For the Cleveland Monsters and Syracuse Crunch, one series is done with three more remaining until the 2024 Calder Cup is awarded.
Each team is fresh off a victorious round in the North Division Semifinals. Now, the Monsters and Crunch find themselves on day one of the best-of-five Calder Cup Playoff North Division Final. The Cleveland Monsters, the winner of the Division in the regular season, come in after dispatching the Belleville Senators. Meanwhile, the Syracuse Crunch, who defeated the Rochester Americans, set their sights on redemption.
Cleveland and Syracuse’s last playoff matchup was back in the 2019 North Division Semifinals. The Crunch fell three games to one. Cleveland was ousted in the Division Finals by the Toronto Marlies.
As they prepare to drop the puck on the best-of-five North Division Finals on Thursday evening, let’s look at how these teams match up!
Three Reasons Cleveland Beat Belleville
The Cleveland Monsters defeated the Belleville Senators in four games to emerge from the North Division Semifinals. Playing in their first playoff action since 2019, this was a huge adjustment period for players and coaches. But how did the Monsters emerge victorious?
Adjusting Playing Styles
What works in the regular season might not in the postseason. Cleveland fans don’t need to look further than Trey Fix-Wolansky for a prime example. The team’s regular season leader in goals and assists has been held to only two assists.
With a target on his back, Fix-Wolansky has instead turned into a physical presence. Despite his 5′ 7″ frame, he is playing a critical hitting role.
On the flip side, forward Josh Dunne is one of the scoring leaders through four games. Normally a faceoff specialist and key blocker, the team has leaned on Dunne to fill in where Fix-Wolansky is unable.
Jet “GOAT” Greaves
A calm, confident goaltender can make the difference between a win or a loss. Jet Greaves has been just that all season for Cleveland. A promising goaltending prospect for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, he’s earned the respect of his teammates and coaches.
Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber admits that Greaves is left to his own devices. While they do talk, Vogelhuber will “get out of his way.” Greaves has found a process that works for him and the team, so there is no reason to change it.
After the series win, Vogelhuber shared his thoughts on Greaves’ performance.
Whether he’s playing his first game in the NHL against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a Wednesday night in November, or trying to close out a series at home on Friday, he just does things the same way.
he’s not nervous in the net or in the big moments because it’s what he does every day… that’s how you can stay even-keel in those moments, When you trust your process.
Trent Vogelhuber on Jet Greaves
The pièce de résistance of the playoffs so far? Period two in game three, where Cleveland won in double overtime 3-2. In that period, Belleville put up 13 shots versus Cleveland’s seven. Belleville was in Cleveland’s defensive zone for minutes on end, tiring out the defense. Greaves stood tall, holding the Senators scoreless in that period.
It’s OK to Settle
Usually, “settling” for something is used pretty negatively. This time, it’s very positive!
With lengthy call-ups to the NHL and a massive roster shift, the Monsters’ lineup was constantly in a state of upheaval. Once the Blue Jackets’ season ended and the callups returned, Cleveland’s roster went topsy-turvy again.
As the series went on, the lines and pairings settled into their comfort zones. The passes were crisp, and anticipation of each other’s movements was back. Everyone returned to their mid-season form and put together three straight wins.
In this case, settling is comfort. Settling is confidence. And, most importantly, settling means wins.
Three Reasons Syracuse Beat Rochester
The Syracuse Crunch won their North Division Semifinal round against the Rochester Americans, taking the series to five games. In the Battle of New York, the AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning learned three defining lessons.
To get a better feel for this version of the Crunch, I sat down with the host of the Syracuse Speaks Podcast, Alex Ackerman.
The Return of the Defensive Talent
A defining moment of the Crunch/Amerks series was the return of defensemen Max Crozier and Emil Lilleberg from the Tampa Bay Lightning. After the Bolts were eliminated from the NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, the two defensemen were loaned back to the AHL.
Crozier and Lilleberg’s return was as smooth as anyone could hope. Since their callups weren’t overly lengthy, the two players easily slotted back in, returning stability to the defensive unit.
Games One and Two were split between the Crunch and Amerks. Starting with the pair’s return in Game Three, they helped limit shots and made the defensive corps more effective. Yes, THAT Game Three, where Syracuse won in double overtime 2-1. In that game, Syracuse led in shots 62-34.
Crozier got his call up on April 22, 2024, while Lilleberg had been with Tampa since March 16.
Barre-Boulet is Back to Form
Another key to the Crunch’s victory over Rochester was the return of Alex Barre-Boulet. In five games of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs, Barre-Boulet has two goals and three assists, making him a point-per-game player.
When he was sent down to Syracuse in late February, head coach Joel Bouchard originally skated Barre-Boulet on the fourth line. However, he’s been given some slack in the playoffs. As Ackerman put it, “he’s allowed to be himself.”
Barre-Boulet has skated on the second and third lines and has had power play time. The increased playing time lets him get back into the groove while overcoming the stress of a late-season send-down. Working in their favor is that Crunch is the highest level of the organization actively in play.
Since the Lightning is a perennial contender, that’s plagued the Crunch for a while.
Scoring By Committee
In my Cleveland vs Belleville series preview, I mentioned that “the best hockey teams always tout and, at times, rely on their depth.” Syracuse put that mantra on display in the division semifinals, with 17 skaters (10 forwards and seven defensemen) earning at least one point.
Leading the way were Gage Goncalves (1G, 5A), Barre-Boulet (2G, 3A), Declan Carlile (1G, 3A), and Felix Robert (1G, 3A).
Regular Season Series Recap
On paper, the Monsters and Crunch are as close as you can get! Their season series is tied, with each team having two wins and two losses.
