Voce, a Philadelphia native and AHL rookie, scored the only goal of the first period. On a power play from the right wing corner he pool-cued a shot across that careened off and banked home off the inside far pad of Monarchs' goalie Adam Hauser.
Notes: It was the 16th game of the season that the Monarchs have given up a short-handed goal. . . . 13th sellout of the season. . . .
C Mike Cammalleri ended his 10-game points streak. . . . G Mathieu Garon returned from a cold and backed up Adam Hauser. . . .
D Joe Rullier was slapped with a game misconduct for not having his jersey tied down. Philadelphia's Todd Fedoruk, who has played virtually all of the last five seasons with the Flyers, smartly yanked the jersey off during a first period fight. . . . The Phantoms' Sim has 11 goals in his last eight games. He chalked up his third straight two-goal game. . . . Philadelphia Flyers fan club in the house last night.
Monarchs show no pity on
Springfield and take another Victory
Monarchs 3 Falcons 1
Monarchs
goals scored: 1st period... Smyth;
2nd period... Steckel;
3rd period...
Cammalleri
Hauser
in goal
click here for
game details
3/10/05 Monarchs
outclass Falcons
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer UNION LEADER
MANCHESTER — Memo to Manchester Monarchs general manager Kevin Gilmore: Play the Springfield Falcons at least 20 times next year.
Mike Cammalleri, Brad Smyth and David Steckel scored for the Atlantic Division-leading Monarchs in a patient 3-1 victory over last-place Springfield before 6,900 fans in Verizon Wireless Arena last night.
The Monarchs (39-16-3-3, 84 poins) have won all seven of their 10 games against the Falcons. Overall, the Monarchs won their second in a row and tied a franchise record with their 39th victory.
Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau said it was important not to look past Springfield in anticipation of hosting Philadelphia on Friday. Philadelphia is in a dogfight for the top spot in the East Division, the other side of the Monarchs’ Eastern Conference.
Last night wasn’t as close as the score may indicate, however.
The Falcons led for much of the opening period on Craig Darby’s 200th AHL goal, a little screen wrister in the left circle 3:28 in. That ended a Falcons’ scoring drought of 140 minutes over three games. That also ended all of the good news in the game for Springfield.
The Monarchs’ scoring machine got wound up and goalie Adam Hauser (20 saves) was flawless the rest of the way.
Smyth tied the game, 1-1, with 32 seconds left in the first period. Moving onto a Cammalleri drop pass in the slot, Smyth banked a wrister off the far post. Rookie Steckel dunked his own straight-ahead rebound for the only goal of the second period for a 2-1 lead.
“It was a good goal for me,” said Steckel, who plays on the Monarchs’ checking line. “We had to play our part.”
“We need secondary scoring and Steckel deserved it. He was one of the best players on the ice tonight,” said Boudreau.
Then Cammalleri, with his trademark one-knee one-timer, zipped home the insurance goal from the left circle 7:28 into the third period.
The Monarchs’ 0-for-22 streak on the power play remains since they did not get a power play chance in the game.
Springfield (17-37-2-3, 39 points) lost its ninth straight on the road, third straight overall.
“I don’t want to play them 20 times next year,” joked Boudreau. “They’re all 8-foot-9. . . . They’ve got 10 first-year guys.”
Notes: Cammalleri is on a 10-game points streak. With his first period assist last night he tied the all-time single season mark (49 assists), sharing the record with Pavel Rosa and Steve Kelly. . . . LW Noah Clarke is out with a “lower body injury.” Translating Monarchs-speak, that is either a knee or ankle injury. RW Dan Welch was recalled from Reading to replace Clarke. . . . G Mathieu Garon missed his second game with the flu. The Monarchs called up rookie G Barry Brust from first-place Reading, Pa., of the ECHL. LW Ryan Flinn sat out with an Achilles tendon strain. Flinn will probably miss Friday’s game against Philadelphia. Flinn’s 35 penalty minutes Sunday against Providence was shy of a franchise record. Kip Brennan holds that record with 44 minutes from March 11, 2003, when he went toe-to-toe three times and then some with Doug Doull, then of the St. John’s Maple Leafs
TheAHL.com NEWS
March 7, 2005 Cammalleri named Player of the Week
The American Hockey League announced today that Manchester Monarchs center Mike Cammalleri has been named the CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending March 6, 2005. Cammalleri notched four goals and two assists for six points in three games as the Monarchs maintained the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
Cammalleri scored the Monarchs’ only goal in a 2-1 loss to Worcester on Tuesday night, and added another goal in a 4-2 defeat at Hartford on Wednesday. He then extended his scoring streak to nine games and tied a career high with four points, scoring two goals and assisting on two others, as the Monarchs posted a 4-2 win over Providence on Sunday. Cammalleri finished the week with a point on six of his team’s seven goals in three games.
In recognition of his achievement, Cammalleri will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Monarchs home game.
