Live Blog: Manchester at Utica, Game 5

Manchester Monarchs 2, Utica Comets 1
Final

SOG: MCH – 19; UTI – 32
PP: MCH – 1/2; UTI – 0/3

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THIRD PERIOD
20:00 – Give’r.
18:58 – Throwing the stick on LoVerde. Back to the PK for Manchester.
16:58 – Penalty killed. Not a ton of high tension. Sanguinetti had a point blast that Bartosak controlled well and covered. Good sticks by the Monarchs.
15:12 – Grenier shoots wide on a terrific chance from the slot. Comets continuing to push the pace of play, but Bartosak is standing tall.
11:32 – High quality Manchester chance. Dowd stops up down low on a two-on-two, feeds a streaking Loverde, who snaps a shot off the pass. Great save Markstrom; he covers.
10:05 – Jensen snapper gloved by Bartosak. A fine save, that.
8:22 – Scrum in front with Mersch in O’Neill. Mersch attempted to hook the puck into the net on his back. No dice.
5:33 – Whistle with 5:33 remaining. Not a ton of updates coming, as I’m heading downstairs.

SECOND PERIOD
20:00 – The period begins. 1:40 of power play time remains.
16:55 – Outstanding, potentially game-saving save by Markstrom on Shore. On a three-on-one with a high trailer, O’Brien issued a pinpoint pass that Shore blasted off Markstrom’s right pad. A-plus-type chance.
16:36 – Fewer post-whistle scrums tonight. Jinx? Please no jinx.
14:27 – Miller wrists one low through traffic that may have caught a stick, but Markstrom keeps it out and covers.
14:07 – Big Auger block after Bartosak denied a dangerous centering feed by deflecting the puck away from trouble.
9:30 – DeFazio missed wide on a blistering wristshot from the slot after some missed connections back in the Manchester end. Good chance.
7:51 – Bartosak denies Grenier’s wraparound chance. He eventually covers. Lots of smart covers by Bartosak this period. After Manchester had stemmed the tide, Utica is generating heavy pressure again.
4:48 – Grade-A Monarchs chance denied. O’Neill intercepts an outlet pass, drives down the slot, finds Weal at the far post. Weal either tried to get it to Mersch in front or stuff it past Markstrom; either way, the net came off its moorings.
4:28 – LoVerde was a touch late on a hip check on a Utica zone entry, so he’ll sit for interference.
2:28 – Penalty over. Big blocks by Forbort and Mersch. Heavy Utica zone time. Manchester may have benefited from a favorable off-sides call. Referee Mark Lemelin immediately skated to the Comets bench to calm down the home team after some demonstrative reactions.
2:22 – Trying to clear the zone after the kill, Mersch whistled for a slash.
0:22 – Penalty killed. Linesmen decline to call a blatant Baertschi off-sides on an early PP zone entry. Slightly less tension on the second kill.
0:00 – Period over.

FIRST PERIOD
20:00 – I’m a Lebowski, you’re a Lebowski.
18:30 – Good job by Weal to create space, snap off a shot from the high slot. Kick save by Markstrom.
18:10 – Manchester holds possession in the offensive zone for long enough to complete a line change. Great shift by Mersch-Weal-O’Neill.
15:34 – Miller tees up a missile from above the right circle, which is gloved coolly by Markstrom.
14:50 – Another Miller blast, but this time it’s kept low to increase the chance of a deflection. Save Backstrom.
12:23 – O’Reilly steals the puck from Miller, skates in alone, and has his Grade-A blast kicked aside by Bartosak.
12:05 – Another Bartosak stop on a Grade-A chance. This time he splits his legs to sprawl and deny Nicklas Jensen, who had created space. Two excellent saves.
9:58 – GOAL MANCHESTER. 1-0. Adrian Kempe. Again. Shore wins a puck battle and instead of shooting from close range (but a sharp angle), dishes to Kempe in front, and his snapper beats Markstrom low.
7:09 – Penalty Utica. Acton off for hooking.
6:51 – POWER PLAY GOAL MANCHESTER. 2-0. LoVerde shoots off a Dowd feed and beats Markstrom, near post.
6:28 – Looks like Shore took a high stick. No call.
5:56 – Nice right pad save off a sharp angle O’Reilly chance.
5:39 – Mersch’s rebound stuff chance trickles past Markstrom off Dowd’s original chance, but it’s waved off after a review. No explanation, and we don’t have replays. Was trying to catch up on the live blog, and I didn’t see it cleanly.
0:35 – More big Bartosak saves. He’s been huge in this first period, especially while the game was scoreless.
0:20 – Backman tripped. Crowd booing the most obvious trip ever. Corrado to the box.
0:00 – That’ll do ‘er.

MCH starters: G Patrick Bartosak, D Kevin Gravel, D Colin Miller, LW Adrian Kempe, C Nick Shore, RW Zach O’Brien
MCH scratches: G J-F Berube, G Jeff Lerg, F David Van der Gulik, F Ryan Horvat, F Scott Sabourin, D Kevin Raine

UTI starters: G Jacob Markstrom, D Bobby Sanguinetti, D Peter Andersson, LW Alexander Grenier, C Cal O’Reilly, RW Nicklas Jensen
UTI scratches: G Joe Cannata, D Travis Ehrhardt, D John Negrinm F Jake Virtanen, F Ludwig Blomstrand, F Jared McCann, F Darren Archibald, F Carter Bancks, D Andrey Pedan, F Curtis Valk

Referees: #41 Mark Lemelin, #43 Tom Chimielewski
Linesmen: #52 Shandor Alphonso, #98 John Grandt