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Regular Season DECEMBER 2004

Fireworks, New Year's Eve Celebration, Monarchs & Lowell JUST DON'T MIX !
12/31/04   The Lowell Lock Monsters Spoil ANOTHER New Year's Eve Celebration
Manchester 1  Lowell 4
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... Schmidt; 2nd period...  3rd period...
Garon in goal
click here for game details

1/1/05 Unhappy New Year for Monarchs
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

MANCHESTER — You can pick your players, but you can't pick your neighbors and on this New Year's Eve the celebrants would have probably rather smashed bottles on each other's heads than share the cheers.

The Manchester Monarchs and Lowell Lock Monsters rang in the New Year with 112 minutes of penalties and Lowell spoiled the party further with a 4-1 victory before 9,916 in the sold-out Verizon Wireless Arena.

In all, 22 of the 36 skaters in the game took a "time-out" in the sin bin.

After the Monarchs scored 1:06 into the game, Lowell had a defensive answer for every Manchester opportunity. A big part of the solution was second-year goalie Brent Krahn, a 6-foot-4, 211-pounder who was Calgary's first-round (89th overall) draft choice in 2000. Krahn made 40 saves.

Sporting the best power play in the league, the Monarchs were silenced on 11 power-play opportunities.

The Monarchs (24-6-2-1, 51 points) lost in regulation on home ice for the first time this season. The loss ended a three-game Monarchs win streak at home and was their second straight, both to Lowell (17-9-1-3, 38 points).

The Monarchs host the Providence Bruins tonight at 7:35. Providence is third in the Atlantic Division. Providence has not lost a game in regulation over its last 10.

Lowell went ahead for the first time in the game 32 seconds into the third period — and it was for good! Center Mike Zigomanis made it 2-1 with a right point bullet after Colin Forbes had drawn both Monarchs defensemen then dropped it with a between-the-legs back pass.

The third period was insurance time for Lowell. Lock Monsters defenseman Rechie Regehr tallied with 6:01 to play in the game and teammate Colin Forbes scored into an empty net with 1:13 left.

At 8:40 of the second period, right wing Chuck Kobasew knotted the game, 1-1, for the Lock Monsters. The third-year pro out of Boston College and leading Lock Monster scorer narrowly five-holed Mathieu Garon (15 saves) at the back post on the rebound of Brad Fast's close-range bid.

Monarchs captain Chris Schmidt scored the only goal of the first period off a little drop pass from George Parros on the second shift of the game, only 1:06 in. While the Monarchs outshot the Lock Monsters, 14-4, any flow to play in the opening period was sacrificed to penalties as the teams combined for 56 minutes of penalties.

Notes: LW Noah Clarke was suspended two games by the AHL for a cross-check to the head of Lowell's Chad Larose Wednesday night. . . . Referee Justin St. Pierre hadn't seen the Lock Monsters since a brawl between Lowell and Norfolk about seven games ago. No surprise on the 56 minutes of penalties in the opening period. . . . LW Dustin Brown had a four-game goal scoring streak snapped, while C Lehoux and RW Kostpoulos ended five-game points streaks. . . . D Troy Milam was the Monarchs' healthy scratch. . . .

12/30/04 Tonight's Monarchs game should be explosive
Staff Report Union Leader
 

The Manchester Monarchs get an immediate shot at redemption with tonight's 7:35 battle against the Lowell Lock Monsters in Verizon Wireless Arena.

This New Year's Eve contest is always one of the most popular. Last night there were just 10 tickets (single seats) remaining for tonight's hockey and fireworks extravaganza. Part of the post-game fireworks barrage will be a year-end video.

The Lock Monsters knocked off the league-leading Monarchs Wednesday night in Lowell, 4-2. It was Lowell's first victory of the season over Manchester. Tonight is the teams' fourth meeting of 12.

Tomorrow the Monarchs host another big rival, the Providence Bruins at 7:35 p.m. Single seats are available in the lower bowl and 1,550 seats are available in the upper deck. The Monarchs are 2-0 against the Bruins so far this season.

Providence is playing without young star scorer Patrice Bergeron, who is competing in the World Junior Championships in North Dakota and Minnesota. Tomorrow's game concludes the Monarchs' toughest logjam of contests — 5 games in 7 days. So far the Monarchs are 2-1 in this difficult string.

The Monarchs are the only team in the league that has yet to lose in regulation at home.

12/29/04 The Monarchs Lose on the road a.g.a.i.n., this time to Lowell  4 - 2
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... Brown; Smyth; 2nd period...  3rd period...
Monarchs fall asleep on the ice during the 2nd & 3rd periods and get out shot 15 to Lowell's 35 shots
Garon in goal
click here for game details

12/30/04 Lowell knocks off the Monarchs, 4-2
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

LOWELL, Mass. — A monster second period with goals from former Boston College star Chuck Kobasew and Lynn Loyns was a giant killer as the Lowell Lock Monsters fought past the league-leading Manchester Monarchs, 4-2, last night before 5,168 in Tsongas Arena.

All of the Monarchs' (24-5-2-1, 51 points) losses have come on the road. The Lock Monsters snapped Manchester's three-game win streak.

Lowell (16-9-1-3, 36 points), fifth in the division, ended its two-game losing streak in its first victory in three tries against the Monarchs.

The Monarchs host the rematch on New Year's Eve, tomorrow at 7:35 p.m.

Lowell knocked the Monarchs on their heels and scored the only two goals of the second period as Manchester was outshot, 22-6. Kobasew, who played all of last season with the Calgary Flames, soared coast-to-coast to give the Lock Monsters a 3-2 edge with 44 seconds left in the stanza. Loyns' wrister near the bottom of the left circle cleanly beat Monarchs goalie Mathieu Garon (44 saves) tying it 2-2 with 4:19 to go in the second.

Mike Zigomanis, who finished with a pair of goals, added the empty-netter with seconds to play.

Carolina Hurricanes first -round draft pick (25th overall in 2002) Cam Ward earned the win in the Lowell goal with 24 saves.

Manchester scored twice in a 1:31 span, grabbing a 2-1 lead in the opening period. Dustin Brown did the digging in front to convert Mike Cammalleri's rebound in the crease at 14:44. Next, Brad Smyth one-timed Tom Kostopoulos' feed at 16:15 for the Monarchs' first lead in the game. The go-ahead goal came after Garon had made a mask save on Kobasew's short breakaway.

Lowell's Zigomanis struck first 6:07 in on a power play swat of Chad Larose's backdoor rebound.

12/28/04 The Monarchs skin the Grizzlies and skate away with a 6 - 0 Shutout Victory !
( Hauser in goal grabs a League Leading 5th Shutout this season )
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... Brown; Parros; 2nd period... Gleason; Smyth; 3rd period... Kostopoulos; Clarke;
click here for  game details

12/29/04 Monarchs dominate veteran Grizzlies squad
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

MANCHESTER — Safe to say, the veteran Utah Grizzlies never had a chance as the fast-flying Manchester Monarchs, with the most powerful offense in the AHL, easily gunned down the big ol' bears, 6-0, last night before 8,789 in Verizon Wireless Arena.

Noah Clarke, Tom Kostopoulos, Brad Smyth, Tim Gleason, George Parros and Dustin Brown scored in a balanced attack that has opponents puzzled. It was the third straight win overall for the AHL-leading Monarchs (24-4-2-1). Manchester is still the only club in the league without a regulation loss at home (13-0-1-0).

Adam Hauser (8-2-0) made 26 saves in his league-leading fifth shutout. This one was especially sweet since it came over a team that features 14 players who have skated in the NHL, including four with more than 100 games.

Kostopoulos and Clarke just added icing to Utah's embarrassment. Clarke backhanded in a short-handed tally with 1:10 to play for the final goal after Kostopoulos had scored on a power play 5:04 into the third period for the 5-0 lead. The Monarchs were 2-for-4 on the man advantage.

If you can't beat 'em, beat 'em up? Well, that didn't work either for Utah. Leading 5-0, Petr Kanko gamely held his own in a fight despite giving up four inches and 25 pounds to Grizzlies captain Rick Berry, the 6-foot-2, 213-pounder who played 65 games with the Washington Capitals last season. Then Parros landed a hard right, opening a gash above the eye of Matthew Spiller in a fisticuff that followed.

The Monarchs put it out of reach when defenseman Gleason and right wing Smyth scored 4:05 apart in the second period to take a 4-0 lead. Gleason stole a page from Monarchs scorer Mike Cammalleri when he slid on one knee to one-time Petr Kanko's center at 12:01. And with 3:54 left in the second period, Smyth tucked away his own little rebound on the power play.

Parros had made it 2-0 Monarchs, keeping the puck the whole way on a 2-on-1 with Troy Milam at 11:20 of the opening period.

Dustin Brown capitalized on a look-what-I-found rebound off linesman Steve Glines, scoring at 7:41 for a 1-0 start. Glines was nailed at the blue line by Kanko's slap shot dump-in attempt. Brown raced onto the puck in the right circle as the Grizzlies were caught on their heels, assuming the puck would end up in the opposite corner from Kanko.

Starting an eight-game, 20-day road trip, Utah (9-20-0-2) stays at the bottom of the West Division. It was Utah's first loss in the Big V in three appearances. Goalie David LeNeveu (5-13-1) of Cornell fame had little help in making 27 saves. Since an empty-net goal on Oct. 20 against the Grizzlies, the Monarchs have reeled off 12 consecutive goals against them (three straight victories) with no answers from Utah.

The Monarchs are at the Lowell Lock Monsters tonight at 7 p.m. and then host the Lock Monsters on New Year's Eve, Friday at 7:35 p.m.

Notes: Utah has a veteran problem - too many. The Grizzlies have to scratch one veteran every game since the league only allows six. Last night former Boston Bruins thug Doug Doull was scratched. . . . Monarchs part-time broadcast analyst Jim Rivers has a new full-time job as an assistant in the office of the state's Speaker of the House, Doug Scamman. . . . Healthy scratches for the Monarchs were D Dan Nolan and RW Dan Welch. When healthy, as they are now, the Monarchs scratch one defenseman and one forward each game. It appears Boudreau will do this on a rotational basis . . . Hauser's start earned him enough total minutes on the season to appear among league leaders. His 12th career shutout is a franchise record. . . . Hauser earned his first career assist on Parros' goal in the first period. . . . Lehoux has a four-game points streak. . . . The Monarchs have at least one power play tally in each home game - 14 for 14.

