Riding a four-game winning streak into the first weekend of December, the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters were feeling on top of the world. Well, at least on top of their division.
However, after splitting a weekend series with the North Division’s sixth-place Utica Comets, the Monsters will likely return to the drawing board.
Saturdays are for Monsters’ Victories
Cleveland attempted to set the tone for the weekend. With brand new Columbus Blue Jackets-themed jerseys and icing Roman Ahcan for his first AHL action of the season, the Monsters were ready to showcase a different side of the division-leading squad. The Monsters finished Saturday with a 4-2 victory over Utica.
Also in Cleveland’s favor on Saturday was Daniil Tarasov in net, who was sent to Cleveland on a Long Term Injured Reserve Conditioning Loan. The Cleveland skaters banded together to play one of the most goalie-friendly systems I’ve ever seen.
Only letting 12 Utica shots reach Tarasov throughout two periods of play allowed him to settle into the game on his terms. At times, he looked to be scrambling, but that should get better in time as he gets more games under his belt.
This was a game where everything seemed to go right for Cleveland. The top forward line of Trey Fix-Wolansky, Brendan Gaunce, and Carson Meyer set the pace early. Cleveland kept Tarasov clear and the puck visible. When on the penalty kill, Nick Blankenburg and Marcus Bjork did a phenomenal job blocking shots and removing shooting lanes from Utica.
Even with heavy legs in the third, which required Tarasov to block a game-high 12 shots, the Monsters found a way to close out the game.
Finish? What Finish?
One reoccurring theme across the Monsters’ season reared its head on Sunday afternoon- difficulty closing out games. For a team with such high talent on both sides of the puck, getting out to a lead and defending it shouldn’t be such a chore.
In most games, Cleveland can skate away with a close victory. Sometimes, they lose and move on to the next. But the loss on Sunday afternoon was so egregious that some serious soul-searching needs to take place.
A franchise-high five goals in the first period by James Malatesta, Jake Christiansen, Owen Sillinger, Trey Fix-Wolansky, and Hunter McKown should be enough to close out almost any opponent. On the flip side, Utica still managed two goals in the first from Graeme Clarke and Tyler Wotherspoon.
So what happened for Cleveland to fall from a 5-2 lead to a 7-6 loss in regulation? It’s easy: simplification of the game.
Utica head coach Kevin Dineen swapped goaltenders from Erik Källgren to Isaac Poulter to start the second. That swap (and Poulter’s lightning-quick glove) slowed down the game and set the Comets on a path to victory.
It seemed that every time a Cleveland skater touched the puck, two or three Comets were on him immediately. Lanes were clogged. Passes were disrupted. Board battles were won.
Granted, it would be far too easy to point a finger at the Monsters and say the loss was their fault. Perhaps the catalyst was Utica’s play. They remained consistent for the back 40 of the game, climbing the mountain step by step until they reached Cleveland on the summit.
Then they shoved the Monsters off courtesy of a Daniil Misyul snipe.
All of the fight and energy were gone from the Monsters at this point. Utica saw that and grabbed victory from the claws of defeat.
Their Own Monster
This season, the Cleveland Monsters have been terrorizing the opposition, evidenced by their 13-5-1-0 record and 0.711 points percentage. Sure, it’s too early to hit any kind of panic button on a single loss. The real question is when does a trend become problematic and how late is too late to work on it.
Several fans have commented to me that the first half to three-quarters of each period look great: high-intensity, fast skating, and laser focus. However, most of that drops off in the last five to ten minutes of each period. Is it the short and high-paced practices that lead to similar gameplay? Maybe it is just an over-excited group of young men who must learn to pace themselves.
Either way, the beginning of December is late enough to notice the trend. The key to sustained success has one major obstacle: how much longer will it take for a sustained effort to come around?
Weekend Standouts
Cleveland’s Trey Fix-Wolansky is one goal away from trying Andrew Agozzino for the franchise lead in most goals scored all time. He sits at 66 goals across his AHL career, all with the Monsters.
Utica’s Samuel LaBerge stood out in all the right ways. Fresh off his NHL recall in New Jersey, LaBerge proved he is not afraid to use the body to make chances for himself. He finished with one goal, two assists, and three shots on the weekend.
Up Next
Cleveland is headed out for a three-game road trip starting on Wednesday, December 6th, in Hartford. They then head to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Friday before stopping by Hershey for a Saturday tilt.
Utica has a three-games-in-three-days schedule starting on Friday, hosting the Bridgeport Islanders. Then, Utica will drop by Syracuse for a home-and-home series against the Crunch on Saturday and Sunday.
