The Monsters were back in the basement of the division after yesterday’s loss to the Manitoba Moose and a win by the Rochester Americans. The good news was, they took on the Rochester Americans with a chance to move back ahead of them in the standings. This game was a must win for the Monsters. You have to beat the teams just above and just below you to get anywhere. Dale Puriton was back in the lineup for the Monsters, fresh off a twenty five game suspension. Lake Erie took care of business all evening, and came away with a 3-0 victory.Less than two minutes in, the Monsters were up 1-0 on an odd man rush and some beautiful passing from T.J. Hensik to Healey to Brent Kelly, and just like that the momentum was on the Monsters side. Brent Kelly looked like he had an extra gear this evening as his next shot just missed, skimming the crossbar and out. That would have given him two goals in six minutes. Tyler Weiman was sharp all night. He started the evening with a great save on Stewart, the brother of the Monsters #25 Chris Stewart. Rochester did not let off the gas, and a scrum erupted just after Weiman gloved another point blank shot to put the brakes on play. Taylor shot one for Rochester that was again gloved by Weiman. This was Weiman’s first start since December 8th and he was looking good early on. Mike Funk of the Americans went to the box for interference, and the Monsters, halfway through the first, picked up the first power play of the evening. The power play was oddly backwards , as the Americans squeezed off two short handed shots. The first was a pick-pocket turnover by Jeff Jillson that Johny Boychuk raced back and stopped, making the shooter pull the string early and giving Weiman a good look for the stop. The Monsters went back on the power play again, and yet again the Americans broke out on a three on one. Boychuk, the only Monster back, picked off a pass happy American team, and Lake Erie charged down on ice. Inexplicably, the Americans broke back again on a three on one. This time Net Minder Tyler Weiman came up big; burying the shot. You wouldn’t know the Americans were the team shorthanded four minutes in a row. They were the ones that looked like they were on the power play.
Denisov registered the first penalty for the Monsters, a two minute holding call. Now the Americans were really on the power play. Lake Erie had an excellent penalty kill, throwing the puck out of the offensive zone every time the Americans brought it in.
The first period ended with the Monsters up 1-0, but down in the shot column 8-12. While the Monsters seemed to outplay the Americans most of the period, the turnovers and shorthanded chances they gave up made the period appear even.
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