After dropping the first two games of their best-of-five series with the Springfield Falcons, Manchester picked up their first playoff win of 2013 and now prepares for a crucial Game 4 on Saturday night.
Here are some highlights from Game 3, including a goal by Kings prospect Nick Deslauriers…
Game report provided by the Monarchs, LA Kings’ AHL affiliate…
MANCHESTER, NH – Left wing David Meckler scored the game-winning goal and added an assist to force a Game Four as the Manchester Monarchs fended off elimination with a victory over the Springfield Falcons, 2-1, in Game 3 of the best-of-five 2013 Calder Cup Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Verizon Wireless Arena on Thursday night.
“Martin Jones was stellar tonight, he was really good in the second period,” said Monarchs Head Coach Mark Morris. “I thought we had a couple breakdowns in the second and Martin was Johnny on the spot and he stood tall for us. For the most part we had all lines contributing and we moved the puck fairly well. Our power play was good and I thought that was probably our bright spot. We had a lot of net traffic and shots got through at the blue line. Our execution on the special teams was pretty good.”
Meckler scored the game winning goal for the Monarchs on the power play at 15:30 of the second period. Right wing Brandon Kozun fed the puck to center Jordan Weal at the center point. Weal carried the puck toward the right and gained a shooting angle before wristing a shot through traffic. Weal’s shot deflected off a Falcons defender’s stick and in front of the net where Meckler grabbed it and lifted the puck over the left leg pad of Falcons netminder Curtis McElhinney for his first goal of the post-season.
Monarchs defenseman Nick Deslauriers opened up the scoring with a power play goal at 4:49 into the first period. Meckler passed the puck from the right wing corner up to left wing Colton Yellow Horn on the right wing half wall. Yellow Horn played the puck to Deslauriers on the right wing point, who shook away the coverage and freed himself to the center point where he let go a wrist shot that found its way through traffic for his second goal of the playoffs.
Springfield tied the game at 1-1 with a power play goal from defenseman David Savard at 8:43 of the first period. Defenseman Blake Parlett fed Nick Drazenovic at the right point. Drazenovic fed Savard for a one-timer that beat goaltender Martin Jones over the shoulder stick side.
Jones (1-2) earned his first of the playoffs making 32 saves on 34 shots. McElhinney (2-1) took his first loss of the post-season stopping 26-of-28 shots faced in regulation.
Manchester went 2-for-4 on the power play. Springfield went 1-for-6 with the man advantage
Notables: The Monarchs are 9-7 in Game 3’s all-time…The Monarchs are 1-10 all-time in elimination games…Monarchs defenseman Nick Deslauriers has a three-game playoff point streak with two goals and an assist in three games this post-season…Left wing David Meckler tallied a goal and an assist…Meckler’s goal was his fifth career playoff goal for the Monarchs moving him into a tie for 10th place on the franchise’s all-time list.
RELATED CONTENT: Deslauriers on MayorsManor Radio, April 2013
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Woohoo go Monarchs! And since today is apparently Star Wars day, I hope they’re lucky and I hope the Kings are lucky