Game Preview: Monsters at Senators 04/08
Apr 8, 2023In the eighth of eight meetings between the two teams this season, the Cleveland Monsters, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, drop the puck vs. the Belleville Senators, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, on Saturday with full coverage, live from CAA Arena in Belleville, ON, underway at 7:00 pm on FOX Sports 1350 “The Gambler”, AHLTV, and the Monsters Hockey Network.
MONSTERS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 5-4 road win over the Laval Rocket on Friday, the Cleveland Monsters enter tonight’s game at 31-29-5-2 on the season. With 69 standings points, the Monsters currently rank fifth in the North Division standings and 12th in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is currently led in scoring by RW Trey Fix-Wolansky (28-41-69), D David Jiricek (6-32-38), and C Josh Dunne (20-17-37).
SENATORS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 0-1 home shootout loss to the Cleveland Monsters on Wednesday, the Belleville Senators enter tonight’s game at 28-30-6-4 on the season. With 66 standings points, the Senators currently rank seventh in the North Division standings and 14th in the Eastern Conference. Belleville is currently led in scoring by RW Egor Sokolov (19-36-55), LW Jake Lucchini (17-33-50), and LW Angus Crookshank (25-19-44).
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES: Saturday marks the eighth of eight meetings between the Monsters and Senators this season (5-1-0-1, +5 goal differential [25/20]) and the fourth of four games between the two clubs at CAA Arena this year (2-0-0-1, +1 goal differential [10/9]).
MONSTERS GOALTENDERS:
| 30 Pavel Cajan | OVERALL |
20 GP, (7-9-2), 0 SO, 3.52 GAA, .872 S% |
| LAST APP | (14/17) in 0-3 L vs HER 4/2/23 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | 2 GP, (2-0-0), 0 SO, 1.50 GAA, .946 S% | |
| ON THE ROAD | 9 GP, (5-3-1), 0 SO, 3.24 GAA, .886 S% | |
| 31 Nolan Lalonde | ERI (OHL) | 41 GP, (11-20-2), 1 SO, 4.10 GAA, .868 S% |
| 40 Daniil Tarasov | OVERALL | 11 GP, (5-5-0), 0 SO, 3.85 GAA, .882 S% |
| LAST APP | (16/18) in first 25:21 of 2-5 L at ROC 3/26/23 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| ON THE ROAD | 7 GP, (2-4-0), 0 SO, 4.89 GAA, .851 S% | |
| 73 Jet Greaves | OVERALL | 40 GP, (18-14-5), 2 SO, 3.16 GAA, .897 S% |
| LAST APP | (28/32) in 5-4 W at LAV 4/7/23 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | 5 GP, (3-1-1), 1 SO, 3.10 GAA, .892 S% | |
| ON THE ROAD | 19 GP, (8-6-2), 2 SO, 3.15 GAA, .897 S% |
SENATORS GOALTENDERS:
| 1 Leevi Merilainen | OVERALL | 1 GP, (1-0-0), 1 SO, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 S% |
| LAST APP. | (41/41) in 4-0 W vs TOR 4/1/23 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| AT HOME |
1 GP, (1-0-0), 1 SO, 0.00 GAA, 1.000 S% |
|
| 31 Kevin Mandolese | OVERALL | 17 GP, (6-8-3), 0 SO, 3.33 GAA, .890 S% |
| LAST APP. | (35/38) in 5-6 SOL at SYR 3/31/23 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | 1 GP, (0-1-0), 0 SO, 6.09 GAA, .800 S% | |
| AT HOME | 8 GP, (2-5-1), 0 SO, 3.40 GAA, .892 S% | |
| 35 Antione Bibeau | OVERALL | 23 GP, (9-10-2), 0 SO, 3.51 GAA, .894 S% |
| LAST APP. | (32/37) in 2-6 L at TOR 4/2/23 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | 3 GP, (0-2-0), 0 SO, 5.04 GAA, .836 S% | |
| AT HOME | 14 GP, (8-4-1), 0 SO, 2.96 GAA, .912 S% | |
| 50 Dylan Ferguson | OVERALL |
7 GP, (5-1-0), 0 SO, 2.35 GAA, .924 S% |
| LAST APP. | (2/2) in first 1:45 of 5-6 SOL at SYR 3/31/23 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | 1 GP, (1-0-0), 0 SO, 1.00 GAA, .971 S% | |
| AT HOME | 3 GP, (2-1-0), 0 SO, 3.02 GAA, .892 S% |
KEYS TO SUCCESS:
- GETTING IT DUNNE: Cleveland C Josh Dunne is currently riding a three-game point streak (1-2-3) and is scoring at a better than point per game pace vs. Belleville this season (6 GP, 3-5-8).
- POWER-PLAY PROVIDER: Monsters RW Trey Fix-Wolansky scored a pair of power-play goals for Cleveland in a 5-4 road win over Laval on Friday, vaulting him into first place alone on the Monsters’ all-time franchise power-play goal-scoring list, two clear of the previous record holders.
- COVER CROOKSHANK: Cleveland will need to monitor Belleville forward Angus Crookshank on Saturday as the dangerous rookie scorer currently ranks among the AHL’s leaders among first-year skaters in points (44, T10th), goals (25 (T3rd), power-play goals (12, 1st), and shots (181, 2nd).