Live Blog: Manchester at Utica, Game 4

Manchester Monarchs 6, Utica Comets 3
Final

SOG: MCH – 38; UTI – 25
PP: MCH – 2/6; UTI – 1/6

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THIRD PERIOD
20:00 – Big period coming up.
18:40 – Nice Weal saucer pass to Ebert, who pulled a Doughty-versus-the-Rangers move in which he pulled the puck from between his legs before firing a shot on Markstrom. Pad save.
15:10 – Sprawling Bartosak save on a 3-on-2 rush. Did a good job handling the encroaching pressure.
14:51 – Backman connects with the inside of the post. Puck looked like it almost was in, but the players didn’t celebrate, and they usually know those types of things.
13:33 – GOAL MANCHESTER. 6-2. Adrian Kempe blasts the puck with an effortless release past Markstrom’s glove hand from the left circle. Exit Markstrom (27/33), enter Joacim Eriksson. Joe Cannata, who played for Ontario in the ECHL playoffs, is the third string, so we won’t see him play both for and against an LA affiliate in the same spring.
11:17 – Bodnarchuk off for boarding. Comets to the power play.
10:29 – Grenier off for elbowing. 1:12 of four-on-four time coming. Probably.
10:10 – Corrado’s stick got caught around LoVerde’s neck, and LoVerde angrily swung it away with an emotional slash. He gets two for unsportsmanlike conduct. Back to the power play for Utica.
9:10 – Frustrated spear/slash to the ribs by Conacher on Bodnarchuk after the two raced for a loose puck. No call.
7:30 – Auger smash on Zalewski right before the whistle. Along the boards, clean hit. Zalewski mildly objects.
7:13 – A frustrated Cory Conacher takes a slashing call. Monarchs back to the power play.
5:35 – Utica is frustrated. Corrado gets two for roughing, 10 minute misconduct. Clendening gets a 10 minute misconduct. 21 seconds of 5-on-3 time.
3:35 – No scoring on Manchester’s power plays.
2:06 – GOAL UTICA. 6-3. Acton pots a rebound into an open net.
0:00 – Game. Manchester holds a three-one series lead and is one win from the Calder Cup.

SECOND PERIOD
20:00 – Hockey is back!
18:23 – Hamilton to the box for high sticking. Manchester back on the power play.
16:52 – POWER PLAY GOAL MANCHESTER. 3-2. Weal finds Miller above the right circle. He takes a stride, unleashes a powerful wristshot that beats Markstrom up high, glove side.
13:29 – Manchester back on the power play as Huskins heads to the box.
12:09 – POWER PLAY GOAL MANCHESTER. 4-2. The Shore Boy, on the left wing side of the crease, bangs in the rebound of a Mersch wraparound attempt.
11:28 – Bodnarchuk goes off for roughing. Monarchs have a big kill coming up.
9:28 – Penalty killed. Best Utica chance came on a deflected Andersson shot from the left point that trickled inches wide on Bartosak’s stick side.
7:52 – Really good shift by Shore, Kempe, O’Brien. Give-and-go between Kempe and Shore from a sharp angle fought off by Markstrom. Man, there was a silky soft touch on a Kempe pass through skates to Shore.
7:20 – Van der Gulik delay of game. Not a puck over the glass penalty. Explained here.
6:37 – Mersch swats a bouncing puck over the glass from his own zone, so this is a more traditional delay of game. Five-on-three for 1:20.
5:40 – Great positioning by Dowd, big stops by Bartosak on the five-on-three.
5:11 – Conacher takes a rough, so Manch ably kills off the five-on-three. Big moment in this game.
3:50 – Huskins’ block likely saved what would have been a Weal goal.
3:38 – Mersch had a bit of net to work with in front, but a fluttering puck hopped over his stick.
2:30 – Kempe-to-Backman two-on-one doesn’t connect. Puck deflects back to Dowd, but he couldn’t fire a shot off.
0:50 – Mersch denied from point blank range by Markstrom.
0:10 – GOAL MANCHESTER. 5-2. Enormous goal by Nic Dowd, who took a Miller feed, sped down the left wing and beat Markstrom up high with a wicked snipe. Terrific 40 minutes thus far by the Monarchs.
0:00 – That’ll do, pig.

FIRST PERIOD
20:00 – Game on.
18:35 – Icing Utica. Already a better start by Manchester. Good play by Forbort to hold a puck in at the point, feed Shore atop the left circle. Shot kicked aside by Markstrom.
17:18 – Good stick tie-up by Dowd in the offensive zone as DVDG gets in with a hit on the forecheck.
15:22 – Penalty(-ies) Utica, Manch. Good stop-up by Weal in the offensive zone. Feeds an activating LoVerde, who is tripped up or hooked. Penalty. More penalties coming, including a pair of bouts (one bigger, involving LoVerde). Near multi-fight situation. These post-whistle confrontations are getting to be a bit much. Mersch/Gaunce/Zalewski minors, LoVerde/Hamilton fighting majors.
14:46 – Shore appears to hit the inside of the post on a Grade-A give-and-go with O’Neill. Markstrom covers.
13:30 – Forbort snapper gloved by Markstrom. Whistle. Backman had a good attempt moments earlier.
13:22 – Power play over.
9:27 – Nice Weal/Mersch give-and-go. Weal cuts to the inside of the left circle, unleashes a wristshot that Markstrom does a great job fighting off. First period has been all Monarchs, but Markstrom has kept the game scoreless.
8:00 – Mersch held for a good 10 seconds behind the net.
7:15 – GOAL MANCHESTER. Backman intercepts a pass down low, drifts to his right, outwaits Markstrom, snaps the puck into an open net.
6:43 – GOAL MANCHESTER. 2-0. This time it’s Dowd who creates a turnover. Having created separation, he snaps a quickly released shot past Markstrom. Monarchs are controlling this game territorially; this is a much different start.
5:51 – GOAL UTICA. 2-1. Corrado’s blast from the point gets through traffic, past Bartosak.
4:05 – Bodnarchuk (a defenseman!) out-races a flat-footed Utica defender to negate an icing. Great play.
2:30 – Penalty Manchester. O’Neill takes an extra snap at Markstrom’s pads trying to force a rebound, and will serve two for goaltender interference.
1:46 – Dowd, Conacher mixing it up after a whistle (surprise!). Conacher jaws at Manchester’s bench. Crowd riled up.
1:06 – POWER PLAY GOAL UTICA. 2-2. Baertschi’s snapper off a Conacher feed from the inside of the right circle deflects off Bartosak’s pad and into the net.
0:00 – Period over.

MCH starters: G Patrik Bartosak, D Kevin Gravel, D Colin Miller, LW David Van der Gulik, C Nic Dowd, RW Sean Backman
MCH scratches: G J-F Berube, G Jeff Lerg, F Josh Gratton, F Ryan Horvat, F Scott Sabourin, D Kevin Raine, D Jeff Schultz

UTI starters: G Jacob Markstrom, D Bobby Sanguinetti, D Peter Andersson, LE Brendan Gaunce, C Wavey Hamilton, RW Mike Zalewski
UTI scratches: G Joe Cannata, D Travis Ehrhardt, D John Negrin, F Jake Virtanen, F Joseph LaBale, F Ludwig Blomstrand, F Jared McCann, F Darren Archibald, F carter Bancks, D Andrey Pedan, F Curtis Valk

Referees: #10 T.J. Luxmore, #48 Garrett Rank
Linesmen: #75 Ryan Gibbons, #98 John Grandt