Category Archives: Game Recaps

Monsters shut out by Griffins at home

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Cleveland was held scoreless in the 2-0 loss to Grand Rapids.

Sometimes all it takes is two penalties early in a game to determine the final outcome. That was the case Tuesday as the Cleveland Monsters found themselves on the wrong side of a 2-0 final score at home against the Grand Rapids Griffins.

It was a boarding penalty for Gavin Bayreuther at the 8:44 mark in the 1st period which led to the Grand Rapids power play. The Griffins capitalized on that opportunity just a few minutes later to take a 1-0 lead.

Later in the period it was Brandon Crawley who went to the box on a hooking penalty which set up another Griffins power play and again Cleveland was not able to kill the penalty. Just over a minute later Grand Rapids doubled their lead and scored what was the second and final goal of the game.

The Monsters only managed 22 shots in the contest while Grand Rapids fired 36 in the direction of Matiss Kivelenieks who was able to save 34 of them. On most nights this would have been a good enough performance to come away with a victory, but not when the team is unable to find the back of the net.

Cleveland has one more home game this season on Saturday when they face the Griffins yet again before traveling to Grand Rapids for the final game of the season.

Monsters lose to Americans in shootout 4-3

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The Cleveland Monsters were not able to come away with a win against the Rochester Americans losing 4-3 in a shootout.

There is one thing for a certain that can be taken away from Saturday’s contest, it was not for a lack of shots on goal. The Monsters finished with more than two times the amount of shots on goal than Rochester 41-20. Even with the high shot total it did not stop Cleveland from coming up short against the Americans, losing in a shootout 3-2.

Rochester got on the scoreboard 1:38 into the 1st period after Cliff Pu was called for high sticking. It took only eight seconds for the Americans to take advantage of their power play opportunity.

The 2nd period is where a lot of the action took place. Cliff Pu made up for his early penalty by tying things up at 1 6:24 into the period. Tyler Angle (10) and Thomas Schemitsch (15) assisted on the first Monsters goal. Josh Dunne would give Cleveland the lead just a few minutes later as he netted his sixth goal of the season. It was Angle again assisting on the Cleveland goal. Rochester would respond just a few minutes later to tie the score at 2. With a little more than two minutes left to play the Monsters regained the lead thanks to a goal from Jake Christiansen. It was the second assist of the game for Schemitsch this time around, joining Angle in the two assist club for the game.

The only goal scored in the 3rd period belonged to Rochester and the game remained tied for the remainder of regulation and overtime. This brings things to the shootout where things did not end up well for the Monsters. Angle, Pu, and Tyler Sikura took the shots in the shootout for Cleveland with none scoring. It was a goal from Rochester’s Jean-Sebastian Dea that got past Justin Kapelmaster to decide the game.

Monsters top Griffins in Grand Rapids 3-2

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The Cleveland Monsters traveled to Grand Rapids and came away with a 3-2 win over the Griffins.

The last time the Cleveland Monsters traveled to Grand Rapids things did not go their way as they lost 2-1 to the Griffins. This time around things were different as Cleveland made their way up to the Van Andel Arena and came away with a 3-2 victory.

The Monsters got on the board first thanks to a goal from Tyler Angle 9:44 into the 1st period. It was the Tyler connection as Tyler Sikura was one of two Cleveland players to be credited with an assist on the goal, the other being Carson Meyer.

The 2nd period started off with a bang as Cleveland’s lead grew to two. It was Justin Scott scoring this time and was assisted by Josh Dunne and Thomas Schemitsch. The Monsters two goal lead did not last long as Grand Rapids drew within one about midway through the 2nd period.

Grand Rapids was not willing to go down easy as they tied the game 4:12 into the 3rd period. The once comfortable two goal lead for the Monsters was now gone and the team had to compose themselves if they wanted to come away with a win. Luckily Josh Dunne decided to get in on the goal scoring action after assisting on a goal earlier in the game. With 2:44 left to play it was Dunne who scored what ended up being the game winner for Cleveland. Cifff Pu and Dillon Simpson assisted on the game winner and the Monsters were able to come out victorious this time.

Justin Kapelmaster started the second consecutive game for Cleveland in net and was able to get the job done. Kapelmaster managed to stop 26 of Grand Rapids 28 shot on goal in the contest.

Cleveland will face off with the Griffins three more times before the season comes to a close, so there will be plenty of chances for some mayhem to ensue between the two clubs.