12/26/04 Ho Ho Ho says the Monarchs after taking another win from the Pirates  Portland 1  Monarchs 2
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... Lehoux; 2nd period... Brown;  3rd period...
Garon in Goal
click here for  game details

12/27/04 Monarchs defense takes no holiday
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

MANCHESTER — Advice for the holiday hockey traveler: Decline the invitation when the best home team in the American Hockey League invites you over for the holidays.

Despite a head-spinning effort around the Manchester Monarchs' net with an extra skater in the final minute, the Portland Pirates could not steal this one as the Monarchs held on to a 2-1 victory last night. Figuring in on both goals, Monarchs center Yanick Lehoux took over the league scoring lead from teammate Mike Cammalleri.

"A pretty gutty performance," said Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau. "We found a way to get it done."

The top team in the AHL, Manchester (23-4-2-1) remains the only club in the league without a regulation loss at home. The Monarchs are 12-0-1-1 in the Verizon Wireless Arena. The victory was their second straight overall after clawing out of a slump that saw just one victory in seven outings.

"The last few games everybody was getting a little frustrated," said Lehoux. "Little things weren't going our way. So it's nice to come back again."

The Monarchs won it on Dustin Brown's second-effort backhander in front with 52 seconds left in the second period. There should have been a third assist on that tally. Monarchs center Cammalleri came out of the penalty box and instantly kept the puck in the Pirates' end. He went point-to-point to Denis Grebeshkov, who found Lehoux down low. Lehoux centered to a slicing Brown on Portland goalie Max Ouellet's doorstep.

"If there could have been a third assist, (Cammalleri) would have gotten it," said Boudreau.

Portland coach Tim Army said his Pirates have to avoid frustration. One mistake, or perhaps an unlucky break and . . .

"The puck's kept alive. We don't get to get fresh troops out. Bang," said Army. "It's 2-1. It's that simple."

Lehoux tied it 1-1 at 14:14 of the first period with a last-minute tuck in after faking down Ouellet (27 saves), then faking again. Lehoux was behind the goal when he reached back to finish the highlight video tally.

The Pirates took a short-lived 1-0 lead midway through the first period when Monarchs goalie Mathieu Garon was narrowly five-holed by Boyd Gordon's short side wrister. The lead lasted only 4:31. Although at the time it was jolly good news for the Pirates, since they had been shut out twice earlier by Manchester. The Pirates stopped a streak of 131 minutes and 43 seconds of misfires.

"It was a bad goal. I should have stopped that one," said Garon, who leads the league with his 16th victory in 21 appearances. "It's nice to get a win after six days off like that. It's going to be a tough week for us."

"It's the best we played against them yet this year," said Army.

Portland (11-14-3-4) has just one win in its last nine. On the road Portland has not won in nine games — since Nov. 6 at Worcester.

The Monarchs host the Utah Grizzlies tomorrow at 7:05 p.m.

Notes: Due to travel conditions, Portland arrived in Manchester just one hour before game time. The start of the contest was delayed by just five minutes. . . . Portland played without leading scorer C Trent Whitfield (concussion). . . . Lehoux's first period goal was his 50th as a pro. . . . Garret Stroshein, who assisted the first Portland goal for his first point of the season, is the only Pirate with a plus in the plus-minus category. . . . Healthy scratches for the Monarchs included D Troy Milam and C David Steckel. . . . D Jason Holland returned to Manchester after a year in the NHL and was a starter with D Tim Gleason, also back from injury. To get into game shape, Holland skated all during the Monarchs holiday break. . . . Cammalleri is wearing a full face mask after missing one game having taken a puck in the face. . . . RW Brad Smyth missed 10 games with the flu and was in the Monarchs lineup last night. . . . St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and Bedford resident Chris Carpenter was among the 8,869 at last night's game. Carpenter was an all-state hockey defenseman at Manchester's Trinity High School.

12/23/04 The rest is almost history
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

THIS WEEKEND, the Manchester Monarchs return after six days of holiday relaxation. Rested and reinvigorated, they embark on a grueling string of five games in seven days starting Sunday, when they host the Portland Pirates.

The question arises: Will this longest layoff of the season serve as a blessing for a banged-up team or a rusty curse on things to come? The five games in seven days marks the most jam-packed grind of the season for the Monarchs, still the best team in the league at 22-4-2-1 with 47 points.

The schedule: Sunday vs. Portland, 4:05 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 28 vs. Utah, 7:05 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 29 at Lowell, 7 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 31 vs. Lowell, 7:35 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 1 vs. Providence, 7:35 p.m.

Only one of those five games is on the road, however, and that contest at Lowell is in the Monarchs' home away from home, Tsongas Arena, where there are often more Manchester fans than Lock Monsters supporters. Advantage Monarchs, who are 11-0-1-0 in Verizon Wireless Arena.

Leading scorer center Mike Cammalleri, who missed one game when he was hit in the face with a puck, right wing Brad Smyth, out 10 games with the flu, and defenseman Tim Gleason, out with an upper body injury, are all likely to return Sunday.

The Monarchs have lost six of their last eight games.

"You're not going to go 79-1 in this league," said Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau. "When you're 20-1 you're going to lose some in a row. To me it's so shortsighted. . . . You could look at it and say we've lost six of our last eight. But we got points in five out of eight games. And not one of those games was more than a one-goal game when we lost it."

"I just think it was the time of year, the time of season," said Cammalleri. "This rest is much needed."

That recent demise, largely on the road, coincides with Smyth's leaving the lineup and Boudreau shuffling players around in his first two lines. Before Smyth's illness those two lines were stable for all but one game.

"It's a coincidence, yet it's not," Boudreau said. "But, I don't think any one player is the team. It's very difficult to keep the pace we were on. It was a lull on the road in a difficult stretch of our schedule."

"There's no doubt that Brad Smyth helps our hockey team, but at the same time we're capable of winning without a certain guy in the lineup," said Cammalleri, who leads the team in scoring with 22 goals and 22 assists. "(Smyth's) an awesome player. We're the type of team where the scoring shouldn't be on one guy's shoulders."

Cammalleri leads the AHL in scoring, followed by center Yanick Lehoux with 19 goals and 24 assists. Lehoux's 43 points are a career high for the third-year pro.

The Monarchs have not practiced since Tuesday morning and will not be back on the ice until their pre-game skate Sunday morning in Verizon Wireless Arena.

"You can expect a lot of good things to come from this hockey team," promised Cammalleri.

12/19/04  Monarchs finish the road trip with a WIN !   Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 1  Monarchs 3
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... ; 2nd period... Brown; Clarke; Lehoux; 3rd period...
Garon in Goal
click here for  game details

12/20/04 Monarchs snap out of road woes
Special to The Union Leader

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON, Pa. — Left wings Dustin Brown and Noah Clarke and center Yanick Lehoux each collected second period goals for the Manchester Monarchs, who closed a difficult mid-Atlantic road trip with a 3-1 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins before 8,044 fans at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza last night.

Yesterday's game was the fourth road game in five days for the Monarchs, who played without the services of center Michael Cammalleri. Cammalleri, who leads the Monarchs and the American Hockey League in scoring with 44 points (22 goals, 22 assists), was injured in the Monarchs' 3-2 overtime loss to the Hershey Bears on Saturday night. He's listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury.

The Monarchs snapped a five-game winless streak on the road (0-3-1-1) and a three-game winless streak overall (0-1-1-1) with yesterday's victory, their league-leading 22nd overall (22-4-2-1). Now with 47 points, the Monarchs lead the second-place Hartford Wolf Pack by four points in the Atlantic Division. The loss was the first in four games for the Penguins, who dropped to 14-8-4-3 and 35 points on the season.

The Monarchs opened a 3-0 second period lead by scoring three goals on just six shots against goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (19 shots, 16 saves), who was picked first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 NHL draft. Brown pounced on a rebound and jammed the puck by Fleury for a power play goal at 6:21, Clarke took Lehoux's feed and sliced it by Fleury at 10:11, and Lehoux blasted a slap shot by the shell-shocked netminder at 13:07.

Defenseman Denis Grebeshkov and right wing Tom Kostopoulos shared assists on Brown's 13th goal of the season and sixth on the power play. Lehoux and Kostopoulos had helpers on Clarke's ninth goal of the season. Grebeshkov and defenseman Mike Weaver were credited with assists on Lehoux's 19th marker of the season.

Goaltender Mathieu Garon (20 shots, 19 saves) earned the win in net for the Monarchs, his 15th of the season (15-4-1). Garon's bid for a league-leading fifth shutout came to an end when left wing Ramzi Abid collected his 11th goal of the season on the power play at 7:32 of the third period. Right wing Colby Armstrong and left wing Matt Murley had assists on the play.

Fleury took the loss, his fifth of the season (11-5-2). The Monarchs finished 1-6 on the power play. The Penguins finished 1-5.

12/18/04 The Monarchs let another one MELT away in OT and LOSE to the Bears  Hershey 3  Monarchs 2
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... Lehoux; 2nd period... Kostopoulos;  3rd period...
Hauser in Goal
Cammalleri injured in the 2nd period... didn't come out for the 3rd period
click here for  game details

12/19/04 Monarchs lose to Hershey 3-2 in OT
Special to The Union Leader

HERSHEY, Pa. — Center Eric Perrin scored on the power play 1:05 into overtime as the Hershey Bears edged the Manchester Monarchs, 3-2, before 6,300 fans at Giant Center last night.

The goal was the sixth of the season for Perrin, who scored from the right wing face-off circle after receiving a pass from right wing Carl Corazzini. Left wing David Masse also had an assist on Perrin’s goal, his team-leading third game winner of the season. Corazzini finished with three assists on the night.

The Bears were awarded a power play with just nine seconds remaining in regulation after Monarchs right wing Dan Welch was assessed a holding penalty.

The loss extended the Monarchs winless streak to three games (0-1-1-1). Manchester remains in first place in the American Hockey League’s Atlantic Division with an overall record of 21-4-2-1 and 45 points.

With two straight wins, the Bears improved to 13-16-1-0 and 27 points in the AHL’s East Division, where they currently reside in sixth place.

The Monarchs used their league-leading power play to take a first period lead. Center Yanick Lehoux pumped home his 18th goal of the season with assists to rookie center Matt Ryan and center Michael Cammalleri at 10:43. The power play goal was the seventh of the season for Lehoux.

