All-Time January Record (leading up to the 2017-18 season): 61-54-7-6
January 2018 Record: 4-7-1-1 (H: 1-2-1-0; A: 3-5-0-1)
Results
W – 4-1 @ Rockford IceHogs – preview – recap
L – 5-3 @ Chicago Wolves – preview – recap
L – 4-3 @ Rockford IceHogs – preview – recap
L – 4-1 @ Iowa Wild – preview – recap
L – 1-0 @ Milwaukee Admirals – preview – recap
L – 4-2 @ Grand Rapids Griffins – preview – recap
W – 2-1 @ Grand Rapids Griffins – preview –recap
W – 4-3 vs Rockford IceHogs – preview – recap
L – 4-3 vs Rockford IceHogs – preview – recap
L – 3-1 @ Chicago Wolves – preview – recap
W – 5-0 @ Milwaukee Admirals – preview – recap
L – 4-3 vs Iowa Wild – preview – recap
L – 3-1 vs Iowa Wild – preview –recap
The month of January was significantly better than December for the Cleveland Monsters. They are on a slow, uphill climb.
In December, the Monsters had five games in which they allowed five goals to be scored against them. In January, there was one game where five goals were scored against them and it was a close game (5-3) until the very end.
The Monsters were shut out one time in the month of January. It was a 1-0 loss to the Milwaukee Admirals on January 10th. The lone goal was scored eight minutes into the second period.
While the Monsters only won four games this past month, each one was a close battle between the Monsters and their opponent. With the exception of January 23rd’s game, when the Monsters blew the Admirals out of the water, 5-0.
The Monsters didn’t take as many slashing and tripping penalties as they had in the months past.
Goalie Stats
Matiss Kivlenieks, Joonas Korpisalo, Jeff Zatkoff, and Ivan Kulbakov made appearances with the Monsters in January.
With the loss of Brad Thiessen, the Monsters looked to Kivlenieks to step up and help them through. Kivlenieks stepped up to the challenge but fell short of perfection. He is a true rookie and needed on-ice guidance from a veteran player, both during practice and games.
Which is why Zatkoff entered the fray.
Zatkoff was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets from the LA Kings on January 22nd for future consideration. His first two starts with the Monsters were great. The first being a 5-0 shutout win over the Admirals. The second start was a 4-3 shootout loss to the Iowa Wild.
Korpisalo was sent down multiple times in January just to get in playing time.
January Leaders
Terry Broadhurst came back from his injury on January 2nd and never looked back. He spent most of January on a line with his brother, Alex, and Zac Dalpe.
They became the top producing line scoring 15 of the Monsters’ 32 goals. There are 35 points between the three of them in the month of January.
Carter Camper spent a few games on a line with T.Broadhurst. He shares the January team lead in assists, 8, with Broadhurst.
If the rest of the team can start converting shots into goals, February is going to be a fun month for the Monsters.