A native of Richmond Hill, Ont., Cammalleri, 22, currently leads the AHL with 36 goals and ranks second with 84 points for the Monarchs, recording a point in 50 of his 59 games played. A second-round pick (49th overall) by Los Angeles in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, the 2005 AHL All-Star is also second in the league with 15 power-play goals. Cammalleri now has 143 points (61 goals, 82 assists) in 113 career AHL contests, all with Manchester, to go with 23 points (14g, 9a) in 59 career NHL matches with the Kings.
3/6/05 The
Monarchs got the BABY Bruins to say UNCLE on the scoreboard & in the fisticuffs
!
Monarchs 4
Babies (B's) 2
Monarchs
goals scored: 1st period... Cammalleri;
2nd period... Cammalleri;
3rd period...
Geisler Rullier
Garon
in goal, then Hauser
in goal
click here for
game details
3/7/05 Monarchs
fight for first
By JOHN HABIB
Staff Sports Writer UNION LEADER
MANCHESTER — Down early, the Manchester Monarchs got a lift from their top scorer.
Mike Cammalleri garnered his first career four-point game with two goals and two assists, sparking the Monarchs to a come-from-behind 4-2 American Hockey League win over the Providence Bruins before a sellout crowd of 9,916 fans at Verizon Wireless Arena yesterday.
Manchester (38-16-3-3, 82 points), which snapped a three-game losing streak and a three-game home losing streak, regained sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of idle Hartford.
As the regular season begins to unwind, Cammalleri has established himself as a league MVP candidate.
He has certainly been one of the bright spots during Manchester's recent 2-7 slump since Feb. 11, a slump that wiped out an eight-point division lead over Hartford entering yesterday's game.
Cammalleri has now scored in 10 straight games with six goals and eight assists over that stretch.
Cammalleri (36 goals, 48 assists, 84 points), who leads the AHL in goals scored and trails Jason Spezza (25-60-85) of Binghamton by one point in the scoring race, was instrumental in helping his team overcome a 2-0 first period deficit.
"He's one of our good leaders who was driven today," said Manchester head coach Bruce Boudreau. "One thing about him, he never gives up."
Cammalleri started the comeback at the 16:46 mark of the first period, collecting a pass from the point from defenseman Jason Holland and one-timing a difficult shot along the goal line past Bruins netminder Chris Madden (19 saves).
On a play where Mike Weaver of Manchester deserves credit for keeping the puck in the zone, Noah Clarke set up the next goal, sliding a pass in the center slot to Cammalleri, who found the twine behind Madden for the equalizer in the second period.
Manchester went ahead in the third period as defenseman Beau Geisler's long wrister found an opening just underneath the crossbar for his first career AHL goal 3:52 into the frame.
Cammalleri got an assist on that play and closed out his career night, executing a two-on-one break that led to a blistering slap shot goal off the stick of Joe Rullier for his third season score.
Adam Hauser, replacing starter Mathieu Garon who, according to Boudreau, became ill after the first period, gained the win allowing no goals with 15 saves over the final 40 minutes.
While a win is a win, Manchester still is having problems with its power play. The team was 0-for-5 yesterday, failing to score on a five-minute major boarding penalty by Keith Aucoin in the first period.
To add insult to injury, Aucoin also came out of the box in time to score a breakaway goal on Garon. It was Aucoin's 18th season score.
Providence took its 2-0 lead on a goal by Dan LaCouture (his 11th), set up by Brad Boyes' blind pass from behind the net.
Notes: Manchester left winger Ryan Flinn faces a league suspension after he received two game misconducts yesterday.
Flinn was given one game misconduct for three major fighting penalties, the last one while he was on the bench when Providence defenseman Brent Thompson, just after fighting Tim Gleason of Manchester, began throwing punches at the Monarchs' bench.
Flinn retaliated with a flurry before Thompson was separated by the officials. Flinn and Thompson, who also had a verbal altercation with a fan before departing to the locker room, were both given an "abuse of officials" game misconduct.
Thompson explained his side, saying "I was just upset over how the game had gone and how (teammate) Brad (Boyes) was being treated out there. I was (upset) over the way their bench was cocky."
Boudreau had no comment on whether Flinn would be suspended.
Boston Bruins head coach Mike Sullivan served as an assistant coach last night for Providence. Providence coach Scott Gordon, it was reported, didn't make the trip because of illness in his family. Assistant Rob Murray served as the interim head coach.
3/7/05 Hockey
greats enjoy time in spotlight
By JOHN HABIB
Staff Sports Writer UNION LEADER
MANCHESTER — It was another win-win situation for the Manchester Monarchs and the New Hampshire Legends of Hockey.
The Monarchs, who wore University of New Hampshire hockey jerseys dating back 1956-61 in yesterday's game against Providence, auctioned off the shirts and garnered $26,000.
In four years, the Monarchs have now raised over $70,000 for the Legends of Hockey, according to Mike Kalinowski, the team's media relations director.
Inductees to the Legends of Hockey and honored before yesterday's game were Bernard Arguin of Hampton, Dick Boucher of Manchester, the late Alphonse Corriveau of Manchester, Carl Langlois of Berlin, Ken McKinnon of Alton, Dick Roy of Berlin and the late Elmo Theriault of Berlin.
