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Zatkoff Shines As WBS Pens Blank Monarchs 3-0

It seemed like a night for money to go up on the board.

Jeff Zatkoff had circled this match against his former team on his calendar, and left the arena as the game’s first star. He kept the Penguins alive after an early Manchester barrage, made 33 saves, and earned his first shutout of the season.

Though the first period was the Monarchs’ best, with 13 shots on goal, it ended scoreless because Zatkoff was so sharp.

The failure to take an early lead cost the Monarchs. Play got chippier in the second period, the Penguins went two for four on the power play. Eric Tangradi scored the first goal early, beating Legein to a rebound. Andreoff took a penalty when he went after Warren Peters and kept pummelling him after he crumpled. Andreoff didn’t like the hit Peters delivered against Rich Clune, but that earned him a double minor.

Dylan Reese picked the corner on the ensuing power play, and Manchester entered the third down by two. They were also without David Kolomatis, who left the game with an unknown injury.

Although the Monarchs had the edge in shots in the third, they couldn’t generate enough to get by Zatkoff. Paul Thompson put in the empty netter with a minute left to seal it.

The Monarchs will have to rest up for their game Sunday against the Worchester Sharks. If both Campbell and Kolomatis are too injured to play, they’ll be in a tough spot with only five defensemen.

Boxscore Notes: Final shots were 33-29…Cliche led the Monarchs with six shots…Campbell (upper body), Weal, Johnson, Czarnik, and Meckler were the scratches…O’Neill was in…Prokhorkin is still with the Monarchs.

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