Monsters come away with 3-2 OT win in Texas

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After losing their first two matchups in Texas, the Cleveland Monsters came away with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Stars.

The Cleveland Monsters were on the verge of being swept by the Texas Stars, but managed to salvage the final game of their three game series on Sunday. Like the previous two games in Texas, Cleveland had the advantage in the shots on goal department (37-32), luckily this time it resulted in a win.

The bulk of the action came in the 2nd period as both teams were scoreless in the 1st. Texas scored first 8:23 into the period, but the Monsters managed to answer back less than a minute later. Josh Dunne netted his 4th goal of the season to tie things up at 1 midway through the period. Assisting on the goal was Jake Christiansen (12) and Tyler Angle (9).

A little over five minutes later Cleveland took a 2-1 lead. It was the second goal of the season for Matthew Struthers. Thomas Schemitsch (13) and Nick Lappin (1) were credited with assists on the goal. The Monsters lead unfortunately did not last through the period as Texas tied things up with less than 20 seconds left in the 2nd.

Like the 1st period, the 3rd period did not result in any goals. This brings things to overtime. 3:20 seconds into the extra period Adam Helewka scored the game winner for the Monsters as they avoided the sweep. Carson Meyer and (10) and Dillon Simpson (8) assisted on the Helewka’s third goal of the season.

Starting in goal for the Monsters was Justin Kapelmaster, making his Cleveland debut. Kapelmaster saved 30 of 32 shots on goal, only one of the goals coming in a full strength situation.

With the win, Cleveland has 30 points and remain in second place in the AHL Central Division. The Monsters have a 14-8-1-1 record in 24 games this season.

Monsters drop second straight to Stars

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Cleveland dropped their second consecutive game to Texas Saturday.

After losing the first of three games Thursday, the Cleveland Monsters were unable to get back into the win column as they lost 5-2 Saturday evening. Even with the loss, Cleveland is still in second place in the AHL Central Division with 28 points and a 13-8-1-1 record on the year.

What sticks out is the large differential in shots on goal. The Monsters outshot Texas 34-23, including 16 in the 1st period. One those shots ended up as a goal of the power play variety. It was Carson Meyer scoring his 8th on the year with assists from Thomas Schemitsh (11) and Jake Christiansen (11). This goal tied the game at 1 after Texas took an early 1-0 lead.

Texas dominated the 2nd period, regaining and extending their lead after scoring two goals through the first 16 minutes. Cleveland was not ready to roll over as 26 seconds after Texas’ second goal it was the Josh Dunne pulling the Monsters back within one. It was the second assist of the game for Schemitsch and Cliff Pu’s fifth of the year.

Unfortunately for Cleveland they were not able to score again in the contest. The Stars added two more goals in the 3rd period and the Monsters would go on to lose 5-2.

Brad Thiessen started in goal for Cleveland and this was the most goals allowed in over a month for the Monsters goalie. Thiessen has not seen a lot of action, but his performance was a bit better than earlier in the year. In his last three starts, Thiessen has allowed four total goals with two wins coming along the way.

The Monsters face the Stars for the final time this season Sunday at 6:00 P.M.

Monsters lose to Stars in shootout 2-1

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The Cleveland Monsters found themselves on the wrong side of a 2-1 shootout loss to the Texas Stars.

At some point the goal scoring frequency for the Cleveland Monsters was going to see a correction. That correction occurred Thursday night as they only managed one goal in a 2-1 shootout loss in Texas to the Stars. The loss comes after winning their previous two games at home against the Chicago Wolves.

The only goal of the game for the Monsters came late in the 3rd period. Cliff Pu tied the game at 1 wit his first goal of the year. Tyler Angle (8) and Wyatt Newpower (6) were credited with assists on the goal.

Brad Thiessen started the game in goal and saved 25 of 26 shots on goal, not counting the shootout goal. This was the second straight game and third overall that Thiessen allowed 1 goal on the year.

Cleveland dominated in the shots on goal department (40-27), but were unable to convert those shots into goals. The Monsters held a slight advantage in power play opportunities, going 0-5 compared to Texas’ 0-4 effort. Given their ample opportunities to score it is a bit disappointing to see the Monsters unable to put more than one goal on the board.

