CLEVELAND– With a weekend sweep over the Toronto Marlies, the Cleveland Monsters retained first place in the North Division and third place in the Eastern Conference. These wins also allowed Cleveland to move into fourth place in the AHL.
Below are three reasons why the Monsters were able to jump from the middle of the division to the top in the span of 10 days.
Roster Depth
According to Cleveland’s Head Coach Trent Vogelhuber, the biggest reason for their success this season is a deep roster. “We’ve got, at the moment, a deeper roster than we’ve had in seasons past,” said Vogelhuber.
While having good players is always a plus, Vogelhuber acknowledged the fact a deep roster tends to bring out the greatness in players. “With a deeper roster comes competition within and that pushes guys harder than a coach can,” explained Vogelhuber.
Part of the Monsters roster depth is having two capable goaltenders in Jet Greaves (9-3-0) and Pavel Cajan (3-1-1). Greaves is the only goaltender in the league to have nine wins this season. There are currently three netminders close behind with eight wins each – Hunter Shepard (HER), Dustin Wolf (CGY), and Matthew Villalta (TUC).
Greaves and Cajan both excel at something different, which gives them an edge from night to night. Great peripheral vision and a superhero-like ability to see through traffic is where Greaves excels. Cajan’s sweet spot lies in quick, strong leg work and being nimble in the crease. It’s more than skill which makes this tandem work. The deep respect they have for one another paired with their friendly nature has taken their game to the next level.
“They’re great people and friends,” Vogelhuber explained of the relationship between Greaves and Cajan. “They push each other and I think that’s part of it, as well. Just like anybody in the lineup who’s vying for playing time – both are playing well – you start to push each other in a positive way. They’re supportive of each other, which is extremely important.”
Cajan expanded upon their relationship, noting he and Greaves pick each other’s brain after every game. “We just chat a little bit,” said Cajan. “What (went) good in the game. We try to help each other out.”
Around The AHL
Vogelhuber did take a moment to remind us that with a deep roster comes a greater responsibility when it comes to creating the lineup. “When you have a deep roster of good players, you’ve got good players sitting out. Sometimes players come out when they don’t deserve to,” said Vogelhuber. With eight defensemen on the team, the coaching staff is tasked with the balancing act of keeping legs fresh and slotting guys in the lineup based on merit. “No defenseman can sit out too long because then they are left behind a little bit out of the group and out of the flow of things,” Vogelhuber explained.
However, as defenseman Billy Sweezey has alluded to multiple times, in the AHL you need to have a “next man up mentality” to succeed. Luckily, for the Monsters, every single member of the defense has seized their chance and performed well when given the opportunity.
Mistakes Are Opportunities For Growth
One thing I’ve noticed this season is mistakes are not necessarily a bad thing. They are opportunities for growth.
On November 18, Cleveland dropped a 7-5 contest to their North Division rival the Rochester Americans. After allowing seven goals in one game, many teams would want to burn the tape and put the loss in the rear-view mirror. Vogelhuber, on the other hand, viewed the game a little bit differently. “You lose a game, it’s not the end of the world,” he said. “We’ll teach the details and move onward.”
Imagine having a coach at the professional level who doesn’t look at a loss and act as if it’s the end of the world or if the season is over. Yes, Vogelhuber isn’t excited about losses and would prefer mistakes be kept to a minimum. However, he emboldens the team to continue learning and growing. “We’re going to be teaching all the way through game 72 plus,” said Vogelhuber.
Having Fun
When mistakes don’t feel cumbersome, a player can relax and have fun. Crafting an atmosphere of fun and hard work can make the transition easier when a player is sent down to the AHL from the NHL. A great example of this is forward Kent Johnson.
Before being sent to Cleveland, Johnson had three points in eight games with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Many called it a “demotion” and speculated that he must have felt disrespected. But, this wasn’t the case. Johnson was disappointed but he didn’t necessarily view it as a demotion. Plus, coming to Cleveland meant he was going to be surrounded by many familiar faces, including his best friend defenseman Jake Christiansen. On top of that, the way Vogelhuber coaches and the positive energy the Monsters bring to the table have allowed Johnson to thrive. You can see it in the way he holds himself off the ice and the way he plays on the ice. With a big smile on his face, Johnson has become more creative and his skillful play has begun to flourish.
KENT JOHNSON HOW ARE YA?! 😵@monstershockey | #TORvsCLE pic.twitter.com/8fQOMi3Lho
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) November 25, 2023
If the Monsters stay relaxed and having fun, a lot of magic is bound to happen.
Around Full Press Coverage
NHL: The Edmonton Oilers Defense Continues To Be An Issue
NHL Rumors: NHL Rumors: Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets
Devils: Jack Hughes Says The Devils Need To Be More Physical
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 NHL Podcast: Houston, We Have A Problem In Ottawa, New Jersey and Edmonton