The Bears countered with a goal from right wing Marek Svatos to tie the game with 2:43 remaining in the period. Corazzini had the only assist on the play as Svatos collected his fifth goal of the season by finishing an odd-man rush into the Manchester zone.

The Monarchs added their second power play goal of the game late in the second period to regain the lead at 2-1. The goal was credited to right wing Tom Kostopoulos, who rifled his shot past goaltender Peter Budaj (28 shots, 26 saves) from the high slot with 2:36 remaining in the period.

Lehoux added his second point of the night with an assist on the 15th goal of the season for Kostopoulos. Kostopoulos tally also represented the Monarch’s league-leading 37th power play goal of the season.

Corazzini matched Lehoux when he notched his second point of the night with a third period assist as the Bears tied the game with 7:30 remaining. Corazzini rushed up the left wing, and then dished to left wing Mathieu Darche in the slot. Darche did the rest, slicing his 11th goal of the season past goaltender Adam Hauser (29 shots, 26 saves).

Hauser took the loss. His record dropped to 7-2-0 on the season. Budaj earned the win, his seventh of the season (7-9-0). The Monarchs were 2-4 on the power play. The Bears were 1-6.

12/17/04 The Phantoms throw another road trip loss on the Monarchs   Philadelphia 1  Monarchs 0
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period...  2nd period...  3rd period...
Garon in Goal
click here for game details

12/18/04    Monarchs fall to Phantoms
Special to the Union Leader

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jon Sim had the game's only goal and Antero Niittymaki stopped all 24 shots he faced as the Philadelphia Phantoms defeated the Manchester Monarchs, 1-0, last night.

Both teams came into the contest first in their respective divisions in the American Hockey League's Eastern Conference. The Phantoms moved to within one point of the Monarchs' 44 for the overall league lead.

Niittymaki recorded his second shutout of the season as Philadelphia (21-5-1-0) won its third straight. Goalie Mathieu Garon kept Manchester (21-4-1-1) in the game with 21 saves.

Sim provided the deciding margin just 1:56 into the game when he jammed in a loose puck for his ninth goal of the season.

The game then settled into a goaltenders' duel as Niittymaki and Garon both turned aside scoring chances in the first period.

The Monarchs, who entered the game with the league's best power-play, were unable to capitalize on three opportunities with the man advantage during a scoreless second period.

Niittymaki made his best save less than a minute into the third period by stopping Petr Kanko on a breakaway that was one of five straight shots on goal by the Monarchs.

Garon was pulled for an extra skater with a minute to play, but Manchester's league-leading offense could not get a shot on goal. The Monarchs were shut out for the first time this season. Manchester has dropped five of its last six after winning 20 of the first 21 games, including a 13-game winning streak.

The Phantoms won 17 straight earlier in the season to set an AHL record.

12/17/04 ....  Hockey News ...

 

12/17/04    Team faces growing injuries
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer UNION LEADER

MONARCHS ROOKIE right wing Greg Hogeboom is expected to miss 10-12 weeks of action after undergoing successful wrist surgery Monday. The 23-year-old Hogeboom out of Miami (Ohio) was injured in a game against Hartford on Sunday, Dec. 5. Dr. Robert Heaps of The Orthopedic Center repaired carpal ligament damage in Hogeboom's wrist.

In November, Hogeboom missed eight games over two weeks with a separated shoulder.

As for other injuries, Monarchs defenseman Tim Gleason is day-to-day with an upper body injury. The 21-year-old missed Wednesday's game in Norfolk. Right wing Brad Smyth is out with "flu-like symptoms" being decribed by some as pnuemonia. Left wing Ryan Flinn is recovering from Achilles tendon surgery and right wing Scott Barney is recovering from abdominal surgery.

The five players out of action is the most the miraculously healthy Monarchs have suffered all season.

Defenseman Jason Holland, who played all last season in the NHL with the Kings, is happy returning to ice hockey with a red line. Holland, signed this past weekend by the Monarchs, was playing in Italy's top professional league where there is no red line and the ice sheets are considerably larger than the Verizon Wireless Arena. The level of talent in that league is also below that of the AHL.

Holland will not play tonight when the two best AHL teams — Manchester and Philadelphia — meet in the the Wachovia Spectrum. Instead, he will take an extra day to shake off jet lag and join the Monarchs in Hershey, Pa., Saturday at 7 p.m.

Holland's trip from Venice to Paris to Philadelphia to Manchester took nearly 24 hours after his flight was fogged-in and grounded for at least six hours in Paris.

"First of all I'm really happy to be back in North America. Italy is different. It's very different living there with a different language so it's nice to be back on familiar soil," Holland said.

Holland, 28, played 13 games with HC Alleghe of the Italian Hockey League scoring three goals and assisting on seven others.

As far as rejoining the Monarchs, Holland said, "I know 80 percent of the guys. It was a great situation when I was here for two years. The team's been doing great. It's exciting to be able to be asked to be a part of it."

And how did Holland get out of a contract in Italy that on paper only allowed him an escape if the NHL resumed? Holland said, "I forfeited some of my salary to them and we just parted ways.

"It didn't take me long to make my decision," he said.

 

 

12/15/04  Monarchs Sunk in a shootout with the Admirals ! ... Norfolk wins 5 - 4
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period.. 2nd period...Lehoux; Giuliano; 3rd period...Kostopoulos; Kostopoulos;
SHOOTOUT GOAL by - CLARKE  ( Kostopoulos, Cammalleri and Brown missed ) (Norfolk put in 3 by Garon )
click here for more game details

12/16/04 Shootout loss halts Monarchs comeback
Special to The Union Leader

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk goaltender Michael Leighton stopped three of four shots in a shootout, and the Norfolk Admirals held off the Manchester Monarchs, 5-4, at the Norfolk Scope in front of 2,920 fans yesterday.

After a scoreless overtime, left wing Noah Clarke was the only Monarch to convert in the shootout . Leighton blanked right wing Tom Kostopoulos, center Michael Cammalleri and left wing Dustin Brown. Norfolk right wing Pavel Vorobiev, left wing Matt Ellison and center Ajay Baines all scored in the shootout against Monarchs goaltender Mathieu Garon.

The Monarchs, now 21-3-1-1 with 44 points on the season, have lost four of their last five games (1-2-1-1) after winning 13 straight.

Yesterday's game also marked the first time the Monarchs lost when scoring four or more goals in a game. The Monarchs are 17-0-0-1 when scoring four or more goals in a game this season.

Left wing Quintin Laing and Ellison each scored to give the Admirals a 2-0 lead. Laing's short-handed goal at 15:32 of the first period was his fifth of the season. Right wing Shawn Thornton assisted on the play. Ellison's power play goal at 10:34 of the second period marked his fourth goal of the season.

Monarchs center Yanick Lehoux answered back with his own power play goal at 14:35 of the second period. Lehoux broke in down the left side and rifled a shot past Leighton for his career best 17th goal of the season. Defenseman Joe Rullier was credited with the lone assist on the goal.

Just 1:56 later, Thornton scored his first goal of the year shorthanded to make it a 3-1 Admirals lead.

The next three goals belonged to the Monarchs. Left wing Jeff Giuliano found the back of the net and Kostopoulos buried two past Leighton. Giuliano redirected right wing George Parros' backhander in the slot at 19:12 of the second period for his third goal of the season. Kostopoulos tied up the game at 1:51 of the third period and then gave the Monarchs a 4-3 lead as he slid Giuliano's pass behind Leighton at 5:29. His two goals on the day gave him 14 tallies for the season.

With less than two minutes remaining in regulation, Admirals defenseman Anton Babchuk blasted a shot from the top of the circle past Garon to send the game into overtime.

Garon (14-3-1) made 29 saves in the game and took the Monarchs first shootout loss of the season. Leighton (4-7-1) earned his fourth win of the season, stopping 11 of the Monarchs season-low 15 shots.

 

12/16/04 Veteran strengthens 'D'
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer UNION LEADER

THIS BIG veteran should remove any question marks that reside in the rather diminutive and young Manchester Monarchs defensive corps. However, the signing this week of defenseman Jason Holland sparked more overall questions than answers.

Holland, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound ninth-year pro, will join the Manchester Monarchs for tomorrow night's game in Philadelphia, which is a battle of the AHL's two best teams. Holland was locked out by the Los Angeles Kings after spending all of last season (52 games) in the NHL.

Last night, Kings assistant general manager Kevin Gilmore answered some of the many questions that arose when the Kings-owned farm club in the Queen City, the Monarchs, signed Holland.

The Kings will pay Holland what he was making in Italy, but will not disclose how much that is.

"Do we look bad?" asked Gilmore. "First of all, we're not doing anything other teams are not doing. We're not going out spending huge money on him. At the end of the day, this is development. Who benefits from Jason Holland coming back? The benefit is to the organization from a development standpoint.

"We're not talking about a guy who has played in the NHL for 10 years," said Gilmore. "Jason is one year removed from the NHL. . . . It would be hypocritical of me for us to go out and sign a 10-year guy. . . . I know we'd never get to that point."

Early in the season Gilmore said the Kings were looking for a big, experienced defenseman.

"Jason fits the criteria we had in mind," said Gilmore. "We're adding experience and size to a defensive corps that lacks size. If we bring in Jason, do we take ice time away from our young guys? Sometimes our young guys are getting more ice time than they should be getting. Denis Grebeshkov and Tim Gleason are logging 22-24 minutes a game. A lot of that comes in three games in three-night settings. You don't want to be playing a second-year pro 22-24 minutes a game in three straight nights. You increase the risk of injury, at some point it hurts their performance. You look at the ice time (Holland) will get and it makes it a little more bearable on them."

Holland has played the better part of two seasons with the Monarchs, 65 games in 2001-02 and 67 games in 2002-03. He is a dependable, known quantity for the Monarchs.

"Rather than looking to trade for a player, this way we bring in someone who was with the organization," said Gilmore.

In hopes of playing in Manchester, Holland had approached the Kings before this season started.

"At that point we had decided we weren't going to sign locked-out players. Our logic was, he played in the NHL for us last year and he was locked out," said Gilmore.

The Kings sealed the deal with Holland's agent last week. Holland reportedly negotiated out of his Italian professional league contract.

"We're now almost halfway through the season," said Gilmore. "If he's playing in Europe, we would rather have him playing for us.

"It's not at all a signal of no NHL," added Gilmore. "There's no bearing whatsoever. We're getting down to the 11th hour and we're all hoping that the parties can come to an agreement that is fair to both sides and bring hockey back. The decision to bring Jason Holland back had no bearing on that."