Cleveland has two more games in Texas to complete their three game series on Saturday and Sunday,

Monsters defeat Wolves 4-2, complete season sweep

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Fresh off an entertaining win Saturday, the Cleveland Monsters came into Sunday afternoon with a chance to sweep the season series from the Wolves. Cleveland took full advantage and made sure to send the Cleveland crowd home happy.

1st Period

The 1st period started off like two boxers trying to jab their opponents and get a feel for the game, just waiting for the opportune time to land a hook. It was the Monsters who landed that big blow first as Tristan Mullins scored his second goal of the season, giving Cleveland an early 1-0 lead 5:38 into the period. Zach Jordan (2) and Ole Bjorgvik-Holm (4) assisted on the first goal of the game.

Cleveland continued their assault on Chicago’s goal and in double barrel fashion Brett Gallant took control of the puck in Chicago’s zone and put it past Connor Ingram into the net to make is 2-0 Monsters. Thomas Schemitsch was credited with an assist on the goal, his ninth of the campaign.

Brett Gallant said during postgame that the goal came after a “Breakdown in our end” and “Didn’t know where the puck was and got lucky”.

Coach Mike Eaves would emphasize the importance of Brett Gallant on this roster after the game. “Such a sitting influence in practice, the bench, and the locker room”. Later adding “Really good with the younger guys on the bench and locker room”.

A Wyatt Newpower tipping penalty had the Monsters at a disadvantage as the 1st period winded down. Cleveland’s penalty kill did their job well until the final second as Chicago netted their first goal of the game. The Wolves challenged their inner boxer that has been knocked down and beaten up early, but refusing to give up.

Chicago held an advantage in the shots on goal department (9-7), but Cleveland’s conversion rate was better overall. Considering the Monsters scored against full strength and the Wolves scored on a power play, it was a bit more difficult for Cleveland to score, twice nonetheless.

2nd Period

The second stanza in this one started off exactly like the first, with both teams feeling each other out. The only difference is that the time it took before making big moves and/or hits was cut significantly. Both the Wolves and Monsters were much more aggressive and willing to take chances. They were also more apt to taking big hits on each other, something that was a bit more tentative in the 1st period.

A penalty for too many men on the ice put the Monsters in penalty kill mode just a little under midway through the period. There were a few times that Chicago looked like they were going to capitalize on the Cleveland penalty, but their special teams went to work and kept the Wolves at bay.

Shortly after the Monsters were unable to convert on their own power play, Tyler Angle came to the rescue and increased Cleveland’s lead back to two. It was Angle’s ninth goal of the season, assisted by Liam Foudy (12) and Jake Christiansen (10).

Cleveland finished ahead in shots on goal in the 2nd period, holding a 12-10 advantage. Add in the fact that Monsters scored and the Wolves did not it was a bit more encouraging than the 1st period when Chicago held the shot advantage.

3rd Period

It was another similar start to the 3rd period. There was one exception, the time it took to get to big time body blows was quite short. The Monsters and Wolves were more than ready to deliver the big hits. On a scale of 1-10, the intensity was an easy 11.

As the period progressed the physical nature of the hits only increased. Not only were they becoming more frequent, they seem to have had a purpose. Each trip into the offensive zone was a test of toughness for those involved. Any player that went for the puck was inviting an onslaught of brutality from their opponent. For those who hold a special place in their heart for old school hockey this must have been heaven.

The physicality took a break for a moment as the Wolves pulled within one with 4:04 left to play in the period. The shot went to the left of Matiss Kivlenieks right into the back of the net.

Chicago’s last ditch effort to send the game into overtime was all for naught as Tyler Angle scored an empty netter with just over a minute and a half left to play. It was the second of the game for Angle and 10th of the season. Angle was assisted by Liam Foudy, his 13th assist.

Coach Eaves would state after the game that “Chicago is a very good team” and “They make us better when we play them”. Based off the result of the game, it is pretty safe to say that is a true statement.

Monsters defeat Wolves 5-4 in OT

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The Cleveland Monsters took down the visiting first place Chicago Wolves with a thrilling 5-4 victory in overtime at home.

Sometimes things just come together at the right time. That right time just happened to be in overtime for the Cleveland Monsters. After seeing their two goal lead slip away in the 3rd period, it was Tyler Angle who came to rescue and was able to net the game winner in the extra period to hand the Wolves a heartbreaking loss.

This was a key game for the Monsters as they lost their two previous games prior to Saturday. This win over Chicago gives Cleveland a much needed win and their third straight over the Wolves overall.

