Monsters tighten defense, but fall

Progress for the Monsters won’t always be measured by the American Hockey League standings this season, where after two games they are winless.

The Monsters battled Grand Rapids evenly for most of the game Feb. 13 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, but came up on the short end of a 3-1 final. It was a one-goal game until the Griffins’ Dominic Turgeon scored an empty-net goal with 1:49 remaining to remove all doubt.

“It’s funny what makes a difference in a game,” Coach Mike Eaves said. “I thought we were tighter (defensively) tonight. The difference was a puck off the boards in front of the (Cleveland) net and an angle shot that went over (Monsters’ goalie Brad) Thiessen’s shoulder. It was a tighter game, but we have to find a way to win those.”

The Monsters did not attack the Grand Rapids net the same way they bore down on Rochester a night earlier, but instead put their effort into playing the tighter defense Eaves mentioned. The strategy made for a 1-1 tie after two periods and 17 shots on Griffins goaltender Pat Nagle.

At the end of two periods Feb. 12, the Monsters had 29 shots on goal but trailed, 4-3. They finished with 47 shots on goal and lost, 7-3.

The game Feb. 13 was scoreless for more than 30 minutes, but then the Monsters got on the board on a power play goal by Trey Fix Wolansky on Nagle’s stick side 11:28 into the middle period. A perfect feed by Zac Dalpe from just outside the blue line hit Fix-Wolansky in stride.

Grand Rapids got the tying goal on a power play goal at 15:08 of the second when Evgeny Svechnikov broke in alone on a carom off the boards and scooted the puck past the left pad of Thiessen.

The Griffins broke the tie 1:53 into the third period when Riley Barber took the puck from behind the net and lifted it over Thiessen’s left shoulder.

Eaves said the aim nightly is to launch 30 shots on net. The Monsters had 27 shots on goal against the Griffins. Eaves was satisfied with the aggression they showed with the puck, even in defeat and credited the Griffins defensemen for “eating pucks for breakfast,” but he wants his team to go after loose pucks with more hunger.

“One of the bullet points we had going into the third period is you have to win those one-on-one battles,” Eaves said. “The tactics were fine. I have no issues with that. But sometimes the game just comes down to you and me over the puck and being bigger and stronger and having the heart of a wrestler and finding a way to get that done.

“That’s one of the unique things about this game. You can be fast. You can be skilled, but those moments come when you have to win those battles.”

The Monsters are off until Feb. 20, when they play the Griffins in Grand Rapids. They play the IceHogs Feb. 22 and 23 in Rockford, Ill., as make-ups for the games that were postponed on opening weekend Feb. and 6 when COVID-19 concerns prevented the Monsters from traveling.