Mats Zuccarello scored two goals as part of a four-goal second period to lead the Connecticut Whale to a 5-0 win over the visiting Manchester Monarchs Friday night.

The Monarchs (3-4-0) conclude their six-game road trip tonight at Worcester at 7 p.m. and will be home on Wednesday night against Springfield at 7 p.m.

The loss was the third in a row for Manchester after a 2-1-0 start to the season.

Andreas Thuresson gave Connecticut (2-1-2) a 1-0 lead with the only goal of the first period. Thuresson beat Martin Jones with a backhand shot at the 8:37 mark.

The second-period onslaught began early when Zuccarello scored a power-play goal 42 seconds in.

The Whale extended to a 3-0 lead at 7:28 when Andre Deveaux tipped a Wade Redden shot home from close range.

Zuccarello notched his second goal to make it 4-0 off a John Mitchell feed at 14:04.

Zuccarello returned the favor at 16:45, setting up Mitchell for a wrist shot from the slot that eluded Jones for a 5-0 score.

Jones was replaced by Jeff Zatkoff for the third period. Zatkoff made six saves and will likely get his second start of the season tonight.

Manchester did get some good news Friday as forward Richard Clune was able to return to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s game at Portland with an upper body strain.

Clune fought Stu Bickel late in the first period.

Veteran NHL player Sean Avery was expected to suit up for the Whale Friday night, but was held out of the lineup. Avery did not make the Whale’s parent club the New York Rangers and cleared waivers to return to Connecticut but has not played with the Whale yet.