Manchester tops Utica in Game 4 of Calder Cup Finals

Nic Dowd scored two goals to help the Manchester Monarchs to a 6-3 victory against the Utica Comets in Game 4 of the Calder Cup Finals in Utica, N.Y., on Friday.

Manchester, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, leads the best-of-7 series 3-1 and can win the first Calder Cup in franchise history with a victory in Game 5 at Utica on Saturday (7 p.m. ET).

Manchester took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by Dowd and Sean Backman, but Sven Baertschi and Frank Corrado scored later in the period for Utica, the AHL affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, to tie the game 2-2.

Colin Miller, Nick Shore and Dowd scored in the second period to give the Monarchs a 5-2 lead. Adrian Kempe scored Manchester's fourth straight goal of the game in the third period before Will Acton scored for Utica to complete the scoring.

Patrik Bartosak made 21 saves for Manchester in his first start of the playoffs. Bartosak replaced Jean-Francois Berube in Game 3 after he sustained an injury. Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves on 33 shots for Utica before he was pulled early in the third period. Joacim Eriksson made four saves on four shots in relief.