"Winning breeds winners. Learning to win is such a key part to becoming an impact player at the NHL level. Bringing Jason Holland just improves those chances," Gilmore said.

With Holland's addition the Monarchs have one veteran spot left to fill.

"If at some point an opportunity presents itself we'll look at that," said Gilmore.

ICE CHIPS: Mike Cammalleri's scoring streak is at seven games. He has scored a point in 24 of 26 games. . . . Yanick Lehoux's goal at Norfolk last night was his career-best 17th in a season. . . . Monarchs are 17-0-0-1 in games where they've scored four or more goals. . . . Monarchs have allowed the first goal in each of their last five contests. . . . Monarchs continue to the lead the league with 109 goals, 36 of them power play goals.

 

12/15/04 Gleason a King-in-waiting for Monarchs
By Stephanie Krauss
article TheAHL.com

Second-year defenseman Tim Gleason has certainly come full-circle from the reluctant four-year-old who only played hockey to comply with his father's light-hearted encouragement.

"I actually wanted to play soccer back then," Gleason said with a laugh.

Luckily for him and for the Manchester Monarchs, he decided to stick with his father's advice.

Gleason's father coached him until he was 12, and his father remains the biggest influence in his life.

"He was always there for me and kept me motivated. He and my uncle both played junior hockey when they were younger, so they were excited about me playing and always helped me in any way they could," Gleason said.

Gleason began to enjoy hockey and played at the junior-B level for the next few years, until he found himself with a tough decision to make after high school. Having grown up in Michigan, which is known to be a college hockey hotbed, most people, including his parents, expected him to try his hand at the college game.

Gleason, however, had heard that the Ontario Hockey League was actually a quicker route to the National Hockey League, and he decided to take a chance and shoot for his dream.

"It was obviously a tough decision to not go to college, and my parents weren't too happy about it at the time, but I really wanted to get to the NHL and I guess it worked," Gleason commented.

For the next four years, Gleason found himself playing for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL, where he was very successful. He was named OHL Second Team All-Rookie in 1999-00, invited to the Top Prospects Game in Calgary in 2001 (which he unfortunately had to miss due to injury) and skated in the 2002 OHL All-Star Game.

During the 2002-03 season, he led all Windsor defensemen with 31 assists, 38 points, and 75 penalty minutes, and earned the right to wear the reputable captain's "C". Throughout his entire OHL career of 214 games, he totaled 151 points (37-114=151) and 409 penalty minutes.

All of his hard work paid off when Gleason was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the first round (23rd overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.

"That was a dream come true. I never actually thought the day would come where I would be drafted. It was a very exciting day for myself and my family," Gleason remarked.

Not yet having the chance to play in an NHL game, Gleason was slightly concerned when he was traded from Ottawa to the Los Angeles Kings in 2003, mainly because he felt like he didn't have any control over his own fate. It was a big step for him to move out to Los Angeles, but he quickly realized that it was where he needed to be and agreed to a three-year contract.

"It's L.A., the weather is warm - how can you beat that?" Gleason said jokingly. "Also, they've really given me the chance to play and prove myself. I'm really happy to be part of this organization."

His first game with the Kings coincidentally fell on their 2003-04 season opener in Detroit.

"That was a complete thrill. I got to play my first NHL game in my hometown of Detroit. If I could play only one game in professional hockey, that would be the game I'd pick," Gleason said excitedly.

Gleason went on to play a total of 47 games with the Kings last season, broken up by small stints with the Monarchs, and he made a name for himself as a hard-working player with a great work ethic.

Now, at the ripe old age of 21, Gleason finds himself in Manchester, and he couldn't be more excited about it.

"I think that playing in the AHL is something every player should experience. It really helps prepare you for the next level," Gleason said.

The Monarchs are glad to have him. Gleason is not afraid to help out in all areas of the game and he gives 110 percent every time he steps onto the ice. He is also among the plus/minus leaders on the team at plus-13, and with 47 penalty minutes, he isn't afraid to physically defend his teammates when necessary. Gleason has crafted himself into the complete package - a great all-around player. He's even slightly modest.

"I just do what my coaches ask of me, and I try to play consistently. That's all I can do," Gleason explained.

So is he anxious for the NHL to return?

"Yeah, I think most everyone is, but I really try to not think about it," he said. "If it happens, great, if not, I'm not too concerned about it right now. I'm playing with a great group of guys, and I'm just having a great time. This team reminds me a lot of the teams I played on in juniors. The guys are a lot of fun, everyone gets along, and we all have a good bond with each other.

"I'm in no rush to change that."

 

 

12/12/04 Monarchs beat Springfield 4 - 3
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... Kostopoulos; Cammalleri; 2nd period...  Lehoux; 3rd period... Ryan
Tim Gleason wallops Andre Deveaux
Garon in Goal
click here for game details

12/13/04 Monarchs author comeback against Falcons
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer UNION LEADER

MANCHESTER — A three-game losing skid was merely a blip of static for the Atlantic Division leaders as the Manchester Monarchs fine tuned, not allowing a goal after the first period and edging the Springfield Falcons, 4-3, before 8,602 in Verizon Wireless Arena last night.

“Important win,” said Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau. “It was one of those wins where the crowd pulls you through.”

The only lead the Monarchs had in the game was the only one you want — the last one. It came 8:57 into the third period when “Flyin” Matt Ryan potted his third game-winner of the season. Petr Kanko fired the hard shot short side. Ex-Los Angeles Kings goalie Jamie Storr’s pad-save rebound trickled through the crease and with Storr sliding with it, Monarch Dan Welch pushed the puck back-door to wide-open Ryan.

“I’m happy just to help out the team any way I can. But, to get a goal like that is just a bonus,” said the rookie Ryan. “Huge win for us tonight.”

Manchester, (21-3-1-0) atop the Atlantic Division, embarks on a four-game road trip to Norfolk, Philadelphia, Hershey and Wilkes-Barre. Springfield (7-16-2-1) is winless in five and at the bottom of the division. The Falcons are also winless in six straight trips to Manchester dating to last season.

League scoring leader Mike Cammalleri finished with a goal and assisted on two others for the Monarchs. Monarchs goalie Mathieu Garon made 30 saves in his 14th victory.

“You don’t like to be down two goals like that,” said Garon, “but we did a good job to come back . . . not a good start, but as long was we win we’re all happy.”

Yanick Lehoux tied it, 3-3, 8:55 into the second period. Lehoux was on the exclamation point end of quick passing by Cammalleri and Dustin Brown.

“Nothing new that I didn’t already know,” said Boudreau of Monarchs’ comeback after being down by two goals early. “They’re a great group of men. They compete and battle real hard and I would have expected nothing less than a comeback.”

Springfield held a 3-2 lead at the end of the first period — happy holidays from the Monarchs. The offensively challenged Falcons scored on a pair of gift-wrapped bunnies.

“Very uncharacteristic,” said Boudreau.

Monarchs defenseman Denis Grebeshkov blew a tire skating backwards in front of his own net. Falcon Jason Jaspers went top-shelf in a heart beat. And Falcons’ defenseman Nikos Tselios tossed a tumbler from the point past Garon for a 2-0 lead 9:12 into the game. Tom Kostopoulos snapped home Cammalleri’s little pass on the power play at 16:32. Then Springfield took advantage of another Monarchs turnover, this time defenseman Joe Rullier alongside Garon, as Shane Willis scored his team-leading 11th.

“Unlucky bounces,” said Rullier. “We know we can score. Patience. Just had to refocus.”

But Cammalleri made it 3-2 with 45 seconds left in the first period the result of dogged chasing behind Storr by Dustin Brown and Jeff Giuliano.

“Certainly disappointing,” said Springfield coach Dirk Graham. “(Monarchs) really thrive on their power play . . . special teams were the difference. They scored on their power play and we didn’t.”

The Monarchs were 1-for-4 on the man advantage and Springfield was 0-for-5.

Notes: One of the best defenses in the AHL just got better since the Monarchs have reportedly signed Jason Holland, a 28-year-old who played 52 games with the Kings last season. The 6-foot-3, 219-pound Holland, a former Monarch, is expected to join the team on the road. Holland had to negotiate his way out of a pro contract in Italy. Boudreau said he wouldn’t believe it until Holland was in uniform. . . . Monarchs have scored a power play goal in each of their last 12 home games. . . , Cammalleri has a six-game scoring streak. . . . How about defenseman Tim Gleason laying some haymakers on Springfield’s Andre Deveaux? And kudos to Boudreau for injecting “energy guy” Giuliano onto a scoring line of Cammalleri and Brown. . . . Former Monarch-turned-Falcon Derek Bekar was kept off the scoreboard. . . . Lowell Lock Monsters coach Tom Rowe and Norfolk Admirals coach Trent Yawney have been suspended indefinitely by the AHL after the two received gross misconduct penalties Saturday night in Virginia following a brawl at the end of the opening period. . . . The Monarchs host the Portland Pirates on Sunday, Dec. 26, the next home game.

12/11/04 Out-Hustled Out-Muscled, Monarchs Lose to Hartford 3 -2
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period...  2nd period... Cammalleri; Clarke; 3rd period...
Hauser in goal
click here for game details

12/12/04 Monarchs fall to Hartford, 3-2
Special to the Union Leader Sunday News

HARTFORD, Conn. — Right wing Ken Gernander scored the game-winning goal with less than four minutes remaining in regulation as the Hartford Wolf Pack edged the Manchester Monarchs, 3-2, before 3,804 fans at the Hartford Civic Center last night.

The Monarchs, winless in their last three games (0-2-1-0) after winning a team-record 13 straight contests, dropped to 20-3-1-0 on the season. With 41 points, they still lead the second-place Wolf Pack by six points in the American Hockey League’s Atlantic Division.

With the win, Hartford improved to 16-6-1-2 (35 points) on the season.

Hartford goaltender Jason LaBarbera earned the win in net for the Wolf Pack. He improved to 12-4-1 on the season with 21 saves. Manchester goaltender Adam Hauser (7-1-0) took the loss, his first of the season. He finished with 32 saves.

The teams combined for 106 penalty minutes, 40 penalties and 21 power plays. Manchester finished 2-for-10 on the power play. Hartford finished 1-for-11 on the power play.

Wolf Pack center Alexandre Giroux grabbed the first goal of the game on the power play at 18:37 of the opening period.

