Live Blog: Manchester vs Utica, Game 2

Manchester Monarchs 2, Utica Comets 1
Overtime – Final

SOG: MCH – 39; UTI – 25
PP: MCH – 1/5; UTI – 0/4

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OVERTIME
20:00 – Roaring.
18:01 – Penalty over. Some good pressure late on the power play.
17:30 – Crescenzi drives wide for a partial break, but has the puck poked off his stick by Markstrom in front of the net.
15:50 – Mersch yells across the ice at referee T.J. Luxmore, who decided not to call what appeared to be a blatant hold. Questionable officiating tonight on both sides.
14:24 – GOAL MANCHESTER. 2-1. Nic Dowd ends it in OT by putting back his own rebound. Game.

#LAKings 2012 SCF: Win Game 1, Game 2 in OT. 2014 SCF: Win Game 1, Game 2 in OT. (2OT in G2) #Monarchs 2015 CCF: Win Game 1, Game 2 in OT.

— Jon Rosen (@lakingsinsider) June 8, 2015

THIRD PERIOD
20:00 – And we’re off.
18:29 – O’Brien hustles on the forecheck to create a turnover, and Shore, from the high slot, has his wristshot stopped by Markstrom.
16:25 – Weal nearly fed a wide-open, net-bound O’Neill on a three-on-two rush, but Markstrom deflected the pass away from harm.
14:20 – Biega cross-checks Van der Gulik. He’ll sit.
12:20 – Nothing going. Some good set-ups – and good plays by Weal, Bodnarchuk and Dowd to keep the puck in the zone – but no quality chances. Power play ends with no shots on goal.
12:10 – Deflection by either Kempe or Shore sails just wide. O’Brien nearly stuffs in a loose puck at the near post.
7:45 – Monarchs are getting their legs and beginning to generate some B-type looks. Backman’s backhander sailed wide of Markstrom’s glove, and a saucered centering feed to O’Brien slipped over his stick.
4:30 – Heavy pressure by the Weal line. Good tie-up by Biega to deny a put-back attempt by O’Neill. Heavy pressure, but Markstrom didn’t face any A-type shots. Good cycle.
2:45 – O’Brien blocks a shot with his skate and is in some pain. He still manages to deny a shot attempt from the left circle before skating to the bench.
2:25 – Mersch protects the puck well before feeding O’Neill, whose B-plus-type attempt was gloved by Markstrom. Monarchs finding their legs.
0:01 – Monarchs get a gift. After a faceoff with five seconds remaining, Andersson lifts a puck over the glass for a delay of game call. There was a forechecker, but away from the net and without any real pressure. 1:59 of Manchester power play time coming.
0:00 – Period over.

SECOND PERIOD
18:48 – GOAL UTICA. 1-1. After a turnover, Nicklas Jensen snaps the puck high-glove past Berube. Unassisted.
18:25 – Berube sprawls to deny Gaunce’s attempt on a B-plus-type chance. Perhaps his best save tonight.
13:38 – Manchester not getting as many bodies, pucks to the net here in the second. Not a ton of space on either side. Bit of a neutral zone battle here.
12:40 – After Shore tied up a Comets defender along the boards, O’Brien plucked a loose puck and attempted a stickhandling move around Markstrom, but his attempt trickled wide (and may have gotten a piece of Markstrom). O’Brien has been very good.
12:04 – Van der Gulik clips Clendening with a high stick and will sit for two. They jaw as DVDG heads to the box.
10:19 – Backman hook. Questionable call. Crowd disputes it. 16 seconds of a 5-on-3. Shore out for the draw (the Comets win it but can’t score on the 5-on-3).
9:28 – Conacher one-timer stopped by Berube, but the rebound skips into the air. He jumps and catches it. 1:09 remains on the power play.
8:19 – Monarchs kill off both ends of the 5-on-3. Crowd doesn’t like the non-call as Mersch is taken down when driving to the net.
5:50 – Big hit by Jake Virtanen on Forbort. The 18-year-old has been a steady physical presence this series.
4:04 – Weal, Clendening whistled for roughing. Appears Weal has an equipment issue, so he heads to the room and O’Brien serves the penalty. Weal had been banging on the glass and trying to alert the officials; it may be a skate issue.
3:45 – Weal replaces O’Brien in the box. Probably a skate issue.
3:33 – Conacher offensive zone trip. Four-on-three Manchester power play. O’Neill, Miller, Shore, Mersch.
1:33 – Some good puck movement and some Miller high heat, but no strikes on the power play.
0:00 – Period over.

FIRST PERIOD
20:00 – Let’s do this, Manchester.
18:35 – Heavy Utica zone time.
16:00 – Good Berube left pad save on a point blank Utica chance.
13:55 – Nice Colin Miller-Jordan Weal give-and-go on a two-on two. Weal flutters a puck towards the front of the crease, and Miller deflects it wide.
12:55 – Good Backman-Dowd-Van der Gulik shift. Lots of offensive zone time, good cycle.
11:10 – Back-to-back big hits by Auger and Shore.
9:26 – Kevin Raine, in the lineup for an injured Jeff Schultz, gets whistled for roughing along with Cory Conacher. Good job by Raine to take one of Utica’s top offensive threats out. That’s important, because…
8:49 – Brian O’Neill whistled for holding.
6:49 – Monarchs kill off the minor. No Grade-A or B-plus chances.
6:25 – O’Neill back in the box for a hits after the whistle on Conacher. Cross-checking.
5:34 – Power play kaput. High sticking on Alexandre Grenier. Four-on-four for 1:10.
4:18 – Mersch narrowly misses a tap-in off a Bodnarchuk feed. Trickles wide.
3:34 – Manchester power play over. Probably twice as many chances on the Monarchs’ 50 seconds of power play time as the Comets had in 3:10 with the man advantage. O’Neill also generated a good look.
2:41 – Monarchs back on the power play. Cross-checking on Biega, his third minor penalty in four periods.
1:30 – Miller unleashes a bomb from the top of the right circle that appeared to catch Andersson around the knee. He’s in pain and skates gingerly to the Utica bench.
0:55 – POWER PLAY GOAL MANCHESTER. 1-0. After the top two power play units generated pressure but couldn’t capitalize, Backman snapped a puck from the right wing towards the crease, where O’Brien redirected it up high over Markstrom’s right shoulder.
0:00 – Period over. Manch leads 1-0.

MCH starters: G J-F Berube, D Andrew Bodnarchuk, D Vincent LoVerde, LW Michael Mersch, Jordan Weal, RW Brian O’Neill
MCH scratches: G Patrik Bartosak, F Josh Gratton, D Nick Ebert, F Ryan Horvat, F Scott Sabourin, D Jeff Schultz

UTI starters: G Jacob Markstrom, D Alex Biega, D Frank Corrado, LW Hunter Shinkaruk, C Will Acton, RW Brandon DeFazio
UTI scratches: G Joe Cannata, D John Negrin, F Joseph LaBate, F Ludwig Blomstrand, F Jared McCann, F Darren Archibald, F Carter Bancks, F Wacey Hamilton, D Andrey Pedan, F Curtis Valk

Referees: #41 Mark Lemelin, #49 T.J. Luxmore
Linesmen: #63 Trent Knorr, #52 Shandor Alphonso