Monarchs Down Thunder, 4-2

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Manchester takes 2-0 lead in best-of-seven series

leits


MANCHESTER, NH – Two goals from Matt Leitner propelled the Manchester Monarchs past the Adirondack Thunder, 4-2, on Saturday night at SNHU Arena.

The Monarchs (2-0) will now head to Adirondack to face the Thunder (0-2) for five-consecutive games to complete the playoff series.

“I liked the way we played tonight, especially in the third period,” Monarchs Head Coach, Rich Seeley, said. “Our special teams were the key to the game, and although we gave one up (on a 5-on-3), getting two on the power play was the turning point of the game.”

The Thunder opened the scoring on a power-play goal from Alex Wall at 11:13 of the first period. With Adirondack on a 5-on-3 power play, Stepan Falkovsky set Wall up from the right-wing circle, where he sent a slap shot past the stick of Monarchs goaltender, Sam Brittain, to put the Thunder up, 1-0.

Leitner tied the game for the Monarchs at 16:18 of the first period when he scored his 1st goal of the playoffs. After a give-and-go passing play with Quentin Shore, Leitner crashed the net where Shore hit him with the puck. Thunder goaltender, J.P. Anderson, made the initial save on a Leitner bid, but the Monarchs forward stuffed the puck through the Adirondack netminder to tie the score, 1-1.

The Thunder took the lead back at 2:10 of the second period on Wall’s 2nd goal of the night. Cullen Bradshaw skated into the left-wing circle and found Wall on the goal line to Brittain’s left. Wall sent a shot on net that bounced off Brittain’s skate and into the net to give Adirondack a 2-1 lead.

The Monarchs bounced back to tie the game when Shore scored a power-play goal at 16:39 of the second period. David Kolomatis found Shore at the top of the left circle where he fired a wrister past Anderson for his 2nd goal of the post-season. 

Ashton Rome gave the Monarchs their first lead of the game at 4:58 of the third period when he scored his 1st goal of the playoffs while on the power play. After a scramble in the crease, Leitner found Rome in the slot for a one-timer past Anderson’s glove to put the Monarchs up, 3-2.

The Monarchs put the game on ice on an empty-net goal from Leitner at 19:05 of the third period. Craig Wyszomirski found Leitner from behind his own net, and from the Monarchs zone, Leitner scored while short-handed for his 2nd tally of the night.

The Monarchs will play Game 3 of the North Division Semifinals against the Adirondack Thunder on Tuesday, Apr. 18 (7 p.m.), when the series shifts to the Glens Falls Civic Center.


Notes

  • Quentin Shore now has five points (2g, 3a) in the series
  • Matt Leitner recorded three points (2g, 1a)
  • Tony Turgeon received a game misconduct at 9:40 of the first period
  • The Monarchs were held to four shots in the opening period

About this Author

Carol Robidoux

PublisherManchester Ink Link

Longtime NH journalist and publisher of ManchesterInkLink.com. Loves R&B, German beer, and the Queen City!