CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Monsters continued their resurgence in the American Hockey League’s 2024 Calder Cup Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night, defeating the Hershey Bears 5-1.
Led by a stellar performance by starting netminder Jet Greaves, fantastic coaching strategy, and dialed-in offense, the Monsters have won their second straight game in back-to-back potential elimination matchups. Going up against the defending Calder Cup champions in the Bears that’s a pretty tall order.
Which players led the way? What lesson did each team learn? What does Cleveland need to do if they want to return for the reverse sweep? Keep reading to find out!
Three Stars
Usually, it’s pretty easy to pick out three standouts in each game. However, with a lopsided win and meaningful contributions all around, it’s hard to narrow down. But here are The Calder Times’ three stars of the night.
Third Star: Denton Mateychuk
In only his second-ever professional game, defenseman Denton Mateychuk has been a steadying, skilled addition to the Monsters blueline. Slotting in on the top power-play unit with David Jiricek, Josh Dunne, Trey Fix-Wolansky, and Brendan Gaunce, Mateychuk appears unphased and very much like a veteran in this league.
Mateychuk’s skating and ability to read plays serve him well in his quick transition from the Western Hockey League into the pro game. On Cleveland’s second power play of the night, Mateychuk earned his first professional point on Dunne’s first goal of the night.
After the celebration, it was reported that Dunne retrieved the puck from the referees to commemorate Mateychuk’s milestone.
Second Star: Jet Greaves
When the home crowd starts chanting one singular name, you know someone has put up a special performance. In the closing minutes of game five, the 13,159 fans gathered at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland started chanting “Jet! Jet! Jet!” in unison.
After all, if it wasn’t for Greaves’ spectacular performance, Hershey’s relentless pressure in their offensive zone would have likely made this a significantly closer game.
When the Bears had the Monsters’ defense scrambling, Greaves was able to turn away pucks in quick succession.
He finished the night with 33 saves on 34 shots. At no time did he seem overwhelmed. When asked after the game about the pressure of playing in multiple elimination games in quick succession, Greaves had a mature, almost poetic response to The Calder Times:
pressure can burst a pipe. Pressure can make diamonds… I think it’s important for us just to look at it with positive experience and enjoy each opportunity.
Cleveland Monsters goaltender Jet Greaves on the pressure he’s facing in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs
What wise words from the 23-year-old.
First Star: Brendan Gaunce
Monsters captain Brendan Gaunce was sorely missed in the opening rounds of the playoffs. His high-flying offense, calm leadership, and veteran presence have been vital to Cleveland’s success this season.
It was a massive boost to the Monsters’ lineup when he cleared waivers and was given the OK to play earlier in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. While it has taken him a few games to get back to form, Gaunce put up quite the game on Saturday night.
One assist and two goals within 6:54 of game time in the second period make Gaunce more than deserved as our number-one star.
Two Takeaways
Takeaway One: Keep Hershey’s Feet Moving
As game five wore on, it was obvious that Cleveland really excelled when they used their collective speed to wear down the Hershey skaters. Of course, Ethen Frank is the two-time winner of the AHL All-Star Classic’s fastest skater competition. In 2023, he set a record time of 12.915, the only AHLer ever to break the 13-second barrier. But as a whole, Cleveland has the advantage stride for stride.
The Bears struggled when the Monsters were able to keep the puck or force Hershey into a full 200-ft game. Cleveland’s contingent of speedy and talented skaters is at its best when it has space to work. On the flip side, players like Gaunce, Dunne, James Malatesta, Jakub Zboril, and Tyler Angle are more than capable of creating that space.
Cleveland’s impressive four-goal second period led to Hershey switching their goaltenders from Hunter Shepard to Clay Stevenson.
One key to Cleveland continuing to avoid elimination is forcing Hershey to keep skating and playing at a fast pace. Since the remainder of this series will be played at Giant Center in Hershey, PA, Cleveland will need to keep that pace up for a full 60 minutes to keep the crowd out of the game.
Takeaway Two: Hit the Monsters in the Weak Spots
When Hershey exerts its collective size and strength, it’s a perfect recipe for sweet success. Smart stick work, brute force, and preventing the transition plays are classic Hershey hockey for this series.
That is where Cleveland has struggled so far.
Jimmy Huntington’s skill at forcing turnovers by pulling pucks off Cleveland’s sticks gave his team significantly more attempts and zone time than the Bears would otherwise have. Chase Priskie forced Malatesta to pass into traffic on an otherwise gaping net, preventing a sure goal. Frank, Bogdan Trineyev, and Henrik Rybinski closed in on Cleveland in the third period, holding Cleveland to only five shots.
Hershey obviously has what it takes to win games and close out this series. But the rest of the lineup needs to follow the example set by the players I mentioned above to get it done.
One Question: How Does the Short Turnaround Factor In?
Even with a 344-mile bus trip between the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland and Giant Center in Hershey, these teams have less than 48 hours to rest before dropping the puck on game six.
Hershey is dealing with injury issues, namely with Lucas Johansen, Pierrick Dube, and Aaron Ness, all key contributors. Rybinski was a game-time decision for game five. Is the quick turnaround enough time for them to come back? Is the quick turnaround enough for Hershey to regain dominance for game six?
For Cleveland, who left for Hershey earlier on Sunday, can they maintain confidence and momentum across the PA turnpike and into the hostile Giant Center? In a team that preaches excellence by period (“Tied or better” is a common mantra of Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber at each intermission), they keep their sights set on short milestones. But facing up to two more elimination games, can coach Vogelhuber keep his team’s focus across the trip?
What’s Next
The Hershey Bears and Cleveland Monsters return to the ice on Monday, June 10, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern in Hershey, PA. If needed, game seven will be on Wednesday, June 12, also at 7:00.
