The Monsters had a chance to defeat Utica, but the Comets came through late handing Cleveland a 3-2 overtime loss.
It was the final minutes of regulation and the game was tied at 1, overtime appeared inevitable. But then a clutch goal from Brendan Gaunce gave the Monsters a 2-1 lead with less than a minute and a half to go. Suddenly things changed, it seemed like victory was assured and Cleveland would take down the Comets. Problem was Utica had other ideas. Less than a minute after Gaunce’s goal there were two events that would shape the game.
At 19;22 elapsed in the 3rd period the Comets tied the game at 2.
At 19:42 Kevin Stenlund received a two-minute slashing penalty giving Utica a power play.
The latter would prove to be the nail in the coffin as just as Cleveland’s penalty kill nearly did the impossible of stopping a power play in overtime, Utica scored and the Monsters existed the ice and could only possibly be thinking about how close they were to winning this game.
Game Notes
Kevin Stenlund scored in the 1st period to tie the game at 1 and send the crowd into a frenzy on Teddy Bear Toss Night. It was Stenlund’s third of the season with Liam Foudy assisting on hi1 11th.
Come for the 🚨, stay for the 🧸 pic.twitter.com/NyWwBs65q6
— x – Cleveland Monsters (@monstershockey) December 18, 2021
Gaumce’s goal late in the 3rd was his eighth of the year with Trey Fix Wolansky (4) and Cole Fonstad (3) assisting on the goal.
Daniil Tarasov was in net, saving 23 of 26 shots on goal. The month of December has not been kind to Tarasov as he has allowed seven goals in two games while allowing 2.67 goals over six games in November.