Holloway scores OT winner; Monarchs win.

Former Reign forward Bud Holloway scored yet another game-winning goal in the Calder Cup playoffs on Wednesday, 4:29 into overtime to lift the Manchester
Monarchs to a 3-2 win over the Worcester Sharks. The series is tied at one game apiece.

Holloway, whose five playoff goals have all gone for game-winners, also picked up an assist in the victory. Former Reign forward Dwight King, playing at left wing with Holloway on the right, finished plus-2.

Manchester sweeps into round two

Bud Holloway, Dwight King and the Manchester Monarchs are going to the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs after finishing off the Portland Pirates in a four-game sweep Tuesday.

The Monarchs’ 7-2 win was the only blowout of the series. Holloway had a goal and King had an assist. Backup goalie Jeff Zatkoff was the third former Reign player in a Monarchs uniform, but did not appear in a game as Jonathan Bernier handled goaltending duties.

Manchester will play either the Worcester Sharks or Lowell Devils in the second round.

More heroics for Holloway

Former Reign forward Bud Holloway scored his third game-winning goal in as many games for the American Hockey League’s Manchester Monarchs on Monday. His goal two minutes into overtime against the Portland Pirates lifted the Monarchs to a three-games-to-none lead in the best-of-seven playoff series.

With the game tied 1-1 in overtime, former Reign forward Dwight King gathered the puck along the right-wing boards from center Justin Azevedo. King found Holloway streaking toward the net from the left-wing boards. Going down to one knee, Holloway quickly one-timed a shot that beat Pirates netminder Jean-Phillippe Lamoureux on his blocker side.

Holloway’s three game-winners lead the AHL.

AHL, ECHL playoff updates.

From the Calder Cup playoffs (American Hockey League):

Bud Holloway scored the second of three goals for the Manchester Monarchs in a 3-1 win over the Portland Pirates on Saturday night. Holloway scored the game-winner a night earlier, and the Monarchs lead 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. Former Reign forward Dwight King did not factor into the scoring in either game, and former Reign goalie Jeff Zatkoff has served as the backup in both.

Jon Rheault was in the starting lineup, but was kept off the scoresheet in a 4-1 loss by the Abbotsford Heat to the Rochester Americans on Saturday. Their series is tied at 1 game apiece.

Dusty Collins and the Manitoba Moose absorbed an 8-2 thumping at the hands of the Hamilton Bulldogs on Saturday. Collins did not figure into the scoring and the Moose head home to Winnipeg trailing 2-0 in the series.

From the Kelly Cup playoffs (ECHL):

Brian Kilburg and the Utah Grizzlies are down two games to none against the Idaho Steelheads after a 4-3 loss in Boise on Saturday. The former Reign defenseman got the starting nod but didn’t score.

Oren Eizenmann’s second goal of the game at 9:01 of overtime lifted the Stockton Thunder to a 4-3 win over the Bakersfield Condors on Saturday. The Thunder are leading 2-0 with the series heading back to Stockton on Tuesday. Bakersfield’s two ex-NHL forwards, MacGregor Sharp and Kyle Calder, have a combined zero goals and zero assists in the two games.

AHL playoffs update.

A brief update from the American Hockey League playoffs, where a pair of former Reign players are competing for two different teams:

Winger Jon Rheault, playing his first Calder Cup playoff game, assisted on the first goal by the Abbotsford Heat in a 3-2 victory over the Rochester Americans on Thursday.

Center Dusty Collins and the Manitoba Moose were shut out by the Hamilton Bulldogs, 2-0, in the first game of their best-of-seven series Thursday.

Several former Reign will make their AHL postseason debuts on Friday when the Manchester Monarchs visit the Portland Pirates. Jeff Zatkoff, Jordan Nolan, Patrick Mullen, Bud Holloway and Dwight King are all on the Monarchs’ playoff roster.