Toronto Marlies (5) at Cleveland Monsters (4)
Attendance: 4,617
Starters
Monsters
Milano-MascInnis-Letestu
Carlsson-Simpson
Kivlenieks
Marlies
Timashov- Mueller-Klimchuk
Liljegren-Rosen
McAdam
Monsters Lines
Bittner-Dalpe-Robinson
Broadhurst-Stenlund-Gerbe
Milano-MacInnis-Letestu
Thurkauf-Scott-Abramov
Monsters Pairings
Cross-Siebenaler
Somerby-Clendening
Carlsson-Simpson
Goal Recap
The Marlies were the first on the board 34 seconds into the game. Matiss Kivlenieks tried to clear the puck. His stick broke and the puck rolled on to Dmytro Timashov’s stick before he fired it past Kivlenieks.
A minute and four seconds later, the Monsters tied the game up at one. Nathan Gerbe skated around the back of the net with the puck before passing it to Alex Broadhurst. Realizing he wasn’t going to be able to get a shot past McAdam, Broadhurst dropped the pass off to Kevin Stenlund who fired it home for the equalizer goal.
A little under five minutes into the game, the Marlies took the 2-1 lead over the Monsters. Rasmus Sandin was able to fire a shot down the ice, through traffic, and into the net.
The Monsters scored the equalizer 9:18 into the second period. Paul Bittner fired off a shot which bounced off the boards behind Eamon McAdams. From the doorstep, Eric Robinson one-timed the puck into the net.
With 4:06 left in the second period, Justin Scott broke away from the pack and fired the puck through McAdam’s five-hole. The Monsters now lead the Marlies, 3-2.
The Monsters would retain the lead until 1:36 into the third period. Adam Brooks picked up Andreas Borgman’s rebound and poked it past Kivlenieks.
With 7:12 left in the third period, the Monsters took the 4-3 lead when Zac Dalpe scored on a breakaway.
Not even a full minute later, the Marlies fired back with another tying goal. Trevor Moore fired a shot from the slot which flew past Kivlenieks.
As is the new tradition, the Monsters and Marlies headed to overtime for the fourth time this season. This time the Marlies were the ones who skated away victoriously.
Chris Mueller patiently waited for a chance to fire off a shot towards the net. When he got the chance, Kivlenieks initially stopped the puck. However, when he relaxed the puck slowly rolled over the goal line to give the Marlies the 5-4 win in overtime.
But Wait! There’s More
Quick Thoughts
· The past two games have been incredibly fast-paced between the Monsters and the Marlies. Tonight, they both played a slow and methodical game. Each shot and play was well thought out.
· Matiss Kivlenieks seemed shaky in the beginning of the game. It may have been due to the fact his stick broke causing the first goal of the game.
· Paul Bittner is great behind the net. There is no way he will let the opponent leave the area behind the net with the puck. He plays like he would rather die than let it happen.
· The fourth line and second pairing need to get better at not taking penalties. Albeit, some were soft, they have to figure out a way to stay on the refs good side and play a cleaner game.
· Play has been inconsistent amongst many players and a few of the lines.
“Talk about how every shift matters. How you have to come ready to play every shift. 15-20 seconds makes a difference.” – Head Coach John Madden
· Despite the inconsistencies, the Monsters are taking some of the good things they did tonight and using it to power them against a hot Syracuse Crunch team this coming weekend.
“Just overall I thought we did a lot of really good things. What I mean by that is we generated a lot of scoring chances and had a lot of zone time.” – Head Coach John Madden
· Eric Robinson’s second period goal was his ninth of the season. This puts him tied in first place among rookies with Cameron Hebig of the Bakersfield Condors.
· Tonight’s loss for the Monsters was a tremendous milestone for Marlies’ head coach, Sheldon Keefe. He is now the winningest coach in franchise history.
3 Stars
1st – Chris Mueller (1g, 0a)
2nd – Zac Dalpe (1g, 1a)
3rd – Dmytro Timashov (1g, 1a)
Game Stats
What’s Next
The Syracuse Crunch come to Cleveland for a back-to-back on Friday, November 30th and Saturday, December 1st.
Friday’s game starts at 7p. Per tradition it is 1-2-3 Friday where you can get $1 Pepsi products, $2 Sugardale hotdogs, and $3 select 12 oz beers.
Saturday’s game is at 1pm and will be broadcast live on Sports Time Ohio. It’s also Monsters Family Day. The first 2,500 kids, 12 and under, will receive a poster and a Castaway Bay day pass.
Also, until December 15th, you can bring in a new unwrapped toy to the game. The toys will be distributed to pre-selected non-profit organizations that serve children in Northeast Ohio.