Monsters fall to Grand Rapids at Q

The Monsters won a couple fights, but the Griffins won on the scoreboard, 6-3, in a matinee at Quicken Loans Arena. The matchup concluded three games in four days between the teams.

When you can’t beat ‘em, beat ‘em up.

The Monsters won two fights with players from Grand Rapids on Feb. 4 at Quicken Loans Arena. Other than those two reasons for 8,133 fans at The Q to cheer, the day belonged to the Griffins.

Final score: Grand Rapids 6, Monsters 3.

The two AHL Central Division teams met three times in a four-day span at The Q. The Monsters won, 3-2, in a shootout on Feb. 1. Things went downhill from there. Grand Rapids won, 4-2, on Feb. 2 and then finished with a flourish of four goals in the second period on Super Bowl Sunday.

Though the Monsters came up short on the scoreboard in two of the three games, Coach John Madden saw progress in his team.

“It’s a work in progress,” Madden said. “We’ve made some strides and we’ll continue to do so. I think the last two games have been closer (than the score). The (4-2 loss), we had 17 scoring chances and they had seven. We just have to do a better job in front of the net.”

The Monsters, 14-24-4-3 are dead last in the Western Conference

The heavy action Feb. 4 began when Monsters defenseman Cameron Gaunce checked the Griffins’ Dylan McIlrath hard into the boards behind the Grand Rapids net about 7:50 into the second period. The Monsters were down, 3-1, at the time.

Gaunce did not draw a penalty, but McIlrath was unable to skate off the ice.

Griffins defenseman Robbie Russo took exception to Gaunce’s check and picked a fight. Gaunce got in enough right uppercuts to win the brawl.

Tyler Motte cut the Griffins’ lead to 3-2 before the next fight broke out. The edge in that one between Calvin Thurkauf of the Monsters and Dominic Turgeon of the Griffins went to Thurkauf.

Grand Rapids added two more goals by the end of the second period for 5-2 lead before more hostilities broke out nine seconds into the third period. Round Three went to the Griffins when Collin Campbell got the best of Zac Dalpe, who traditionally is a scorer and not a fighter.

A slap shot by Monsters defenseman Blake Siebenaler 6:06 into the third period cut the Grand Rapids lead to 5-3. About five minutes later, the Monsters had 41 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play. They couldn’t convert.

“If we could have got a goal on that 5-on-3 it would have made things more interesting,” Madden said.

The theme of the Grand Rapids goals was the Monsters allowed them to hang around the net instead of boxing them out or knocking them out of position.

“A lot of their goals were second chances,” Madden said. “That’s from us not getting sticks in their air and not boxing out. We’re swinging at pucks rather than taking guys out of the play.

“If you look back at the first period, there wasn’t much not to like. We just have to string a few of those together. We’re close to climbing out of this. We’ll get to work on Monday and get after it.”

The Monsters host Manitoba on Feb. 9.