The Monarchs, aided by consecutive 5-on-3 power play advantages to open the second period, struck twice in 26 seconds to take the lead. Center Michael Cammalleri netted his league-leading 21st goal of the season on the power play at 2:59, and left wing Noah Clarke added his eighth goal of the season on the power play at 3:25. Defenseman Denis Grebeshkov assisted on both goals.

Hartford center Ryan Hollweg tied the game later in the period with his fourth goal, scored with a nifty backhander through the slot at 13:38.

Hollweg also had a hand in the next goal, scored by Gernander from the right circle with just 3:42 left.

 

12/12/04 Keeping it family-friendly: Monarchs crack down on profanity
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Sunday Sports Writer UNION LEADER

Monarchs fans be forewarned: You better behave in the city’s Verizon Wireless Arena. If you didn’t know it, cursing during Manchester Monarchs hockey games will bring a stern warning and could get you booted from the arena.

“It’s a topical discussion right now given what happened in Detroit (Indiana Pacers brawl with fans),” said Monarchs president Jeff Eisenberg.

The policy at Monarchs games is not new. It was instituted during the first season after feedback meetings between Eisenberg and season ticket holders.

“We made a decision that first year and we drew a line . . . One of our public address reads during the game is ‘inappropriate language will not be tolerated,’” said Eisenberg. “Generally security will warn them once.”

Cursing in the Big V is “not an epidemic,” according to Eisenberg.

“This is not widespread,” he said. “We nipped it in the bud in the first year. I don’t want to make this sound like we have a problem. What we’re trying to do is stay ahead of the curve and stay diligent.”

One popular chant, an insult of an opposing goalie after the home team scores, goes like this: “Sieve. Sieve. Sieve. You (expletive)!” Eisenberg won’t tolerate it.

“There’s some other rinks both pro and college where that chant is used,” Eisenberg said. “That is unacceptable to me . . . the language on the tagline of that cheer is absolutely unacceptable.”

Monarchs’ marketing research shows that more than 50 percent of their audience is families. At any given game, typically 20 percent of their spectators are 12 years old or younger.

“I do get a little emotional about it,” he said. “First of all I have kids. I get emotional because we have worked very hard from day one to make this a great place for the family and a great place for hockey fans.”

So policing inappropriate language in the Verizon is a balancing act.

“We just want a place where you can go and have fun. We don’t want to make it sterile,” said Eisenberg. “But, we are always working to find that line where people are comfortable bringing children . . . We’re not going to legislate it to the nth degree but the family environment is important to us.

“It’s a hockey game. We understand it is a hockey game. We don’t want to make it Romper Room,” he said. “Everyone should control their emotions and their temper. It’s not becoming of anybody to lose it. You can be emotional without crossing the line to something that’s inappropriate. We want emotional fans but we don’t want our fans to lose it.

“It takes attention to detail to protect what we’ve built,” said Eisenberg.

 

12/10/04 Monarchs Lose at Bridgeport 4 -2
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period...  2nd period... Kostopoulos;  3rd period... Gleason;
Garon in goal
click here for game details

12/11/2004    Monarchs fall at Bridgeport
Special to The Union Leader

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Right wing Rob Collins had two goals and one assist and goalie Wade Dubielewicz finished with 32 saves as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers topped the Manchester Monarchs, 4-2, last night at the Arena at Harbor Yard.

The loss snapped a franchise-record six-game winning streak on the road for the first place Monarchs (20-2-1-0, 41 points), who stayed eight points ahead of the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League's Atlantic Division.

Collins and right wing Eric Godard collected first period goals as the Sound Tigers built a two-goal lead. Collins gathered in a loose puck at the side of the Monarchs net and swatted it home at 7:58, and Godard hammered a puck off the cross bar and into the net at 18:39. Center Justin Papineau and defenseman Chris Campoli assisted on the Collins marker.

Forward Sean Bergenheim collected the only assist on Godard's second tally of the season. The Sound Tigers opened a three-goal second period lead thanks to Collins, who nailed down his eighth goal of the season and second goal of the game shorthanded at 9:07. Collins scored what turned out to be the game winner moments after he stole the puck at center ice.

The Monarchs used their league-leading power play to get on the board later in the period. Right wing Tom Kostopoulos made it a 3-1 game with his 11th goal, backhanded by Dubielewicz at 14:20. Forwards Michael Cammalleri and Yanick Lehoux assisted on the first goal in four games for Kostopoulos.

Cammalleri, who leads the AHL with 38 points, put Kostopoulos into scoring position with a nifty blue line feed. With his assist, Lehoux extended his league-best scoring streak to 13 games. The

Monarchs made it a one-goal game with the third goal of the season for defenseman Tim Gleason, who jammed a corner feed from Kostopoulos into the backside of the Bridgeport net at 10:26 of the third period. But with the Monarchs pressing for the equalizer and goaltender Mathieu Garon out of the net in favor of an extra attacker with less than a minute to play, center Kevin Colley iced the contest with his fifth goal of the season. Collins earned his third point of the night with an assist on the insurance goal. Papineau also assisted on the play.

Goaltender Mathieu Garon (13-3-0) took the loss for the Monarchs, only his third this season. He finished with 21 saves. The win for Dubielewicz (8-6-0) was his eighth on the year.

 

12/10/2004    Monarchs are a special group
By JIM FENNELL
Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

MANCHESTER - There is a reluctance among the Manchester Monarchs to talk about the amazing winning streak they put together to start the season.

They feel they have accomplished nothing, you see.

I will tell you differently.

While the Red Sox were on their way to capturing the World Series, the Monarchs were winning games. While the Patriots were riding their unbeaten streak, the Monarchs were winning games. While the Manchester Central High football team was about to take its fourth straight state title and the UNH football was in the process of making the Division I-AA playoffs for the first time in a decade, the Monarchs were winning games.

On Friday, Oct. 15, three days before the Red Sox began their miracle comeback against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, the Monarchs began the season by beating the Worcester IceCats in front of a sellout crowd of 9,916 at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

They won all seven of their games that month. Not bad. They started November by losing at Worcester, but were still 7-1.

On Saturday, Nov. 6, six days after the Patriots had their 21-game unbeaten streak ended by the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Monarchs beat the Albany River Rats at the Big V. They would not lose another game that month.

The Monarchs closed out November with 11 straight wins and started December with two more wins before Sunday's overtime loss to Hartford.

They won 13 straight games at one point and 20 of their first 21. But the most amazing thing about the streak wasn't winning five of six road games in one impressive stretch or winning five one-goal games in two weeks. It was the fact that they did all of this in relative anonymity.

Because of the media attention drawn by the likes of the Patriots, the Red Sox, Central football and UNH, the Monarchs seemed to take a back seat in their own state.

Attendance through 11 home dates was just slightly up from a year ago, when the Monarchs were winning 10 of their first 19 games, and the team's accomplishments have been overshadowed even within the American Hockey League because the Philadelphia Phantoms recently broke a league record by winning 17 straight games.

And you know what? That's just fine with the Monarchs.

Joe Rullier, one of only three players to be with the Monarchs during all four of their years in Manchester, said he and his teammates are not getting too full of themselves. They have not, as he puts it, become a bunch of fat cats.

But, just to be certain, Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau has his ways of making sure the boys keep working hard. Instead of a normal practice that would last just over an hour Wednesday, Boudreau kept the troops on the ice for close to two hours. Nothing like a little extra work to keep a team focused.

Work ethic, however, is just one of the factors that have made this team so good, so far.

They lead the American Hockey League in nearly every statistic, from offense to defense to plus/minus ratings, but their success goes beyond numbers.

The goaltending of Mathieu Garon and Adam Hauser is the overriding reason many players say they were able to win so many games early. As Boudreau says, you can't win in baseball without great pitching, in football without a great quarterback and in hockey without a great goaltender.

He thinks his team still gives up too many shots, but Garon and Hauser always seem to be there to clean up the mess.

The coach admits he wasn't sure what he had before the season and was even more confused after the Monarchs didn't win a game during the preseason. But all the questions Boudreau had are being answered quite nicely.

A young player like Dustin Brown came in with a big rep, but he was still only 19 and had just 31 games of professional hockey under his belt. Well, there's a reason he made the Los Angeles Kings last year and he's showing why by developing into one of the top forwards in the AHL.

Yanick Lehoux has been a star in waiting, but he has been nothing spectacular in his first two-plus season in Manchester. This year, he's leading the league in scoring.

Newcomers such as forward Tom Kostopoulos and Brad Smyth and defenseman Mike Weaver were known as solid veterans, but Boudreau says you never know what kind of leaders you have until they are actually in the locker room. What he says he found in his older players are the perfect people to set an example for a team that has 19 players 24 years or younger.

Hubie McDonough, the team's director of hockey operations, said another factor has been the NHL lockout. The Kings were hit hard by injuries the past two seasons and players were constantly being called up from Manchester, which makes it hard for a team to find a rhythm. That has not been a problem this season.

Boudreau said it is normal for players to show up to the rink 45 minutes before practice. He says he sees many guys on this team in the locker room two hours early and everyone is there at least an hour before they take the ice. Third-year forward Jeff Giuliano of Nashua said the camaraderie among the players reminds him of the year his Boston College team won the national championship.

And if the players know how to have fun together, they also know how to win. The roster is littered with players who have championships at the junior, college and professional levels. Winners, Boudreau says, know how to prepare to win.

Tonight, in Bridgeport, the Monarchs play for the first time since Sunday. If they play reasonably well for the rest of the season, the Monarchs could break the league record of 57 wins set by Binghamton during the 1992-93 season. But that is not what interests this team.

The Monarchs are intent on keeping their eyes on that big prize at the end of the season: The Calder Cup – which, until the NHL starts to play again, represents the championship of the world. And, considering they have not won a playoff series in their first three years of existence, thinking about winning the AHL championship is heady stuff.

But this is a young team that may only get better — Weaver isn't sure this team is anywhere near hitting its peak. They are talented, young and hungry for more. Considering what they have accomplished so far, it will be interesting to see what the Monarchs do for the rest of the season.

That could be something even the players will be talking about.

 

12/9/2004    Cammalleri lighting it up in the AHL
Canadian Press

Mike Cammalleri is losing money but, in another way, he's benefitting from the NHL lockout.

He's reasserting his status as a top scorer while playing for the Los Angeles Kings' AHL farm team in Manchester, N.H.