McKinnon, the first Canadian native to play for UNH, suggested that the current Wildcats should trade in their gray uniforms for the old ones worn by the Monarchs yesterday.
"They should put those gray ones in the closet and wear our old ones, which have a lot of tradition," said McKinnon.
Boucher, speaking for all the inductees, said "it's a tremendous honor to be inducted into the legends and to be recognized by the Monarchs. It's overwhelming and very humbling."
The Monarchs have honored the Concord Budmen, Berlin Maroons and the Manchester Blackhawks by wearing their jerseys in an official AHL game over the last four seasons at the Verizon Wireless Arena.
The Legends of Hockey Night and This year's Annual Auction for vintage UNH Jerseys results ....
Congratulations to all the high winning bidders!
You proved again this year how generous Monarchs Fans really are!
Giuliano 2100 Cammalleri 1750 Rullier 1600 Garon 1500 Flinn 1300 Hauser 1300 Parros 1200 * Brown 1100 Clarke 1000 Gleason 1000 Kanko 1000 Kostopoulos 1000 Smyth 900 Weaver 900 Steckel 850 Grebeshkov 800 Nolan 800 Welch 800 Holland 750 Kinasewich 750 * Ryan 750 Schmidt 750 Geisler 700 James 700 Miles 700
3/6/05 Monarchs
to honor seven new inductees
By JOHN HABIB
Staff Sports Writer UNION LEADER
MANCHESTER — Maybe a change of jerseys will be just what the Manchester Monarchs need to break out of their recent slump.
Losers in seven of their last nine games the Monarchs, who will be wearing vintage UNH jerseys, will host the Providence Bruins today at 4 p.m. at the Verizon Wireless Arena.
Prior to the start of the game, seven members elected to the New Hampshire Legends of Hockey will be recognized by the Monarchs, who will sport jerseys worn by University of New Hampshire teams from 1956-61.
Biographies and photos of the seven new inductees accompany this article.
It seems like decades since the Monarchs have been able to cheer about any good news.
Here’s the lowdown.
In their recent 2-7 stretch dating back to Feb. 11, the Monarchs have failed to score more than two goals in all of their seven losses.
One reason for the team’s slide has been an ineffective power play that has seen Manchester score just three times in 49 chances with the man advantage. To add insult to injury, Manchester has allowed four shorthanded goals over that same span.
The Monarchs, who have not strung together two straight wins since Feb. 4, enter today’s game trying to snap a career franchise worst three-game home losing streak.
The team lost to Worcester (2-1) last Tuesday, to Binghamton (7-2) on Feb. 19 and to Lowell (3-2) on Feb. 18.
Despite the recent slump, Manchester (37-16-3-3, 80 points) will skate today as either sole or co-owners of the Atlantic Division lead. Second-place Hartford had a chance to tie the Monarchs for the division lead late last night with a road game at San Antonio.
Manchester has held sole possession of the division lead for most of the season. Hartford held it for five days (Nov. 7-12) after opening the season with a 9-0 start. Hartford regained the division lead on Jan. 12 only to have Manchester regain it two days later.
Manchester has held sole possession of first place in the division since Jan. 14.
Ryan Flinn (foot infection), Tom Kostopoulos (abdominal strain), Brad Smyth (knee sprain) and George Parros (lacerated finger) all recently came off the injury list.
The Monarchs are 1-3 with those four players back, but head coach Bruce Boudreau did say that all four needed time to get back into game shape.
Providence (30-22-3-6, 69 points) enters today’s game tied for fourth place with Worcester in the division. The Monarchs are 4-2 this season against the Baby B’s, 3-0 at the Verizon Wireless Arena.
Center Mike Cammalleri enters today’s game with a league-leading 34 goals, ranked second overall in scoring with 80 points (46 assists). He is looking to extend his scoring streak to nine straight games tonight. He has four goals and six assists over his last eight games.
Jason Spezza of Binghamton leads the AHL in scoring with 81 points.
Today kicks off a four-game homestand for Manchester which plays host to Springfield on Wednesday and Saturday and the Philadelphia Phantoms on Friday.
Honored today before the game as inductees to the N.H. Legends of Hockey are Bernard Arguin of Hampton, Dick Boucher of Manchester, the late Alphonse Corriveau of Manchester, Carl Langlais of Berlin, Ken McKinnon of Alton, Dick Roy of Berlin and the late Elmo Theriault of Berlin.
In the past the Monarchs have honored the Concord Budmen (2004), Berlin Maroons (2003) and the Manchester Blackhawks (2002) by wearing their jerseys in an official AHL game. Today marks the first time a state college team is honored by the Monarchs.
After today’s games, the jerseys will be auctioned off and the proceeds will go to the N.H. Legends of hockey.
3/2/05
" DON'T ASK ! " Monarchs 1
Hartford 4
Monarchs
goals scored: 1st period... Miles;
2nd period... ;
3rd period...
Cammalleri
Garon
in goal
click here for
game details
3/3/05
Monarchs'
scoring woes persist
Special to The Union Leader
