Pirates overthrow Monarchs

Luke Adam scored the game-winning-goal with 31 seconds remaining in the extra overtime period to lead the Portland Pirates to a 6-5 victory over the Manchester Monarchs in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 3,565 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Adam and Paul Byron each totaled two goals for the night, and Colin Stuart and Derek Whitmore added a single tally of their own as the Pirates won their second straight and improved their record to 46-23-6-2 overall. With the overtime victory, Portland is one point away from clinching their first division title since 2007-08.

Viatcheslav Voynov, John Zeiler, David Kolomatis, Patrick Mullen and Bud Holloway each scored for Manchester as they dropped to 43-25-4-6 on the season.

The two teams traded goals in the first period, with Byron netting a power-play goal at 8:42 to give the hosts a lead that was cancelled out by a Voynov shot from the point with just under three minutes remaining. Manchester got off to a hot start in the second period, as Zeiler tallied his eighth of the season only 58 seconds into the period and Kolomatis boosted the lead to two with his eighth of the year at 4:09. Three minutes after Kolomatis’ goal, Byron scored his second power-play goal of the game to cut the lead to one. Manchester and Portland would continue to alternate goals as Mullen found the back of the net at the 11:46 mark and Stuart netting another Pirates power-play goal nearly two minutes later. The Pirates continued their surge with an explosive sequence seven minutes into the third period as Adam registered Portland’s fourth power-play goal of the game followed by a Whitmore strike only 12 seconds later to give the hosts their first lead since the first period. Holloway ended the streak with a power-play goal of his own at the 14:58 mark to send the game to overtime, where Adam ended up sealing the game for Portland.

The Pirates outshot the Monarchs 35-32, and Jeff Jakaitis earned the victory for Portland, raising his record to 5-3-0. Jeff Zatkoff received the loss in net for Manchester as his overall record dropped to 20-16-5.

The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were all from Portland: 1. Adam, 2. Byron and 3. Dennis Persson (three assists).

--PIRATES--

Monarchs crown Pirates

David Kolomatis, Bud Holloway, Justin Azevedo, Justin Johnson and David Meckler each scored to lead the Manchester Monarchs to a 5-2 win over the Portland Pirates in an American Hockey League game played tonight in front of 9,127 at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

The win moved the Monarchs (43-25-3-6) to within one point of the Pirates (44-22-6-2) for first place in the Atlantic Division. Portland still holds three games in hands.

Luke Adam and Derek Whitmore scored for the Pirates.

Adam opened the scoring with a power-play strike six-and-a-half minutes into the game but the Monarchs would connect twice in the final five minutes of the first period, on goals by Kolomatis and Holloway (on the power play), to carry a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. The Monarchs carried the momentum into the second building a 4-1 lead before the midway point of the period on goals by Azevedo (on the power play) and Johnson. The Pirates got one back only 49 seconds after the Johnson goal as Whitmore brought the visitors back to within two heading into the third. Meckler hit the open net with under five seconds left in regulation to complete the scoring.

The Monarchs out-shot the Pirates 40-25 in the game.

David Leggio started for the Pirates and turned aside 20 of the 24 shots he faced before being replace by Jeff Jakaitis midway through the second period with the Monarchs leading 4-1. Jakaitis turned aside all 16 shots he faced.

The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the Game were all from the Monarchs. Azevedo was the firs, Holloway the second and Kolomatis the third.

The Pirates continue a three-game road trip tomorrow (Sunday) in Hartford against the Connecticut Whale in a 3 p.m. start. The game can be heard live on 95.5 News Talk WLOB and on line at portlandpirates.com beginning with the pre-game show at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday the Pirates are in Worcester to face the Sharks in a 7 p.m. start.

Pirates crowned by Monarchs

ake Muzzin registered a goal and an assist and Jordan Nolan scored the game-winner as the Manchester Monarchs defeated the Portland Pirates 4-2 in an American Hockey League game played today in front 5,487 at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Zeiler and Holloway also notched goals for Manchester as their record improved to 40-21-2-6 and moved back into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division.

Luke Adam and Marc-Andre Gragnani tallied goals for Portland as their season long six-game winning streak came to an end. With his goal in the first period, Gragnani set a new Portland franchise record for points by a defenseman in a single season with his 54th, topping Brian Salcido’s mark set during the 2007-08 season. The Pirates record fell to 40-18-5-2 and on the season.