However, these teams have not seen each other since January 13, 2024, when Syracuse won 3-2 in a shootout.
Leading scorers in the season series were Syracuse’s Mitchell Chaffee with four assists and Cleveland’s Fix-Wolansky with two goals and two assists. Chaffee is unavailable to the Crunch for the postseason.
Monsters netminder Greaves took both of Cleveland’s wins, sporting a 3.02 goals-against average and a 0.899 save percentage. For Syracuse, goaltending duties were mainly led by Hugo Alnefelt, with six goals against, a 1.91 GAA, and a 0.943 GAA.
Cleveland 2 @ Syracuse 3 (Jan 13, 2024) Final SO
Cleveland 4 @ Syracuse 3 (Dec 22, 2023) Final OT
Syracuse 2 @ Cleveland 4 (Oct 21, 2023) Final
Syracuse 5 @ Cleveland 0 (Oct 20, 2023) Final
Cleveland Monsters vs Syracuse Crunch Storyline To Watch
Community Mindset
Hockey has been long described as a brotherhood. Cleveland and Syracuse both embrace this within their locker rooms.
According to Ackerman, this is a recent cultural shift within the Crunch. Under former head coach Ben Groulx, she shared that the longer he was with the Crunch, the stronger the uber-competitive spirit became.
While this works in the NHL, internal competition can harm AHL teams. With the consistent “next man up mentality,” the top AHL teams are always in harmony and do not try to one-up each other.
Ackerman says that head coach Bouchard has instilled a strong community in the Crunch locker room. She continues to say that this team, on paper, should never have gotten as close to the North Division title as they did. This was even more so once the Lightning started picking away at the roster.
However, this new culture has the locker room ready to run through walls for each other.
On the Monsters’ side, forward Owen Sillinger shared with The Calder Times earlier this season about how close the Cleveland room is. They are not only teammates but also friends who understand and respect each other. He rooms with fellow forward Roman Ahcan, with a number of teammates living close by. This means lots of time spent together on off days.
After closing out the series against the Senators, Greaves echoed Sillinger’s sentiment.
It’s my third year here. it’s so cool for me to see so many of the guys I came in with now playing such big roles for this team… we’ve got a really, really close knit group, And I think that helps us to be on the same page and get better and better as the year goes on.
Cleveland Monsters goaltender Jet Greaves on the team’s chemistry
No one can deny that playing with your friends and brothers in an intense game will bring lots of energy and passion to the room.
Cultures like this are tough but useful to create in a league with so much player movement. Watch how the teams band together and respond to adversity as this series draws on.
Monsters to Watch
I’ve already listed some key Monsters’ players, but with a deep team, there’s no ending to people to keep an eye on. Here are my two potential X-factors for Cleveland:
James Malatesta- After sitting out the first series, Malatesta seems to be slotting in at least for Game One. At Wednesday’s practice, he skated on a line with Hunter McKown and Fix-Wolansky. Will the long layoff impact his play, or will his youthful energy and grit give Fix-Wolansky the space he needs to net some goals?
Owen Sillinger- With two game-winning goals already in the playoffs, Sillinger is an early leader for the skaters’ MVP. He is a versatile forward who can be used in almost any situation; watch for Vogelhuber to move him around the lineup to spark lines that may be struggling.
Crunch to Watch
This Crunch squad has a lot going for it right now, with a statement series win. But who stands out as their top two players to watch?
Brandon Halverson– This is truly a remarkable run for him. He has spent five seasons in the AHL from 2016-17 to now. With 66 regular season games under his belt, Halverson has never played AHL playoff hockey. Taking a season off in 2021-22, Ackerman shares he was working through some personal challenges but is now back and playing at his top form. How affirming it must be to look at his transformation from an ECHL backup in November to now backstopping his team in the playoffs to a round they haven’t been in since 2018. This should prove he still has what it takes to be a successful netminder.
Felix Robert– Facing injury troubles throughout the season, the Crunch took their time easing Robert back into the lineup. He missed the last week of the regular season, mainly being held out as a precaution. Robert was good to go for the playoffs but was hesitant to start. His production picked up as the series went on, as he built his ice time and confidence. Look for him to continue working through this during the division finals.
Bold Predictions
When I think of bold predictions, I go above and beyond. Shoot for the moon, I guess. Here’s what I think will happen:
Bold Prediction for the Monsters
Cole Clayton scored the game-winner in Game Two’s overtime thriller. This kicked off the three-game streak to toss the Sens from the playoffs. He’s such a heart-and-soul player for Cleveland. He’s done it once, and I feel this defender will get a game-winner again this series.
Bold Prediction for the Crunch
With Halverson’s increasing confidence and Cinderella-like season, I’d like to see him get a point. This would be his first since his rookie season with the Hartford Wolf Pack in 2016-17.
Cleveland Monsters vs Syracuse Crunch Series Prediction
Once again, goaltending will be the deciding factor in this series. Cleveland needs to find a way to get Fix-Wolansky going on offense and start racking up shots on Halverson. Likewise, Syracuse must be crafty or work down low to tip pucks past Greaves. Otherwise, Cleveland is going to be a hard out.
There’s no way around it—this series is going the full five games. However, with Cleveland’s depth and refreshed roster, I predict they will emerge as the North Division postseason champs.
Game One is tonight at 7:00 p.m. in Cleveland, with Game Two on Saturday, May 18 at 1:00 p.m. The series moves to Syracuse for Game Three on Wednesday, May 22, at 7:00 p.m. and Game Four on Friday, May 4, also at 7:00. If needed, Game Five returns to Cleveland at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 26.