The 22-year-old centre from Richmond Hill, Ont., leads the league points race with 37, including 20 goals in 22 games. Teammate Yanick Lehoux is a point behind.

''I'm having a good time,'' Cammalleri said from the Connecticut-bound team bus Thursday. ''We've got a lot of good players and winning a lot of hockey games.''

Manchester is an AHL-best 20-1-1-0.

Cammalleri split the last two seasons between the Kings and the Monarchs. Last winter, he had nine goals in 31 NHL games and 20 goals in 41 AHL games.

There always is pressure to check and show two-way grit in the NHL. Sure, coach Andy Murray gave him chances to skate with scorers such as Ziggy Palffy. But it's not as if Cammalleri is a first-line fixture in Los Angeles.

With the Monarchs this season, the sparkplug known to teammates as Camel, is the go-to guy. He can concentrate on attacking. Not fretting about bouncing between the two leagues is welcome relief, too.

''It helps to be able to focus in on what you have to do,'' he says of being on one team all the time.

Monarchs head coach Bruce (Gabby) Boudreau, 49, who played 134 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, sees a lot of himself in Cammalleri.

Both are five-foot-nine.    ''I really like him as a player,'' says Boudreau. ''I can identify with him.

''He's not tall, he scores a lot of goals, and he has to prove himself all the time. That's exactly what I had to do. Maybe I just like little guys to succeed.

''He's very driven. He wants to be the best all the time. That's a tremendous trait. If you're up 6-1 or down 6-1, he wants to get the next goal.''

Cammalleri likes the rules alterations made by the AHL this season: tag-up offsides, no-touch icing, wider blue-lines, and designated space in the corners where goalies are not allowed to chase pucks.

''The thicker lines are nice,'' he said. ''They give you more leeway when you're making plays in the neutral zone, and that extra foot helps the defencemen get the puck up to the forwards.''

As for the painted lines keeping goalies from darting into the corners, the impact has been minimal, he says.

''The actual area they're allowed to enter (behind the nets) is usually where the puck winds up anyway,'' says Cammalleri. ''And unless you're a Marty Brodeur who goes out into the corners all the time, it's not going to change how you play much.''

But, overall, ''The rule changes have been good.''<

Eyes from NHL head office have been watching, and some of the changes could be implemented in the NHL when it resumes play.

Cammalleri, who spent three years at the University of Michigan, also would recommend that centre red lines, which were removed from U.S. college rinks, be abolished at the NHL level.   ''With no two-line passes, defencemen don't hesitate as much in moving the puck ahead,'' he said. ''You see faster transition and counterattacking.''

Also in the U.S. college ranks, obstruction is being removed from games this season. Michigan coach Red Berenson has said it's the biggest improvement that's been made in the college game in 20 years.

''That's what fans want to see,'' says Cammalleri. ''There used to be a lot more scoring. Games were more exciting.''

Cammalleri is doing his best to excite Monarchs fans.

 

12/09/04 Rullier isn't just a fighter
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports WriterUNION LEADER

THERE'S A LOT more to Joe Rullier than "Black Eye for the Bad Guy."

Certainly fists still do some of the talking for the 6-foot-4, 200-pound Rullier. The past three seasons, Rullier averaged about 10 fights a year. And this season's nose-shattering pace may see "Joey Knuckles" doubling that fight card.

"I want it so a guy on the other team says, 'Ah, (expletive) we're playing against him tonight,' " said Rullier. "When I'm on the ice and see a guy going after one of our best players it's my job to jump in there and say, 'Listen, you're not going to touch these guys as long as I'm on the ice.' I take pride in it. And I think my teammates appreciate it at the same time."

That's Gentleman Joe's off-ice PG translation.

"He'll take on the biggest guy or the smallest," said Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau. "But, Joe will take on a guy for a reason. He will protect his teammates. He's like the big brother to everybody. It's hard to get mad at him."

There's no hesitation when it comes to Rullier dropping his gloves. And if you hang around minor league hockey long enough — 219 games in Rullier's case — and have "loose gloves," you become a litmus test of toughness for every goon and thug wannabe.

"C'mon Joe, let's put on a show," asked Lowell's Bruno St. Jacques, who grew up playing hockey with Rullier in Montreal, at a recent game. Rullier said he was surprised the 6-foot-2, 204-pound established blueliner St. Jacques, who has played for both Carolina and Philadelphia in the NHL, would challenge Rullier's reputation. So, despite a broken nose Rullier gamely pounded his old friend into submission. No hard feelings.

Sure, Rullier can fight with the best of them, but the Monarchs all-time penalty minutes leader (2.6 minutes per game) can play, too. He happens to be the best 5-on-5 defenseman in the American Hockey League. His plus/minus is a league-best plus-22, meaning the Monarchs have scored 22 more goals than they have conceded while Rullier is on the ice.

"It's been a process," said Rullier. "I came as a young, immature man. Now I'm more mature, know what to expect. I've worked really hard with my coaches to be where I am now. Two years ago I was not the defensive player I am now.

"I came from (Quebec League) where we just scored goals and tried to be more creative than anything. You had time to skate it up ice. You don't have time in the AHL. It was a process for me to adjust.

"Before I would just play the game. Now I'm trying to understand the game. It's a huge difference. When you understand the game you always try to be at the right spot. I'm working on it, watching tapes. The game is structured and you need to learn where the puck is going to go," said Rullier.

"Amazing," said Boudreau of Rullier's improvement. "I thought he was pretty solid last year. He's a good 25 percent better."

"Of course when you come out of juniors, I'm saying I'm ready for the NHL," recalled Rullier. "Looking back now I see I was not even close to ready for the NHL. I didn't know enough about the game. I'm very lucky I didn't go to the NHL because it would have hurt me."

Rullier has never been called to the big show. But, it is all the little things he's mastering that will eventually land the 24-year-old, fifth-year pro in the National Hockey League. Rullier is on a one-year deal and at the end of this season he is an outright free agent. The way he is playing, a world of doors should open. The Los Angeles Kings, Manchester's parent club, would be crazy to let him go.

"He's a guy who has willed himself to get an opportunity to play in the NHL," Boudreau said. "He's going to get there somehow . . . I almost get emotional talking about Joe."

"It's my dream since I started playing hockey," said Rullier. "I'd like my parents (France and George) to see me in the NHL. It's been a lot of sacrifice. My mother driving me in the early mornings. My father paying for all the equipment. Now I don't even see my sisters (Marine, 14, and Chanel, 12) grow up. It's not only for me, but for them."

That's Joe Rullier. The consummate team player.

"Second to none," said Boudreau.

RULLIER FOR THE RECORD

EQUIPMENT: Graf skates, CCM sticks.

THE START: "Late bloomer" by Montreal standards. Started playing at 6.

FIRST SKATES: Bauer 1000s.

MR. RULLIER'S NEIGHBORHOOD: Best buddy Mike Ribiero, Montreal Canadiens center, grew up across the street and the big older kid, Jason Doig, Washington Capitals defenseman, lived two blocks up on the same street. "We had some sick games," said Rullier.

DID YOU KNOW? Joe was a child model with an impressive portfolio that included appearances in Montreal fashion magazines such as Elle Quebec. His mother, France, also was a model. "They don't want me now with all the scars on my face," he laughs.

OFF-ICE GAME: "NHLPA Hockey" video game. Loves kicking the (expletive) out of Czech roommate Petr Kanko. "So far I'm 7-0 in tournament play," said Rullier. "North American versus Euro. My best player is Martin St. Louis. He scores from everywhere. He has all the tools and he's French."

ALL-TIME DEFENSEMAN: Chris Chelios when he played for Montreal. "Hits hard. Nasty with the stick. A real warrior." Sounds familiar, Joe.

RIDE: Black BMW 330ci with gray leather. Just picked it up this week. "Fancy chrome rims on it."

STATUS: Single "and enjoying it!"

FAT CATS? Here's what Rullier had to stay this week about the Monarchs' franchise-record 13-game win streak ending.

"When you get used to winning every single game, you lose one it feels like the end of the world. But you go home and rest and you think about it. Two wins. One loss in OT. Five points out of six on the weekend. I would take that anytime.

"We came to practice this week and we said let's do it again. (Hartford) beat us on a lucky shot. They won't do it again.

"It's human nature. We had that feeling that we weren't going to lose ever again. The only thing we don't want to fall into is the fat cat thinking, that we're too good for everybody. Overconfidence, that's a problem. We aren't fat cats."

UPCOMING: The Monarchs' franchise-record streak of six straight road wins will be tested this weekend with games Friday at the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders), 7:35 p.m., and Saturday at the Hartford Wolf Pack (New York Rangers), 7:05 p.m. Sunday the Monarchs return home facing the Springfield Falcons (Tampa Bay Lightning) at 4:05 p.m. Saturday's game will be telecast on Fox Sports New England, which is picking it up from the Madison Square Garden Network.

INJURY REPORT: The release of D Adam Borzecki signals the return this weekend of D Doug Nolan from a knee injury. Borzecki returned to Reading of the ECHL . . . RW Brad Smyth is still weak from his weeklong bout with flu and will not play this weekend. Trainer Chris Kingsley identified it right away and Smyth has not been near his teammates since early last week . . . RW Greg Hogeboom is week-to-week and will not play this weekend after suffering a wrist injury against Hartford. For depth at forward the Monarchs called up LW Connor James, a 22-year-old rookie, from the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL. James played his college hockey at Denver . . . LW Ryan Flinn needs 4-6 weeks to recover after surgery on his Achilles tendon . . . RW Scott Barney is hoping to return in late January after abdominal surgery . . . Rullier's fighting a touch of the flu, but says he just needs some rest.

STREAKS ALIVE: Monarchs are unbeaten in regulation in 14 . . . C Yanick Lehoux has a 12-game scoring streak . . . C Mike Cammalleri has a three-game goal scoring streak . . . Both Lehoux and Cammalleri have scored or assisted in 20 of 22 games.

12/06/04 Wolf Pack end Monarchs streak
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

MANCHESTER — The undermanned Hartford Wolf Pack worked overtime ending the Monarchs' franchise-record 13-game win streak last night.

Jeff Hamilton, who burned the New York Islanders by signing during the lockout with the farm club of their archrival, the New York Rangers, cooked Manchester 1:01 into sudden death overtime to steal away with the 4-3 victory.

"When you lose one out of 21 you think you're going to win in regulation every game," said Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau.

