Manchester Monarchs
WORCESTER, MA – Left wing Bud Holloway netted his fifth game-winning goal of the playoffs to lift the Manchester Monarchs over the Worcester Sharks, 3-2, in overtime at the DCU Center on Wednesday night to even the 2010 Calder Cup Atlantic Division Final series at 1-1 with game three returning to the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday night.
“(Holloway’s goal) was huge,” said Monarchs Head Coach Mark Morris following the victory. “Momentum wise, going back to our rink with a win under our belt, it feels pretty good. We leave here with a good thought in our head and so much of it is psychological and having the momentum. This was a huge win. Had we lost here, it would have been a hard climb. Right now, it gives us hope and those last couple of periods were real strong. I thought we carried the play.”
Holloway scored the game-winning goal at 4:29 of overtime to lift the Monarchs to a 4-3 win and even the series at 1-1. Defenseman David Kolomatis fed the puck to center Justin Azevedo in the neutral zone. Azevedo redirected the puck from the blueline along the left wing over to Holloway who was streaking into the Sharks zone along the right wing. Holloway carried the puck into the right face-off circle and snapped a shot that beat goaltender Alex Stalock on the short side for the game-winner.
Center Corey Elkins put the Monarchs on the board at 10:15 of the second period with a power play tally. Putting the pressure on Stalock, center Oscar Moller’s shot was saved but the rebound bounced free to Elkins in the bottom of the right face-off circle. Elkins blasted a one-timer to give the Monarchs a 1-0 lead. Defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov earned an assist on Elkins second goal of the playoffs.
The next two tallies came off the sticks of Sharks players. Left wing Brandon Mashinter evened the game at 1-1 with his first goal of the playoffs at 11:22 of the middle frame. Center Steven Zalewski picked up the short pass from defenseman Justin Braun just inside the Monarchs blueline at the right point. Zalewski found Mashinter streaking down the left wing and hit him with a pass at the left face-off circle. Mashinter snapped a wrist shot from the dot that beat Monarchs goaltender Jonathan Bernier on his blocker side to tie the game 1-1.
Defenseman Derek Joslin gave the Sharks their first and only lead of the game with a power play goal at 14:46 of the second period. At the left point, Joslin received the puck from his defensive partner, Zalewski, and wound up for a slap shot that traveled through traffic and trickled over the goal line as Bernier was able to only get a piece of it. Defenseman Danny Groulx assisted on the go-ahead goal.
Azevedo tied the game, 2-2, at 7:37 of the final period. Defenseman Alec Martinez kept the puck in at the left point and tossed a wrist shot toward the net that Azevedo redirected past Stalock on his glove side for his first goal of the playoffs. Holloway assisted on Azevedo’s tying goal.
Bernier (5-1) earned his fifth playoff victory by stopping 31-of-33 shots. Stalock (5-2) took his second loss of the playoffs with 28 saves.
Manchester went 1-for-3 on the power play. Worcester was also 1-for-3 with the man advantage.
NOTABLES: The Monarchs have pushed a playoff game into overtime 12 times in franchise history, winning five of those games…Left wing Bud Holloway’s goal and assist stretched his point streak to six games with five goals and two assists…Holloway has scored the game-winning goal (five) in every playoff game the Monarchs have won this season…Center Justin Azevedo’s first goal of the playoffs continued his playoff streak of at least a point in every game; he has a goal and six assists in six games.
The Monarchs bring the series back to Manchester with game three of the series on Friday, April 30 at the Verizon Wireless Arena at 7:30 p.m. Catch all of the play-by-play action of Monarchs hockey with Ken Cail on the Monarchs Radio Network WSMN 1590 AM and at www.manchestermonarchs.com.
