Below is a full recap, including video highlights, of Friday night’s 2-1 win by the Manchester Monarchs – their fifth consecutive victory. First though, a few quick notes:
– Tyler Toffoli left Los Angeles early Friday morning, reformed the ‘White Line’ with his AHL teammates, and looked like he had never missed a beat, assisting on the first goal of the game (scored by Tanner Pearson). Linden Vey later scored the game-winning goal. So, why do they call Pearson-Vey-Toffoli the ‘White Line’, you ask? Click here for a full explanation.
– Colton Yellow Horn also returned to the line-up, after missing the team’s last game following a collision with the end boards that required some stitches.
– With their win, Manchester is now tied with three other teams (the Norfolk Admirals, Hershey Bears and Connecticut Whale) for the final two playoff spots. For those unfamiliar, here’s a high level look at the AHL tie-breaker rules:
Between two teams:
a) wins (excluding shootouts)
b) points in season series between teams
c) goal differential
d) goals scored in season series between teams
e) intra-conference points percentage
Among three or more teams:
a) wins (excluding shootouts)
b) points percentage in combined season series
c) goal differential
d) goal differential in combined season series
e) intra-conference points percentage
Now on to the game…
Game report provided by the Monarchs, LA Kings’ AHL affiliate…
BINGHAMTON, NY – The Manchester Monarchs moved into a tie for a Calder Cup Playoff position in the Eastern Conference with a 2-1 victory over the Binghamton Senators at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena on Friday night.
Manchester (36-31-3-4) is in third place in the Atlantic Division with 79 points. Binghamton (42-24-1-7) is in second place in the East Division with 92 points.
“We kept plugging away and withstood big pressure from a real solid team, ” said Monarchs Head Coach Mark Morris. “Martin Jones came up big when we needed him. The penalty kill was very good and the (Tanner) Pearson, (Linden) Vey and (Tyler) Toffoli line provided the scoring. All four lines contributed. We had a balanced effort with good focus and a high compete level. Binghamton is a tough place to win so we are happy to come away with two points.
Monarchs center Linden Vey gave the Monarchs 2-1 lead with a goal just 26 seconds into the third period. Vey intercepted a pass near the left wing half wall as the Senators attempted to break the puck out of their own zone. Vey circled around the top of the zone and attacked the Senators net from the right wing. Vey waited until he got to the top of the right wing face-off circle before firing a shot midway up on the glove side of Senators netminder Marc Cheverie for the eventual game-winning goal and his 22nd goal of the season.
Binghamton opened the scoring at 4:06 of the first period with a goal by center Pat Cannone. A Monarchs defenseman won a puck battle in the right wing corner. As the defenseman skated out of the corner toward the Monarchs net, he fed a pass that deflected off the skate of left wing Shane Prince and into the slot. Cannone literally dove on the loose puck as he took a wrist shot, lifting the puck over the shoulder of Monarchs goaltender Martin Jones for his 10th goal of the season.
Left wing Tanner Pearson tied the game at 1-1 for the Monarchs at 7:44 of the first period. Right wing Tyler Toffoli chipped the puck into the right wing corner. Pearson passed the puck out of the corner to Vey at the bottom of the right wing face-off circle. Vey fed a back hand pass to Pearson inside the right wing face-off circle where Pearson wristed a shot over the shoulder of Senators netminder Nathan Lawson for his 16th goal of the season.
Cheverie relieved Lawson during the second period after Lawson left with an apparent injury.
Jones (26-25-4) earned his 26th victory of the season making 37 saves on 38 shots. Lawson (12-6-2) started the game denying 16-of-17 shots faced. Cheverie (4-6-1) took his sixth loss of the season stopping 11-of-12 shots faced in relief of Lawson.
Manchester went 0-for-1 on the power play. Binghamton went 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
Notables: Monarchs defenseman Bryan Rodney and left wing Anthony Stewart returned to the Monarchs line-up after recovering from their injuries…Monarchs center Linden Vey is on a four-game point streak (2-4=6).
The Monarchs continue their road trip when they travel to play the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday, then end the regular season on Sunday with a game in Hershey.
To see where Pearson, Toffoli and Vey were slotted in the most recent edition of the Kings Top 10 Prospect Rankings, click here.
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