Center Dwight Helminen, a rookie Michigan product up from the East Coast League, flew up right wing pushing a short pass to Hamilton in front when it was clear that Helminen was wrapped up at the top of the crease. Monarchs goalie Mathieu Garon made a butterfly pad save on Hamilton's first bid. The rebound went below the goal line and Hamilton, now on his backhand, chunked it back Garon's way.

That puck hit off Garon's backside, halting Manchester's (20-1-1-0) 10-game win streak in Verizon Wireless Arena.

Boudreau blamed the goal on defensive "miscommunication."

"We made a mistake at the wrong time and it cost us," he said.

"Doing what great goal scorers do," Boudreau said, "Jeff Hamilton, he stayed with it and instead of just going behind the net trying to make a play, he just threw it at the net."

Garon (13-2-0) labeled Hamilton's winner "a little lucky." Garon made 22 saves.

In the gritty regulation battle between the AHL's two best defensive teams, Hartford lost forward Blair Betts (shoulder) and Layne Ulmer (shoulder) to injury as well as rookie defenseman via UMass-Amherst Thomas Pock (ankle). Both teams were playing their third game in as many days.

"Nothing you can do about injuries," said Hartford coach Ryan McGill. "We didn't have a lot of guys left on the bench and for them to persevere like that, it gives us a lot of character."

Trailing 2-1 entering the third period, Hartford's Craig Weller, who moved to defense when Pock exited, and Jed Ortmeyer sandwiched goals around Peter Kanko's tally forcing the OT. All of those goals came in a 4:04 fire drill before the period was half over. Weller's was a screen shot from the right point. Ortmeyer struck off a faceoff in the Monarchs end and Kanko's centering pass was poked through the legs of Hartford goalie Jason LaBarbera (27 saves) past the diving Hamilton.

After the scoreless opening period, three goals were fired home during a 1:08 span late in the second. The Monarchs came out of the flurry leading 2-1, the sort of quick, unraveling of an opponent the 8,221 in the Big V have grown to expect of their Kings' kids.

With their trademark burglar alarm offense, the Monarchs cracked LaBarbera twice in 24 seconds before the second period's end. Mike Cammalleri tied it 1-1 on a power play with a back-door one-timed rocket of Yanick Lehoux's cross-ice feed. It was the first regulation goal the Wolf Pack had given up in 217 minutes and 58 seconds over four games.

And captain Chris Schmidt whipped home the go-ahead goal in nearly the same spot as Cammalleri off rookie Matt Ryan's heads-up pass with a minute left in the stanza. Hartford's Betts had opened the scoring at 17:52 on a shorthanded breakaway.

Notes: Lehoux extended his points streak to 12 games. . . . Cammalleri became the first player in the league to reach the 20-goal mark. . . . The game winner was Hamilton's third goal in his seven Wolf Pack games and all three have been game-winners. Hamilton is Yale's all-time points man. . . . Hartford's McGill benched forwards Jamie Lundmark and Jozef Balej for the second straight contest. Balej is the fourth-leading scorer and Lundmark, who played all last season with the Rangers, came back from Italy eight games ago. Lundmark was the ninth overall pick in the 1999 draft. . . RW Dan Welch was a healthy scratch. . . . National Anthems in the Big V continue to sparkle. Bedford's Muriel Sterling. Bravo! . . . More than 2,000 teddy bears were tossed on the ice.

Sun, December 5, 2004
Streak ends at 13 as Pack dethrone Monarchs
theahl.com news

12/05/04 Monarchs run win streak to 13
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

MANCHESTER — The last thing any opponent wanted to see in the Verizon Wireless Arena was a superhero dropping out of the rafters. As if these super Monarchs needed any free agent help!

Spider-Man dropped the ceremonial first puck and the Manchester Monarchs unceremoniously dropped the Providence Bruins, 2-0, before 9,661 last night.

Manchester (20-1-0-0) is on a league-best 13-game win streak and has won nine straight at home. Manchester, first-place in the Atlantic Division, hosts the second-place Hartford Wolf Pack today at 4:05 p.m.

Mike Cammalleri was in on both goals. Adam “Brick” Hauser (7-0) made 43 saves in his fourth shutout season and franchise-record 11th of his AHL career. It marked the most saves by a Manchester goalie this season.

“An experienced team shutout,” said Hauser. “Don’t get fooled by (shots). Instead of dumping it into the corner they’re firing it right on me.”

“You know why it’s a big shutout and rightfully so because a lot of people think of Matty Garon in net and he makes all these brilliant saves. I don’t think we get enough credit as a team or Adam getting enough credit ...He did a lot of great things tonight.”

The victory came despite the Bruins out-shooting the Monarchs, 31-18. Goalie Cody Rudkowsky, who played eight games this season with the Monarchs’ ECHL affiliate, Reading (Pa.) Royals and 46 games in Reading last season, earned his first AHL start of the year making 27 creditable saves. On this night, though, it would take more than a mere mortal to keep the AHL’s most invincible offense off the scoreboard.

It all started — and it all ended — when Baby Bruins’ agitator Brendan Walsh jumped Monarchs defenseman Joe Rullier late in the first period. Rullier, never one to back away from a fisticuff, never had a chance to drop his gloves. But, referee Justin St. Pierre dropped Walsh in the box sending Manchester on a four-minute power play. With 2:58 to go in the opening period the Monarchs went up 1-0 as Dustin Brown shoveled Mike Cammalleri’s doorstep weak-side rebound.

“(Monarchs) are a team that know how to bury it on the power play,” said Walsh. “Hats off to them.”

The Monarchs’ power play extended into the second period. Knock knock. Who’s there?

Mike Cammalleri.

Cammalleri who?

Cammalleri the AHL’s new scoring leader, who 15 seconds into the second period put Manchester up 2-0. Parked at the Bruins’ backdoor, Cammalleri instantly one-timed Yanick Lehoux’ cross-ice pass on the back-end of the decisive power play.

“Special teams are going to win and lose hockey games every night,” said Cammalleri.

No, you don’t tug on superman’s cape. Just ask Boston Bruins’ center Patrice Bergeron, who with two more points for the Baby Bruins will equal his 23 scored in 71 NHL games last season. The bright Bruins’ prospect was neutralized. Providence (9-10-2-2) has lost three in a row.

“(Monarchs) scoring is that good that even if you outplay them on the shot clock their power play is going to cash in,” said Bruins coach Scott Gordon. “Their three top lines can bury the puck. Bottomline we did what we have to do but the puck didn’t go in . . . it wasn’t from a lack of effort.”

“We’re satisfied to win any way we can,” added Boudreau.

NOTES: With 4:27 to go referee Justin St. Pierre put 10 players in the penalty box (yet another Manchester franchise record) during a muscle tussle where the Bruins’ pocket-goon Jay Henderson was threatening to take liberties with Yanick Lehoux. Somehow he Monarchs came out of the deal with a power play. . . . It was Hauser’s third career shutout versus the Bruins. . . . Boudreau tweaked the Monarchs’ offensive lines last night. Among some of the effective combos was rookie Petr Kanko with Tom Kostpoulos and Lehoux, Noah Clarke skating with Cammalleri and Brown, and captain Chris Schmidt back on O.

Lehoux has an 11-game scoring streak. Lehoux’ career high for goals in a season is 16 set in his rookie 2002-03 season. He has 15 goals this season. . . . Monarchs have scored first in 20 of their 21 games. . . . First home game this season the Monarchs have not scored four or more goals. . . . RW Dan Welch was a healthy scratch. . . . D Mike Weaver played last night after leaving Friday night’s game in Providence for seven stitches on a cut above his leg. . . . D Tim Gleason was hit three times by pucks in his upper body —- two to the shoulders and one to the face. No blood. Gleason did not miss a shift.

12/05/04 Monarchs not looking beyond one game
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Sunday Sports Staff Union Leader

MANCHESTER — If the Manchester Monarchs can escape this difficult weekend of three divisional games in three straight days, the countdown to professional ice hockey’s all-time record for consecutive victories will have neared liftoff.

Entering last night’s outing with the Providence Bruins in the Verizon Wireless Arena, the Monarchs had won 12 in a row, including nine at home and six on the road. Each of those superlatives stood as franchise records.

Already this season the Philadelphia Phantoms equaled professional hockey’s all-time win streak by reeling off 17 victories ending late last month. The Phantoms became holders of the AHL’s all-time win streak ( a 69-year-old league) and they tied the NHL streak. The Pittsburgh Penguins won 17 consecutive from March 9-April 10 in 1993. The Penguins did not, however, go on to capture the Stanley Cup. Instead, the Montreal Canadiens beat the Los Angeles Kings that season.

“What win streak?” asked Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau smiling before last night’s game. “We don’t look at that. Right now we just focus on tonight’s game and take it from there.”

Is this like mentioning a no-hitter with three innings to go? Or wrapping up a shutout early in the third period?

“I have,” said veteran Monarchs broadcaster Ken Cail, of talking streaks and shutouts on the air. “And they’ve always blown up in my face.”

“It’s never mentioned in the room, ‘hey we’ve won 11 in a row or 12,’ or whatever the number is. We just want to get through that night,” said Boudreau.

If all continues, next Sunday in Manchester against the Springfield Falcons (one of the worst teams in the AHL) the Monarchs might equal the all-time professional hockey record for victories.

“You’ve got to win tomorrow before you can start thinking about anything next weekend,” said the coach.

Indeed, the reality of this impressive streak is that it has taken nearly a month to build and could slip away in 60 minutes.

NOTES: Talking about a streak getting tested, going into last night the Monarchs had skated in five one-goal games in their last seven after not having a one-goal game in their first 13 outings . . . Brad Smyth missed his first game of the season Friday. Stricken with the flu, Smyth did not practice all week. He did not play last night and will not play today against his old team, the Hartford Wolf Pack at 4:05 p.m. . . . With fourth-leading scorer Smyth out, Boudreau did not shuffle his lines and instead inserted rookie Greg Hogeboom into Smyth’s right wing on the Monarchs’ second first line — 1 and 1A . . .The Monarchs are tied with today’s opponent, Hartford for the best goals-against average in the league, each allowing just 1.75 goals.

