Monarchs @ Bears - ECF Preview
by EmilyB on May 12, 2010 12:26 PM EDT
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I've gone 'round the hockeysphere and collected a few links for tonight's game:
The AHL's official playoff primer.
A series preview from the Bears' official blogger.
5 reasons the Bears will prevail, 2 reasons they might not.
The Bears don't make the web pages of the Los Angeles Times very often, but they did today.
Goalie duel! Fortunately, the Bears have two scouts:
"Obviously, [Jonathan Bernier is] a great goalie," Neuvirth said. "He’s had a good year. He’s a top player for them. You’ve got to put some traffic in front of him."
Bears centerman Mathieu Perreault, whose Acadie-Bathurst team played against Bernier a lot in the QMJHL, agreed.
"If we let him see every shot, he’s going to stop them all," Perreault said. "When he sees it, he sees really good. We’re going to have to put some traffic and be in front of him.
"I would compare him to Neuvy kind of as a goalie. He’s kind of a standup goalie. He gets rattled if we can get some traffic. If we can get in his bubble, he gets really rattled. So maybe that’s something we will try to do."
Per Monarchsblogger Ian Clark the Manchester Monarchs' "prize" for reaching the Eastern Conference finals is a date with defending champion Hershey ... though I don't think it's Bryan Helmer's 146 NHL games that will be the Monarchs' biggest hurdle.
He also notes:
The Monarchs will be without enforcer Kevin Westgarth and alternate captain Marc-Andre Cliche. Both forwards' seasons ended with injuries in the Worcester series.
The Manchester Monarchs Examiner has these game notes:
The Monarchs enter the series having won eight of 10 playoff games this season, and 16 of their last 20 games dating back to the regular season.
Leading the way have been Bud Holloway, who tied an AHL record with six game-winning goals, and goalie Jonathan Bernier.
Bernier's 1.48 goals-against average in the playoffs is tops among goalies who have played more than five games.
"Hershey has been sitting there and waiting for the longest time," Manchester coach Mark Morris said after his team knocked out Worcester on Friday. "No doubt they had people here and had us scouted."
Coach Morris is correct - assistant Coach Troy Mann drew the Manchester scouting assignment as he and Coach French each broke down four Monarchs-Sharks games.
The series will provide Massachusetts natives Keith Aucoin, Chris Bourque and John Carlson a bit of a homecoming, and Grant Lewis played in college in New Hampshire at Dartmouth.
It’s also going to be logistically more convenient for Nova Scotia natives Gordon and Joudrey. Both have family members who plan to attend the series.
"It’s a much shorter trip to there," Joudrey said, "than it is to Pa. here."
Gordon said his mother, Brenda, is coming to see him play for just the second time since he was 8.
"It’s going to be cool," Gordon said.
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One thing the Bears will need to do to prevail in this series is to get a lead early and keep it, and not let the games slide into overtime. Three of their last four games (all against Albany) went to overtime, which allowed for lots of amazing last-second heroics but will not do against a really good goalie like Bernier.
Everyone talks about the top line but I suspect it’s the second (Bourque-Perreault-Beagle) line that will be the difference maker. Coach Boudreau has said he will be attending all of the games and that line takes it to another level when he’s in the building.
An NHL VIP attended the Hershey Bears’ morning skate Wednesday at Giant Center. Former Bears captain Brett Clark is in town to watch the Eastern Conference finals.
Bud Holloway, his wife’s cousin, is Manchester’s leading playoff scorer. Clark hasn’t had a chance to see him play pro before. "We grew up together," Clark said. “He’s Candace’s cousin, so we know him very well." Clark was Hershey’s captain in 2004-05, the final season of the Colorado Avalanche affiliation. The defenseman has been an Avs’ mainstay ever since. "I’m here to watch both teams, get the excitement,” Clark said. "It’s nice to be back in Hershey again. Hershey itself has changed a lot since I’ve been here. It’s really grown."
Clark is impressed by the Bears. "The team that they have out there is phenomenal," Clark said. "Just watching them skate here, you can see the skill and depth they have in the Washington organization. You can tell they are who they are right now. It’s going to be fun to watch."
Clark is a pending free agent. There has been some speculation there could be mutual interest between him and Washington. “We’re just going to play it by ear,” Clark said, "and see what’s going to happen."
And also – prospect update!
Other than that, the lineup remained status quo from this week’s practice sessions. Game 1 against Manchester is scheduled for Wednesday night.
"Everybody’s ready," Bears head coach Mark French said. "Everybody’s excited to play. I expect there will be a lot of adrenaline going."
Caps prospect Dustin Stevenson, whose season with La Ronge in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League ended, joined the Bears. The defenseman isn’t expected to sign a tryout contract.
The likely lines for tonight (from yesterday’s practice):
Lines:
Giroux-Aucoin-Gordon
Bourque-Perreault-Beagle
Bouchard-Wilson-Rome
Kane-Joudrey-Pinizzotto
G. McNeill-Ferguson
D-pairs:
Alzner-Carlson
Collins-Helmer
Wellar-Miskovic
Amadio-Yeo
nope. Caps never sent him through waivers
#savethekittens!
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
Hysterical.
I waited all year for this?
by Rob Parker on May 12, 2010 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I saw him and Laing play in Hershey in February and he didn’t seem to have great chemistry with his pairing in that game. Probably better than whoever he’d replace though now.
"Just the fact that I knew something was bad, I knew it was probably broken, I knew I'd have to miss some time--that makes me upset more than anything."
by QuintinLainged on May 12, 2010 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions
TSlo looked a lot better than Q did at that game, sadly. But Laing’s sweater went for 5 grand in the auction!
Yeah, Q was pretty bad going a -1 during a 9-2 game. Perreault’s 4 goals more than made up for it though.
"Just the fact that I knew something was bad, I knew it was probably broken, I knew I'd have to miss some time--that makes me upset more than anything."
by QuintinLainged on May 12, 2010 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
55 | 27 | 17 | 11 | 65 |
|
Washington
|
55 | 28 | 22 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
57 | 26 | 25 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
55 | 24 | 25 | 6 | 54 |
|
Carolina
|
56 | 20 | 25 | 11 | 51 |
(updated 2.12.2012 at 10:06 PM EST)
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