Helewka’s Four-Point Night Highlights Positives for Cleveland

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – On December 8, 2021, the Cleveland Monsters took down the Syracuse Crunch, 8-3. Cleveland forward Adam Helewka earned a four-point night in the form of a hat trick and an assist.

Those four points showed many positives from not just Helewka, but from the Monsters as a whole.

Helewka’s first goal of the night came 13:46 into the first period after Syracuse forward Charles Hudon tried to clear the puck out of the Crunch’s defensive zone by whacking it from the right corner. The puck didn’t get very far, as Hudon basically passed it to Cleveland forward Trey Fix-Wolansky. He skated up the boards before seeing Helewka sitting between the circles. After brushing the Crunch off with a little spin action, Fix-Wolansky passed the puck to Helewka, who made Darren Raddysh bite on the left before sliding the puck to the right and backhanding it past Syracuse netminder Max Lagace.

What you don’t see in the clip above is how Fix-Wolansky lurked on the right side of the ice for around 20 seconds, helping the play keep moving in a circular motion around the perimeter of the ice. By staying on one section of the ice, Fix-Wolansky was able to see when the right time was to finish the play.

Having someone posted along the boards on one side of the ice to help keep the play moving was a theme for the Monsters on Wednesday night.

A block by Cleveland defender Tim Berni with 3:47 left in the first period set Helewka’s second point of the night into motion.

Billy Sweezey picked up the blocked shot along the near wall and quickly passed it off to Cole Fonstad, who raced out of the defensive zone and cut across the neutral zone like a mad man. After Fonstad crossed the blue line into the Monsters’ offensive zone, he backhanded the puck to Helewka at the boards. Helewka swiftly skated to the top of the faceoff circle before launching the puck at the net. Lagace dove across the crease to stop the shot, but it was too late. Sweezey was already barreling towards the crease and tipped the shot in for the goal.

There are a few positives to point out on this play. Let’s start with the fact a defender helped start and finish the play. A defense that is able to step in on both ends of the ice allows the goaltender to breathe a bit and the offense to flourish.

Secondly, everyone saw Fonstand’s ability to control his speed and skating. He trucked through the neutral zone like a bat out of hell. However, once Fonstad hit the blue line and saw Helewka, he stopped skating and allowed momentum to push him towards the net. If Helewka had fumbled the puck or gotten tangled up with someone, Fonstad would have been able to quickly decide which way to start skating without breaking momentum. It also allowed Fonstad to save some energy in case he needed to chase down a puck or pick up a rebound.

Finally, as the season trudges along, Helewka’s brain continues to fire on more cylinders. The moment Helewka saw Sweezey pick up the blocked shot, he immediately headed towards the left boards and moved with the play from afar while being undetected by the Crunch. This allowed Fonstad to feel comfortable enough to pass the puck off to Helewka once he crossed the blue line. The Crunch were so focused on Fonstad that they didn’t even register Helewka being anywhere on the ice until it was too late. Helewka’s quick thinking and ability to sneak around the ice helped make this play turn into a goal.

Helewka’s third point of the night came in the form of a blue-collar goal, 12:58 into the third period. It wasn’t a pretty goal, but it doesn’t need to be pretty to be effective.

All season long, the Monsters have been playing up until they hear the whistle blow. They try to finish the play regardless of the cost. Why? Because they know a few extra whacks and pokes can lead to a goal.

A faceoff win by Brendan Gaunce in the Monsters defensive zone with 1:13 left in the game set Helewka’s fourth and final point into motion. To make things even better, it was his third goal of the night. Defensive zone faceoffs have been a bit of a struggle for the Monsters this season, so successfully executing a play immediately after a defensive zone faceoff win was a big deal for Cleveland.

Earlier, I mentioned how quickly Helewka’s brain can work. His swift thinking was on display during this goal. The moment Berni went behind Tarasov with the puck, Helewka raced down the right boards with an incredible amount of speed, and the Crunch could not keep up with him. Once Helewka received the puck from Cole Clayton, he had a lot of space at his disposal which allowed him to cut across the ice and make a play on the net.

If the Monsters can continue to build can continue to build upon all of these positives, they’ll start to see more success on the scoreboard.