Flurry of Momentum Propels Monsters Over Griffins

CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Monsters and Grand Rapids Griffins met for a mid-week romp at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Wednesday night. Both came into the game with a 5-5-0-0 record on the season. The Griffins were looking to avenge a 4-1 loss handed to them by the Rockford IceHogs on November 5. Meanwhile, the Monsters came into the game on the hunt to string together two consecutive wins. 

Things didn’t start on the high note the Monsters thought the game would. They were a little messy and slower than anticipated.

“I think we came out slow, too slow,” said Cleveland forward Tyler Angle. “Our goal was to come out there with a hard start.”

During the first intermission, Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber preached simplifying the game moving forward.

“Once we simplified a little bit, it alleviated some of the pressure and some plays opened up for us,” explained Vogelhuber. “We were able to get on the forecheck and had that little flurry of momentum there in the second.”

And a flurry of momentum they had. 

After defender Steven Kampfer gave the Griffins a 2-0 lead 3:38 into the second period, the Monsters said enough was enough. In the span of 4:50, Cleveland scored three goals to take the 3-2 lead over the Griffins. Two of those were back-to-back goals from Angle. Both were assisted by his linemate, Justin Richards.

“Richie is a really smart player. He’s in the right spots at the right time,” Angle said of his teammate. “He made two good plays to me and I was fortunate enough to put it into the back of the net.”

Even when they weren’t scoring, Angle and Richards worked a lot of magic throughout the night. They knew where each other were on the ice at all times and didn’t need to make sound or direct eye contact to communicate. Vogelhuber thinks they were able to create multiple beautiful plays was due to the fact they pair nicely together.

“Angler obviously had a super nice move on the one. He was finding space. Richie is a hard nose guy who gets in there and recovers pucks,” Vogelhuber praised. “It’s a nice combination.”

Most would think Angle’s two goals were what fired the Monsters up to finish strong. However, Angle himself thinks it was the goal from forward Carson Meyer which gave the team that extra fire.

“Carson was a big one. Eleven seconds after my second goal. Got us the lead and kind of got the boys fired up on the bench,” Angle said. 

MORE AHL NEWS

• AHL Releases 2023 Preseason Schedule
• 5 AHL Players Who Retired This 2023 Offseason
• AHL Pacific Division News : August 2023
• AHL North Division News: August 2023
• AHL Central Division News: August 2023

As the Monsters played more basic hockey, their sense of urgency began to rise.

“We started chipping pucks behind them, started playing a physical game, and started competing a little bit more,” explained Monsters forward Owen Sillinger. “We added a sense of urgency and it just built up and built up.”

Cleveland’s sense of urgency rolled into the third period. By the halfway point, Sillinger was lighting the lamp himself. 

Owen Sillinger with some dangles before scoring his first goal of the season.

Cleveland Monsters lead the Grand Rapids Griffins 4-2 4-2 with 9:35 to play in the game. #GoGRG #CLEMonsters @FPC_AHL pic.twitter.com/pzQHpG44Sh

— Elaine Shircliff (@imaraindancer) November 10, 2022

Ten seconds before scoring, SIllinger had been unleashed from the box for a tripping penalty and was looking for redemption.

“Honestly, I was feeling bad about the penalty I took. I came out and just had to make a play,” said Sillinger of how his goal came to fruition. “Cole Fonstand set a play up to me and I just tried to wiggle and find some space to get a shot off and it went in.”

At this point, the Griffins started to skate hard and hit even harder, but this didn’t stop the Monsters. They knew no matter what happened, goaltender Daniil Tarasov would be able to stand up to the Griffins and defend his net.

“He’s a big body. You don’t see much of the net,” said Angle of Tarasov.

Vogelhuber went on to explain that Tarasov’s confidence in net helps the team calm down and focus on the task at hand; finishing strong.

“He settles in down when they have a momentum push. When you’re not at your best, it gives the group some extra confidence knowing he’s back there and can recover for you if you make a mistake.”

The trust the Monsters have in Tarasov allowed them to stay focused and continue to create plays as the clock wound down. With 32 seconds left in the game, Fonstad launched a shot from the Monsters defensive zone directly into the Griffins empty net to seal the deal on a 5-2 win. 

Wednesday night’s game proved that sometimes you have to take a step back to the basics to launch yourself forward to a win.

Around Full Press Hockey

NHL: Preseason Takeaways: New-Look Jets Have Much to Prove

NHL Rumors: NHL Rumors: Ottawa Senators, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils

NHL: NHL Training Camp Preview: Can Sharks, Blues Return To Cup Contender Status?

NFL: Best Bets For 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year

Full Press Bets: Early 2022 NFL MVP Odds: Bills’ Josh Allen Favored

PODCAST: Full Press Hockey Weekly Ep 38: NHL Season Preview: Golden Knights, Maple Leafs, Johnny Gaudreau