The AHL’s Manchester Monarchs have been the anti-Kings of late. While their parent club has stumbled through a 1-6-0 skid, the Monarchs have won four consecutive games and eight of their last nine games. The Monarchs swept their three weekend games by a combined score of 18-5.
Brayden Schenn has now completed his conditioning assignment with the Monarchs and will rejoin the Kings tomorrow (he won’t play against Anaheim). In seven games with the Monarchs, Schenn had three goal, four assists, a plus-3 rating, four penalty minutes and 14 shots on goal.
Today, the Monarchs beat Worcester 5-2 on the road. Andrei Loktionov was the game’s first star, with one goal and two assists, as the Monarchs scored three second-period goals to break a scoreless tie. They took a 4-0 lead two minutes into the third period. David Meckler had a goal, his team-high ninth of the season, as did Ray Kaunisto, Oscar Moller and Bud Holloway. Jake Muzzin and Corey Elkins each had two assists, and Schenn had one. Jeff Zatkoff stopped 31 of 33 shots.
On Saturday, the Monarchs beat Portland 6-1 at home. They scored four first-period goals for a 4-0 lead. Moller, with two goals, was the game’s first star. Elkins, Schenn, Justin Azevedo and Kaunisto also had goals. Loktionov had three assists, Marc-Andre Cliche had two assists and Kaunisto added an assist. Martin Jones stopped 34 of 35 shots.
On Friday, the Monarchs beat Albany 7-2 at home. Schenn was the first star, as he scored his first two professional goals and added an assist. Colten Teubert also scored his first AHL goal as the Monarchs build a 3-0 lead after the first period. Elkins had one goal and two assists, Meckler had one goal and one assist and Cliche and Patrick Mullen added goals. Moller had three assists while Loktionov and Muzzin each had two assists. Zatkoff stopped 34 of 36 shots.
Who’s hot? Jones, in part-time action (eight games) is second in the AHL in goals-against average (1.39) and save percentage (.954). Jones has a 5-1 record this season and has stopped 102 of his last 105 shots. Zatkoff has won five of his last six starts. Loktionov has one goal and seven assists in his last three games. Loktionov now leads the Monarchs in points (17) and assists (14). Moller has an eight-game point streak (four goals, six assists). Elkins has two goals and four assists in his last three games. Cliche has one goal and four assists in his last four games. Muzzin has five assists in his last three games.
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