Hello, all! I’m trying to get back on track this year with recaps after a hectic holiday season so let’s get right to it!
Starting off with the Monsters as we do, the Monsters faced off against Charlotte in the hopes of keeping their point streak alive. After a scoreless first, the Monsters struck when, just after a power play, Jordan Maletta gathered a puck that was chipped ahead and was off to the races scoring on a backhand for his third of the season. The opening of the third was a wild one. 30 seconds in the Checkers tied it but The Great Dane struck just 39 seconds later. Oliver Bjorkstrand skated around the net and fired a shot from just above the goal line to make it 2-1. Later in the third, the Checkers scored to tie it but then John Ramage did his Oliver Bjorkstrand impression. It happened 1:15 later when Ramage skated around the net and fired a shot to make it 3-2. 2:05 later The Great Dane himself got back in the action by scoring into an empty net when Markus Hannikainen fired a shot from center ice that missed before Bjorkstrand gathered the rebound to make it 4-2. In the win, Joonas Korpisalo made 29 saves. Charlotte’s goalie was Parma native, Alex Nedeljkovic.
A few days later it was time for the rematch. Sonny Milano opened the scoring by doing Sonny Milano type things. Midway through the first, Sonny earned a penalty shot and he converted – shockingly enough – on a backhand for his fifth of the season. Later in the first, Aaron Palushaj took a long pass from Ramage and skated into the zone before sending a pass that Justin Scott tipped it in to make it 2-0. Late in the second, the Monsters struck again when Milano pressured a Checkers player into a bad pass. A streaking in Scott gathered the puck and fired. The shot appeared to hit the crossbar and Sonny hit in the rebound, but Scott got credit for the goal. The Monsters allowed two goals by the Checkers to make a game out of it. In the win Anton Forsberg made 19 saves.
Quickly, for his big week, veteran Dman Ramage was named the CCM AHL player of the week. In the Monsters two wins, Ramage collected four points (1-3-4) and was a +4. His goal was a game winner and was part of his first career three point game.
After the Christmas break, the Monsters unveiled their new Gold jerseys in a game against Grand Rapids. A few minutes later things would get even Sonnier (I regret nothing) in Cleveland. With the Monsters on the power play, Cleveland raced into the zone with TJ Tynan passing to Hannikainen who sent a spinning behind the back pass to Milano who had a pretty much empty net to shoot into. Sonny scored and that makes it three straight games with a goal for Sonny. Midway through the second, the Cleveland power play struck again when Alex Broadhurst received a pass from Dean Kukan and hammered a shot from the circle to make it 2-1. Sadly it would be all Griffins the rest of the way as they scored two more times to get the 3-2 win and end the Monsters eight game point streak. In the loss Korpisalo made 34 saves.
In the rematch it was all Monsters as they unveiled another jersey. After a scoreless first, the floodgates opened wide. Tynan skated into the zone on a three on two and passed to Alex Broadhurst who took a shot that veteran Marc-Andre Bergeron tapped it in to make it 1-0.
Later in the second is when a wild four minutes would start. Off a save by the Griffins goalie the puck made its way down the length of the ice and into a board battle with Bergeron getting it to Bjorkstrand. Olive skated with it and feed Hannikainen who went high glove to make it 2-0. 3:23 later, the Monsters power play struck on a tic-tic-tac-tac-toe-toe-toe play with Milano finishing it by picking up the rebound of a Bergeron shot from the circle to make it 3-0 and three straight games with a goal for Sonny. The fourth goal came just 19 seconds later as Monsters fans were finding out about a freebie from Quaker Steak & Lube (gotta love the scoreboard based highlights). Scott fired a shot to make it 4-0 and finish the scoring in the game. In the shutout win, Forsberg made 28 saves for his sixth career shutout and first of the season.
Up next and it was off to Texas as the Monsters took the place of The Galactic Empire as the Stars were celebrating Star Wars Night and wore special Victory Green Squadron jerseys. As for the game, the nerf herders took a 1-0 lead before the mighty Empire (ok, I’m done I swear) would strike. Ryan Stanton started the play by clearing the puck with Nick Moutrey all over the Stars player who tried to play it. Moutrey promptly got possession and drove to the net before finding Sonny in the slot to make it 1-1 and four straight with a goal for Sonny. Just five minutes later, Ramage struck when Tynan entered the zone and dropped a pass to Ramage who waited and pump faked before firing to make it 2-1 Monsters. Sadly the Rebels scored three straight to take a 4-2 win back to their base, (sorry I had one left). In the loss Joonas Korpisalo made 30 saves.
In the rematch, the Stars opened the scoring in the first and it wouldn’t be until the second when the Monsters finally answered. Midway through the second, Dean Kukan plucked a puck out of the sky and sent it down the boards with Moutrey chasing after it. Moutrey ran over a Stars defender while driving to the net and scored his fifth of the season to tie it. The game ended tied and went to a shootout. Maletta scored in the third round to tie it and making it a sudden death affair. After a Stars miss, Broadhurst played the hero by beating the Stars goalie to clinch the victory for the Monsters. In the win Forsberg made 38 saves for his 12th win of the season.
There you have it folks, a solid two weeks for the Monsters. I’ll be back next week with hopefully a full prospect recap but it will be a late one as I’m heading down to Tampa to take in the CBJ-Lightning game.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
