Monsters Trample Moose - AHL

By Dave Wiley

Six short days ago, the Moose dominated the Monsters on the Monsters home ice. Would the Monsters extract revenge?  Between these home meetings, Lake Eerie road tripped to Rochester New York and lost to the Rochester Americans 3-2.  . 

The Monsters opened the game with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.  They looked like they were embarrassed by last weeks’ performance.  The Moose helped out the Monsters energy level as #49 of the Moose,Alexandre Bulduc got two minutes for hooking.  The Monsters power play opened in excellent fashion.  They pressed hard early on, but the puck spent a lot of time in their own end as well near the end of the two minutes.   Unfortunately, the attempt yielded no goals.  Just after the power play expired, #21 of the Monsters, Mike Rycroft got called for boarding.   The penalty was a good one, though, as the Moose were threatening behind the net at the time and had a man open in the middle.  The penalty probably saved a goal.  At least at the time…. Greg Classen of the Moose capitalized 50 seconds in on a sweet around the horn and pass through the middle which put Bascachuia out of position.  Assist registered by McIver. Not even eight minutes in, the Moose led 1-0.  The Monsters fought right back.  With 10:41 left in the first, they evened it up on a drive from Rycroft and an assist from #29 Wes O’neill..   With 5:38 left in the period, the Moose surged back into the lead on some quick passing from behind the net to #17 Alex Hanson, from Bulduc and Raymond.  #14 Monsters’ Mark McChutcheon, say that three times fast, got two minutes for hooking.  The Monsters just hoped to close out the period without another score.  The Moose, however pushed for the opposite, and put tremendous pressure on Lake Eerie.  The Defense held.  With two seconds left, the Monsters had an odd man rush as McChutcheon stormed out of the penalty box, but the Monsters were off sides.  Tempers flared as the first period horn sounded.  # 22 Steve Margeson of the Monsters and # 8 Nathan McIver of the Moose each got two minutes for roughing and a ten minute game misconduct.  While the fight was nothing but square dancing moves, the penalty was severe.  Shots on goal were 18 to 13 in the Monsters’ favor, a rare instance when they held the shots on goal edge after one.  That was a promising sign even though they were down one goal.

     The teams opened the second period in a four-on-four situation.  Lake Eerie appeared the better of the teams down one skater each but could not put the puck in the net.  In a flurry, the Monsters went up 3-2 The second goal was scored byMcCutcheon from Stewart at 5:08.  Right off the face off the Monsters scored again, a fantastic wind up slap shot by #23 David Jones assisted by #3 Johnny Boychuk  and #6 Mike Vernace.

Monsters’ Goalie Bacashihua had a goal tying poke save on a Moose breakaway with 4:54 left in the period   The Monsters took another penalty to #8 Cody McCloud, two minutes for interference.  It didn’t take long for the lethal Moose power play to capitalize again.  They have a stellar passing attack when they are up a man and knotted the score at three all.

     The third period had a promising start for Lake Eerie as at 2:25 into the third, the Monsters went on the power play after a hooking call to #15 Jason Jaffrey.  The bad news is the Moose got the first quality scoring chance on a shorthanded shot.  #44 Danny Grouix got called for tripping and the Monsters had a 38 second five-on-three they could not convert.  The Moose broke out of the box, and even though short handed caught the monsters off-guard.  Bacashihua had a great save to hold the game at three.  The Moose stonewalled the rest of the power play and with 15 minutes left in the contest, the score remained 3-3.  The Moose took another penalty to #40 Michael Grabner for interference.  The Lake Eerie power play was anemic, but that didn’t stop them from scoring a full strength goal immediately after the penalty ended.  The Goal was registered by #21 Mark Rycroft.  Assisted by #32 Burki.  The Monsters played a good game of keep away after taking the lead, killing precious clock time.  Eleven minutes in, #17 Jannik Hnnsen for the Moose tripped right at center ice for everyone to see, sending the Monsters back on the power play. Five minutes to go Bacashihua made a great glove stop.  With less than five minutes to go # 20 Brad Moran got the hook for hooking and the Monsters went back on the power play.  A goal here and they would probably send the fans home happy.  The Monsters immediately not only got called for one penalty, but took another even before the whistle was blown on the first one on Roach and Disilva, making it a four on three Moose advantage.  They killed off the penalty in stellar fashion.  Two minutes to go in the game.  Manitoba pulled their goalie and it paid dividends..  Fifty three seconds from defeat, the Moose Greg Moran scored  on an assist from Jeffries. 

The game went into the over time frame.  Forty seconds in each team already had registered a shot on goal in heated fast paced full ice hockey.  With 3:34 left in the five-minute overtime, the Moose defenseman Zack FitzGerald got called for a hold, putting the Monsters on the power play.  And what a power play it was!!  2:15 left in the over time brought the Monsters a victory.  The goal was scored by #25 Craig Stewart, assisted by #3 Boychuk and #23 David Jones.

Thrid Star of the game was Monsters #21 Mark Rycroft.  Second star center Greg Classen of the Moose.  First Star was #25 Cris Stewart. 

The next Monsters home hockey game features Mullet night December 1^st.  Meet the Infamous Hansen Brothers from the movie ‘Slap Shot’ and get a Mullet Wig.  Also, you will bear witness to some fantastic hockey as the Monsters just keep getting better and better.