As far as scoring goes, it was back and forth all game long. The Monsters and Wolves traded goals through the first two periods with Cleveland clinging onto slim 3-2 lead heading into the final period. It was Tyler Sikura who scored twice within three minutes of game time that gave the Monsters the 4-2 lead they would later let slip away. Chicago managed to score twice inside a span just over three minutes to tie the game and put the result in doubt, but Cleveland was able to rally at just the right time.

Cleveland is now back in second place in the AHL Central with Saturday’s win over Chicago with 25 points in 20 games played.

Scoring notes

Tyler Angle got things started in the 1st period with a goal just under five minutes in, assisting on the goal was Dillon Simpson and Liam Foudy. It was Angle’s seventh goal of the season, Simpson’s seventh assist and Foudy’s 10th.

Carson Meyer retook the lead for Cleveland with his seventh goal on the year at the 16:06 mark. Adam Helewka (8) and Jake Christiansen (9) were credited with assists on the goal.

As mentioned above it was goals from Tyler Sikura at the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd. Those goals were Sikura’s 10th and 11 on the year. It was the second assist of the game for Helewka (9) and the first of the year for Will Lochead. Meyer would assist on the second goal along with Helewka making his 10th assist of the season.

The final goal echoed the first goal of the game. It was Tyler Angle scoring with assists from Liam Foudy and Dillon Simpson. It’s quite fitting that the game ended exactly just like it started, putting a nice little bow on the performance.

Cleveland can sweep the season series with Chicago Sunday at 4:00 P.M.

Monsters drop second straight game to Griffins

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Things did not get much better for the Cleveland Monsters as they lost their second straight game to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

All it takes is just two games for a winning streak to turn into a losing streak. That is exactly what happened to the Cleveland Monsters with their winning streak ending Tuesday and now turning into a losing streak with a 2-1 loss Wednesday.

The scoring in this game echoes the order from Tuesday’s game. The Monsters took an early 1-0 lead in the 2nd thanks to a power play goal from Wyatt Newpower. It was Newpower’s third on the year with Dillon Simpson and Tyler Angle being credited with their sixth and seventh assists respectively. The familiarity in the scoring pattern comes after this goal.

Grand Rapids scored in rapid fire fashion in the 3rd period and would end up holding on to the lead. The fact Cleveland gave up multiple goals in the 3rd period to the Griffins for the second straight is a bit frustrating. The Monsters know that Grand Rapids is capable of this and were not able to stop it.

Matiss Kivlenieks got the start in goal and saved 30 of 32 shots on goal in what was his first loss of the season. The difference in this is game is that the Monsters were able to score in bunches in those contests and only one goal in this game.

The Monsters return home as they begin a two-game series with the Chicago Wolves Friday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Monsters win streak ends after 5-3 loss to Griffins

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The Cleveland Monsters saw their six-game winning streak end as they lost to the Grand Rapids Griffins by a score of 5-3.

At some point the winning streak was going to end and that point was Tuesday. The trip to Grand Rapids proved to be too much for the Monsters as they lost to the Griffins by two goals.

The 3rd period ultimately proved to be the difference in the game as Cleveland entered with a slim one goal lead and things were looking up. Grand Rapids managed to score three goals in the period which would send the Monsters home with a loss. It was a power play goal and empty netter late that gave the Griffins their winning goals.

Daniil Tarasov was the goaltender for the Monsters and he saved 22 of 26 shots on goal. Tarasov has been a nice surprise for Cleveland since making his AHL debut. This was the first loss of the season for Tarasov as he has been quite impressive in his three starts.

Some positive news for the Monsters to take away here. Cleveland converted 2 of 4 power play opportunities. Considering this was a major area of concern earlier in the season, this is some encouraging progression for the team.

Scoring notes

Carson Meyer scored the first goal for the Monsters in the game, his sixth of the season. Assisting on the goal were Tyler Sikura (8) and Jake Christiansen (8). It was one of two power play goals for Cleveland.

Liam Foudy tied the game at 2 just under 4 minutes into the 2nd period, the goal was unassisted.

Dillon Simpson scored the second power play goal of the game just over midway through the 2nd to give the Monsters a 3-2 lead. It was Tyler Angle (6) and Wyatt Newpower (5) assisting on the goal.

Cleveland has a chance to even things up Wednesday as they take on the Griffins at 7:00 P.M.