Shell
10-19-2003, 02:27 PM
The about-face continues for Lock Monsters
By DAVID PEVEAR, Sun Staff
LOWELL Last season the Lock Monsters couldn't stop losing. Now they can't stop winning.
Lowell 2, Hartford 1
Defenseman Tomas Malec scored his first professional goal 2:51 into overtime last night as Lowell defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 2-1 to improve to 4-0-0 before 2,515 at Tsongas Arena.
Ryan Bayda, who set up Malec's game-winner, also scored for Lowell his fourth goal of the season and goalie Patrick DesRochers stopped 21 of 22 shots in an NHL-paced game in which only five minor penalties were called.
"That was one heck of a hockey game," said Lowell coach Ron Smith. "It was fast, tough, with poised plays being made all over the place. That was close to NHL level tonight."
On the winning goal, Malec made a crafty pass to Bayda breaking out of the Lowell zone, and then from 30 feet out between the circles at the other end, Malec roofed a drop pass from Bayda past Hartford goalie Jason LaBarbera (22 saves).
"They were all tired," said Smith, who expected Malec might clear the puck for a line change. "But as the break got going, they weren't so tired anymore."
Bayda opened the scoring last night after scoring a hat trick in Lowell's previous game, a 4-2 victory over Worcester last Monday.
Bayda beat LaBarbera with a hard wrist shot from the left circle during a 3-on-2 with Mike Zigomanis and Robert Dome at 4:05 of the second period.
LaBarbera perhaps peeked toward Dome flying up the right side, loudly tapping his stick for the puck, as Bayda shot. Dome launched the play with a short pass coming out of the Lowell zone to Zigomanis, who gained the Hartford blue line and dropped a pass to the red-hot Bayda.
"Ryan is the best linemate I've ever played with," said Zigomanis, who teamed up with Bayda in Lowell last season. "It's just like we know what each other will do."
Zigomanis was a threat the entire game. He had four shots on goal in the second period alone, each a high-quality chance. He patiently held the puck until staring at a wide-open side of the net while cutting across in front with 7:40 left in the period. LaBarbera dived across to make a glove save.
"All that matters is we got two points," said Zigomanis, who scored 31 goals in 117 games for the Monsters over the past two seasons. "It's a totally different atmosphere than last year (when the Lock Monsters finished with the AHL's worst record, 19-51-7-3). The players we've gotten from Calgary (as part of Carolina farm club Lowell's new co-affiliation with the Flames) are all solid players."
"Last year's team was not near the caliber of this year's team," said Smith. "It's a different experience level." A strong second period by Lowell disintegrated in the final minute when Hartford tough guy Jason MacDonald tipped defenseman Jayme Filipowicz's soft flip shot between DesRochers's pads at 19:36 to tie the score 1-1.
Each team was 0-for-2 on the power play during a scoreless first period in which Hartford outshot Lowell 8-7. Lowell's Brett Lysak did hit the right post with a one-handed flip from the left circle after a crossing pass from Zigomanis.
Left-winger Tomas Kurka last night tied Rich Brennan's Lock Monster's record for games played with his 132nd appearance for Lowell.
This was the first of eight meetings this season between these Atlantic Division rivals. Hartford leads the all-time series 12-10-5. The Wolf Pack fell to 2-0-0-1 this season.
NHL-experienced defenseman Jesse Wallin and Mike Commodore made their Lock Monster debuts last night. Wallin was knocked from the game with a concussion suffered on his first shift. Commodore was solid.
The Lock Monsters are off until Friday night when they play the Manchester Monarchs at Tsongas Arena.
By DAVID PEVEAR, Sun Staff
LOWELL Last season the Lock Monsters couldn't stop losing. Now they can't stop winning.
Lowell 2, Hartford 1
Defenseman Tomas Malec scored his first professional goal 2:51 into overtime last night as Lowell defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 2-1 to improve to 4-0-0 before 2,515 at Tsongas Arena.
Ryan Bayda, who set up Malec's game-winner, also scored for Lowell his fourth goal of the season and goalie Patrick DesRochers stopped 21 of 22 shots in an NHL-paced game in which only five minor penalties were called.
"That was one heck of a hockey game," said Lowell coach Ron Smith. "It was fast, tough, with poised plays being made all over the place. That was close to NHL level tonight."
On the winning goal, Malec made a crafty pass to Bayda breaking out of the Lowell zone, and then from 30 feet out between the circles at the other end, Malec roofed a drop pass from Bayda past Hartford goalie Jason LaBarbera (22 saves).
"They were all tired," said Smith, who expected Malec might clear the puck for a line change. "But as the break got going, they weren't so tired anymore."
Bayda opened the scoring last night after scoring a hat trick in Lowell's previous game, a 4-2 victory over Worcester last Monday.
Bayda beat LaBarbera with a hard wrist shot from the left circle during a 3-on-2 with Mike Zigomanis and Robert Dome at 4:05 of the second period.
LaBarbera perhaps peeked toward Dome flying up the right side, loudly tapping his stick for the puck, as Bayda shot. Dome launched the play with a short pass coming out of the Lowell zone to Zigomanis, who gained the Hartford blue line and dropped a pass to the red-hot Bayda.
"Ryan is the best linemate I've ever played with," said Zigomanis, who teamed up with Bayda in Lowell last season. "It's just like we know what each other will do."
Zigomanis was a threat the entire game. He had four shots on goal in the second period alone, each a high-quality chance. He patiently held the puck until staring at a wide-open side of the net while cutting across in front with 7:40 left in the period. LaBarbera dived across to make a glove save.
"All that matters is we got two points," said Zigomanis, who scored 31 goals in 117 games for the Monsters over the past two seasons. "It's a totally different atmosphere than last year (when the Lock Monsters finished with the AHL's worst record, 19-51-7-3). The players we've gotten from Calgary (as part of Carolina farm club Lowell's new co-affiliation with the Flames) are all solid players."
"Last year's team was not near the caliber of this year's team," said Smith. "It's a different experience level." A strong second period by Lowell disintegrated in the final minute when Hartford tough guy Jason MacDonald tipped defenseman Jayme Filipowicz's soft flip shot between DesRochers's pads at 19:36 to tie the score 1-1.
Each team was 0-for-2 on the power play during a scoreless first period in which Hartford outshot Lowell 8-7. Lowell's Brett Lysak did hit the right post with a one-handed flip from the left circle after a crossing pass from Zigomanis.
Left-winger Tomas Kurka last night tied Rich Brennan's Lock Monster's record for games played with his 132nd appearance for Lowell.
This was the first of eight meetings this season between these Atlantic Division rivals. Hartford leads the all-time series 12-10-5. The Wolf Pack fell to 2-0-0-1 this season.
NHL-experienced defenseman Jesse Wallin and Mike Commodore made their Lock Monster debuts last night. Wallin was knocked from the game with a concussion suffered on his first shift. Commodore was solid.
The Lock Monsters are off until Friday night when they play the Manchester Monarchs at Tsongas Arena.