Portland quickly earned a two-goal advantage before the first period was halfway through, as Adam scored unassisted at 5:41 and Gragnani followed with a power-play goal four minutes later. Manchester rounded out the scoring in the opening frame, cutting the deficit in half on Muzzin’s third goal of the season. Zeiler tied the game at two with the only goal of the second period at 11:26, as the Monarchs outshot the Pirates 13-3 in the period. The Monarchs continued their surge late in the third period, led by Nolan’s fifth goal of the season at the 14:22 mark and Holloway sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with 42 seconds remaining.

The Monarchs out-shot the Pirates 38-28 as Manchester goaltender Jeff Zatkoff improved his record to 17-12-5. Portland netminder David Leggio lost for the first time in his past 10 decisions as his overall record dropped to 19-5-0.

The Allied Home Mortgage Three Stars of the game were: 1. Nolan, 2. Adam and 3. Muzzin.

Portland hits the road for three games in the upcoming weekend facing the Binghamton Senators, Hershey Bears, and Providence Bruins. On Friday (March 18), the game can be heard live from the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton as the Pirates face the Senators in a 7:05 p.m. start. The next night (Saturday, March 19), Portland will be in Hershey, PA taking on the Bears in a 7 p.m. faceoff, and the weekend wraps up in Providence on Sunday (March 20) for a 4:05 p.m. game. All Pirates road games can be heard live on News Talk 95.5 WLOB and on-line at portlandpirates.com beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. in Binghamton and Hershey, and 3:45 p.m. in Providence.

The Pirates will return to the Civic Center on Tuesday, March 22nd where they will be hosting their second annual School Day Game, presented by Irving Oil and Modern Woodmen of America. The Worcester Sharks come to town for a special 11 a.m. start.

Pirates take down Monarchs in long Shootout

Derek Whitmore finds the back of the net in the 9th round of Shootout for the win.
Photo Jeff Schools

POST GAME AUDIO AND PHOTO GALLERY BELOW
On a night when the Pirates orginatztion tried to get folks in for an early start time (6:30 PM), the team on the ice didn't co-operate, going 9 rounds deep in a shootout with Manchester before Derek Whitmore put home the game winner. Whitmore sent the early arriving crowd home happy with the 3 - 2 win.

Coach Kevin Dineen said "it was a fun way to finish it..but I was running out of bodies." Dineen said "it may have been the longest one I have been part of since I've been here."

Pirates forward Derek Whimore said he ended a long run of futility with the shootout winner. "I was 0 - 5 in my pro career, so it was nice to get the first one"

This was a typical physical Manchester/Portland tilt right from the start. Defense was the name early and all the way through as both sides eliminated rebounds and didn't allow for many quality chances.

The Pirates decided to start David Leggio in net, for his 1st AHL start. Dineen said "Tough job he had..I made the decision today, so he didn't have that day in advance, but boy he put a heck of an effort in for us." Leggio said the pressure of a shootout didn't bother him "I regained my focus, it's on me to make the save(s)"

The Monarchs broke the scoring drought at the 15:32 mark of the 2nd, as Dwight Kings poked one past Leggio for the Monarchs 1 - 0 lead.

The Pirates got on the board in a way they hadn't all season, on the power play. The team mired in a 0 - 32

Portland Pirates Top Manchester Monarchs in Opener 6-5

LUKE ADAM SCORES HIS 1ST AHL GOAL TO TIE AT 4 - 4 (PHOTO JEFF SCHOOLS)

Well if this is the way the 2010-2011 season will go for the Portland Pirates vs the Manchester Monarch, the season is going to be a doozy.

Derek Whitmore scored two goals and Luke Adam scored his 1st two AHL goals and  and added two assists to beat the Manchester Monarchs 6-5 Satuday in front of 4,631 at the Cumberland County Civic Center Saturday Night.

Whitmore opened the scoring just 5:15 into the contest on a nice rebound off Luke Adam. Adam scored his 1st AHL point on the play.

Manchester answered 5 minutes later when Monarchs winger Richard Clune beat a sprawled Pirates goalie Jhonas Enroth to even things up at 1.

#Pirates Fall in final tune-up with #Monarchs

David Meckler scored a goal and an assist to lead the Manchester Monarchs to a 5-2 win over the Portland Pirates in an American Hockey League pre-season game played tonight at the Conway Arena in Nashua, NH.

Bud Holloway, Justin Azevedo, Thomas Hickey and Corey Elkins also scored for the Monarchs while Andrew Campbell collected two assists.

Luke Adam and Mark Mancari replied for the Pirates.

Manchester jumped out quickly and posted a 2-0 advantage at the end of one on goals by Meckler and Holloway. They added to the advantage with three goals in the opening half of the second period (Hickey, Azevedo and Elkins did the damage) to up the count to 5-0 after two. Adam and Mancari, on the power play, got the Pirates on the board in the third to complete the scoring.