12/03/04 Monarchs Kept a Rollin !   Monarchs 3  Providence 2
Monarchs goals scored: 1st period... (2 short handed goals by --> Cammalleri and then 27 seconds later by Clarke;
2nd period... Lehoux;  3rd period...
Garon in goal
click here for game details

12/04/04  Monarchs extend their rule against Bruins
Special to The Union Leader

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Goaltender Mathieu Garon collected a season-high 41 saves and center Michael Cammalleri, left wing Noah Clarke and center Yanick Lehoux had goals as the Manchester Monarchs extended their franchise-record winning streak to 12 games with a 3-2 win over the Providence Bruins before 7,572 fans at the Dunkin' Donuts Center last night.

The win was the sixth straight on the road for the Monarchs, who improved to 19-1-0-0 (38 points) on the season and extended their lead in the American Hockey League's Atlantic Division standings to 11 points over the Hartford Wolf Pack (12-5-1-2, 27 points).

Garon earned his 13th win (13-1-0) with 15 saves in the final period. His best save came when he robbed center Keith Aucoin from point-blank range with less than 10 seconds remaining and the Bruins holding a 6-on-4 man-advantage.

The Monarchs outscored the Bruins in a first period that included two shorthanded goals and one power play goal, all in a span of 1:26.

Cammalleri opened the scoring with his league-leading 18th tally, scored on a breakaway at 10:04.

Clarke doubled the Monarchs lead just 27 seconds later with his seventh goal. Clarke, who now leads the Monarchs with two short-handed goals this season, scurried into the slot and then wired a shot over the left shoulder of Bruins goaltender Hannu Toivonen (25 shots, 22 saves). Defenseman Mike Weaver registered an assist on the shorthanded goal, scored at 10:31.

The Bruins scored on the same power play just 59 seconds later to make it a 2-1 contest. Milan Jurcina collected his third goal of the season with an assist from center Patrice Bergeron, who drew the puck back to the defenseman after a face-off in the Monarchs zone.

The Bruins tied the game 4:29 into the middle period with the third goal of the season for right wing David Gove, who jammed a pass from center Brad Boyes through the legs of Garon.

But the Monarchs regained the lead less than two minutes later with a power play goal from Lehoux, who pounced on a rebound and accurately deposited the puck into the top corner of the Providence net at 6:21. Cammalleri and defenseman Denis Grebeshkov helped Lehoux extend his scoring streak to 10 games (6 goals, 11 assists, 17 points) with assists on the play.

12/03/04  High-flying Monarchs face tough weekend tests
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

For the second of four straight weekends, the Manchester Monarchs play three games in three days. They now wear the 11-game win streak like a target.

All three games this weekend are against Atlantic Division foes. The division-leading Monarchs have a comfortable 10-point lead over second-place Hartford and a 14-point lead over Providence — their two weekend foes.

"Every one of these games is a battle," said Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau, "especially since they're all divisional games. "Every one is a war."

Tonight Manchester is at Providence at 7:05 p.m. for the first time this season. Tomorrow the Monarchs host Providence at 7:35 p.m. and Sunday the Monarchs host Hartford in their first meeting of the season at 4:05 p.m.

The good news? Two of three are at home where the Monarchs have a franchise-record nine-game win streak and average 8,825 partisan fans.

TOPPING THE CHARTS: The Monarchs are tied with Philadelphia for the league lead with 18 victories . . . Monarchs' 11-game win streak leads 'em all . . . .947 winning percentage . . . opponents held to 33 goals . . . Only a 1.74 goals against average . . . Scored 89 goals . . . Totaled 249 points . . . 26 power play goals . . . 27 percent power play success rate at home (shared with Providence) . . . Yanick Lehoux leading all scorers with 14 goals, 19 assists, 33 points . . . Michael Cammalleri with 17 goals and eight power play goals . . . Tom Kostopoulos with five game-winning goals . . . Joe Rullier's plus-21 plus/minus rating. No Monarch has a negative plus/minus . . . Goalie Mathieu Garon with a .945 save percentage and four shutouts.

INJURY REPORT: Left wing Ryan Flinn will miss 6-8 weeks after requiring surgery to repair an infected Achilles tendon. Team physician Dr. James Vailas performed the surgery at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester last Saturday. . . . Dr. David Mulder, chief surgeon for the Montreal Canadiens, performed the surgery repairing a tear in an external oblique muscle (abdomen) on Scott Barney. The 6-foot-4, 208-pound winger is hoping to return in February. . . . Rookie right wing Greg Hogeboom may return this weekend after a shoulder separation but he may only play in one game. . . . Defenseman Doug Nolan has been upgraded from "week-to-week" at the start of the week to "questionable" for this weekend. Nolan was awaiting the arrival of a customized knee brace. He's wearing it but also still wearing the yellow jersey — "no contact" — in practice.

Nolan's return deepens the team all around since captain Chris Schmidt could return to forward, but Boudreau's not ready to definitively say Schmidt will return to offense.

On the unsung Nolan, Boudreau said, "He was playing great before he got hurt. He's a big part of this team and he epitomizes the blue-collar player."

PROMOS: The fourth annual teddy bear toss will be held during the second intermission of Sunday's game against the Hartford Wolf Pack. Also the first 1,000 women (16 and over) entering Verizon Wireless Arena receive a free diamond courtesy of Bellman's Jewelers. Of those, 999 will be cubic zirconia and one will be a Ѕ-karat diamond valued at $2,500.

HOT TICKETS: Single seats in the lower bowl and 1,100 in the upper deck for tomorrow's 7:35 p.m. game with the Providence Bruins in the Queen City. . . . For Sunday's game against Hartford, there are also singles seats in the lower bowl and 2,100 upstairs. . . . There are fewer than 500 tickets remaining for the Feb. 13-14 AHL all-star skills competition and game in Manchester. All tickets can be purchased at Verizon Wireless Arena or Ticketmaster at 868-7300.

12/02/04  Center on fast track
By KEVIN PROVENCHER
Staff Sports Writer Union Leader

HE'S BEEN stoned by Eddie Belfour and he scored on Dominik Hasek.

And in the meantime, center Mike Cammalleri spends every minute in the American Hockey League proving he belongs in the Natonal Hockey League.

The 22-year-old is the "key" on the Manchester Monarchs power play. His eight power play goals lead the league. Ditto his 17 overall tallies.

On that lethal power play Cammalleri plays "the half wall."

"That's the position I played," said Monarchs coach Bruce Boudreau, "so I like to share ideas with Mike. But, I don't think I've really done a lot with him. It's all his own skill that has done it . . . He's very smart. Has great vision and knows what to do when he has the puck. A real hockey sense."

Cammalleri came to the Monarchs in 2002 after leaving Michigan a year early. He was a second-round draft pick (49th overall) in 2001 of the Los Angeles Kings. The 5-foot-9 playmaker and finisher was hotly pursued by the Kings. The club was convinced it was signing time when Cammalleri put up 61 points in his sophomore season for the Wolverines and followed that up with 43 points in a partial junior year that had him sidelined with mononucleosis. Michigan marched to consecutive Frozen Fours.

"I just thought it was time for me to go," said Cammalleri. "Time for me to move on. The Kings were pursuing me. But, I had three of the greatest years of my life at Michigan. It was awesome."

In his first 14 pro games, all in Manchester, he produced 14 points and was quickly summoned to Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2002. He made his NHL debut a day later in Ottawa, assisting on a goal. He scored his first NHL goal — a game-winner — in his fifth Kings outing at Edmonton. Sandwiched in there was a partial breakaway on the Leafs' Belfour in Toronto, where Cammalleri grew up nearby watching and dreaming. Belfour won that one.

Cammalleri played 26 of 28 games (scoring five goals, three assists for eight points) during his NHL callup, but in late December he sustained a concussion, silencing his rookie run. Last season, he played in 31 NHL games with the Kings scoring nine goals, six assists for 15 points. He had 20 goals, 19 assists for 39 points in 41 games with the Monarchs. This time, he overcame a knee injury and regained his scoring touch that had slumped for a time with the Kings.

"Obviously, L.A. is where I want to be and when I've been sent down I try to prove I shouldn't be here. I'm trying to work hard all the time just like everyone else to get back there," said Cammalleri.

"He is very driven," Boudreau said. "He wants to be the best. Other than limited success at the NHL level, everywhere he's been a star. Michigan or Junior B, or the Canadian World Juniors, he's always one of the best players. He's a driven kid who knows where he wants to end up and he will do what it takes to get there."

In an odd way, Cammalleri benefits from no NHL.

"Definitely in Mike's case," Boudreau said. "There's nothing else to think about. Should I be in the National League and worrying about what other people are doing? Instead he's proving he's as good as any scorer at this level. He's one of the most determined young men you're going to meet. And in this year of a lockout he wants to prove that he's one of the guys when this lockout ends who's going to be in the NHL.

Cammalleri's personal best 14-game points streak ended Sunday when Lowell Lock Monsters goalie Brent Krahn stopped his penalty shot with a good glove save at 6:45 left in the first period. One gets the feeling Cammalleri will just fire up another streak.

"We want (Cammalleri) to have the puck," said Boudreau. He draws people with him, he makes the plays. He's one of the main keys on the power play."

And if you're on the power play you score points. And points bring plane tickets to Los Angeles. They also bring victory as the Monarchs sit comfortably atop the Atlantic Division.

CAMMALLERI CLIPS

EQUIPMENT: Reebok sticks. Easton Synergy skates sharpened by Mike Holden only before games. "Holdie's the best."

KID STUFF: Dressed his little sister Melanie (four years younger) in goalie equipment when they were kids and fired shots at her. "She complained the whole time she was hot," he recalls. "I owe her."

WE DON'T KNOW: He finished high school in three years. Committed to Michigan at 15 and entered as a freshman after turning 16 in June of 1999. Smart? "Smart enough to get in," he says.

FAVORITE PLAYER: Wayne Gretzky.

PERSONAL BEST: Last year. "I had tons of friends and family at the game. I scored a goal in Detroit. We were down 2-0 and (the Red Wings) were taking it to us. With not many minutes left, I scored on (Dominik) Hasek. I was on the ice when we tied it up. Significant goal."

OFF-SEASON: Scratch golfer.

OFF-ICE GAME?: Texas hold'em poker. Recently made it to the final table in his third tournament.

RIDE: X-5 BMW SUV. Chrome Antera rims are stored for the winter.

FIRST TV IN THE A.M.: Weather channel. No chance he's Canadian, eh?

BEST READ: Stock market. "I Like it. Like to follow it. Don't have anything in it," he laughs.

STATUS: Single. Periscope up.

... THE STREAK: "18-1 is pretty surreal. I can't sit here and say I would have expected that," said coach Boudreau.

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