READING, PA – The Manchester Monarchs received goals from five different players en route to a 5-2 victory over the Reading Royals on Friday night from Santander Arena.
The Monarchs (32-14-1-4) have taken the first two games of the three-game series against the Royals (24-20-5-3), with the rubber game coming from Manchester tomorrow night.
The Monarchs got the scoring started when Danick Paquette potted his 9th goal of the season at 10:48 of the first period. Paquette took a cross-ice pass from Matt Leitner in the right face-off circle and wristed home his 3rd goal in two nights past Royals goaltender, Connor Knapp.
Reading tied things up late in the first period when Ian Watters netted his 5th goal of the season with :19 seconds remaining in the period. After a save by Monarchs goaltender Doug Carr was kicked out to the left face-off circle, Watters found the puck on his stick and sent a one-timer into the open net to tie the game at 1-1
Gasper Kopitar put the Monarchs back on top, scoring his 7th goal of the season at 10:09 of the second period. Kopitar took a slick pass from Yann Sauvé in the slot that he kicked to his stick and backhanded past Knapp, high glove, for the 2-1 Manchester lead.
Steven Hodges got into the goal column when he scored his 1st of the season at 17:02 of the period. Hodges brought the puck into the zone on the left boards, skated towards the slot, and sent a backhander high over the glove of Knapp, to put the Monarchs up, 3-1
The Monarchs added to their lead :53 seconds into the third period, when Leitner potted his 11th goal of the season. Alex Guptill got the play started by driving hard to the net, sending a shot off of Knapp that Leitner found and sent home for a 4-1 Monarchs lead.
Reading showed some life when Nikita Kashirsky scored his 8th goal of the year at 3:18 of the period. While on the power play, Kashirsky found a loose puck to the right of Carr, and tapped the puck into the open cage to bring Reading to within two, but that is as close as they would come.
Joey Diamond ended the Monarchs scoring, notching his 10th goal of the season at 7:26. Diamond carried the puck into the zone on the right boards and sent a wrister from the top of the face-off circle that beat Knapp high blocker.
The Monarchs are back on the ice Saturday, Feb. 20 (7 p.m.) when they face the Royals in the rubber game of a three-game series at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Youth Hockey Night. The first 4,000 fans in attendance will receive a Monarchs “Jersey” rally towel, and one lucky youth hockey player will get the chance for a post-game meet and greet and locker room tour with their favorite Monarchs player.
Notes
- Maxim Kitsyn extended his point streak to 10 games with an assist on Diamond’s goal (5g, 6a)
- Doug Carr earned the victory after being return from loan by the Ontario Reign (AHL)
- Gasper Kopitar (1g, 1a), Matt Leitner (1g, 1a) and Danick Paquette (1g, 1a) scored two points
- Matt Leitner now has six points in his last three games (1g, 5a)
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