This pro hockey version of March Madness is a form of suffocation when a team is on the playoff bubble, as the Monarchs have been.
Last night the Monarchs gained a little breathing room in their Atlantic Division playoff race, extending their lead over fifth-place Springfield to three points after a 2-0 victory over the Portland Pirates before 6,038 in Verizon Wireless Arena.
Brady Murray and Matt Moulson scored while goaltender Dan Taylor (13-5-2) backed his team-leading fourth shutout of the season.
"I was lucky tonight," said Taylor. "I thought I had some bounces for sure, but we came out with a win and we'll take it this time of the year."
The Monarchs (33-29-5-4, 75 points), who have never missed the playoffs, have now held the fourth and final playoff position for two games after their third straight victory. They have points in seven of their last eight games.
"We have no cushion," said Monarchs coach Mark Morris.
Fortunately Taylor was rock solid, making 30 saves as his Monarchs beat the Pirates for the third straight time. The Monarchs have earned points in their last seven games with Portland.
For the longest time the game could have gone either way. But Moulson scored the insurance goal at 14:21 of the third period, redirecting Jeff Likens right point slap shot. That did it.
"It was pretty chaotic out there, but we came away with the win," said Moulson. "We know every game is big ... We're finally clicking."
After a scoreless first period, the Monarchs' Murray tucked in Marc-Andre Cliche's centering pass at 7:02 of the second period on the business end of a fast-paced 3-on-2. A big kick save by Taylor on Portland's leading scorer Andrew Ebbett at the other end sparked the rush.
In the opening period it was anyone's game. And it was Taylor's gloving of Stephen Dixon's backhander off a 2-on-1 break that snuffed the best scoring chance in the tight battle to that point.
"We've got a little bit of a cushion but we're trying to gain some momentum here going into the playoffs," said Murray.
On Sunday, Portland (42-24-2-4, 90 points) earned the third spot in the four-team Atlantic Division playoffs. The Pirates still trail second-place Hartford by three points for home-ice advantage in the division semifinals.
"We just have to keep pushing," added Morris.
Manchester is at the Norfolk Admirals (Tampa Bay) for games Friday and Saturday, both at 7:15 p.m. Sunday the Monarchs are at the Hershey Bears (Washington) at 5 p.m. The Monarchs return home Wednesday, April 2, with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (N.Y. Islanders) at 7:05 p.m. Fans at last night's game can redeem their tickets for a free ticket to the Bridgeport game.
Notes: RW Teddy Purcell and LW Moulson extended their points streaks to four games ... C Trevor Lewis and C Brian Boyle ended three-game points streaks ... Healthy scratches: D Rich Petiot, LW Petr Kanko, C Scott Parse, D P.J. Atherton ... The 6-foot-4, 220-pound rookie D Josh Kidd made his pro debut with the Monarchs. Kidd comes from the Erie Otters of the OHL ... The last time two times the Pirates were shut out on the road were both in Manchester -- last night and on Dec. 14 ... It was Portland's first loss in seven Wednesday games this season ... Former Manchester Parks and Recreation super Clem Lemire in the house and a contest winner between periods.
