Game Preview: Monsters at Rocket 1/14

Jan 14, 2023

In the fifth 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 Laval Rocket, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens, on Saturday with full coverage, live from Place Bell in Laval, QC, underway at 4:00 pm on FOX Sports 1350 “The Gambler”, AHLTV, and the Monsters Hockey Network.

 

MONSTERS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 2-1 road win over the Belleville Senators on Friday, the Cleveland Monsters enter tonight’s game at 14-15-2-2 on the season. With 32 standings points, the Monsters currently rank sixth in the North Division standings and 14th in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is currently led in scoring by RW Trey Fix-Wolansky (15-19-34), RW Emil Bemstrom (14-17-31), and C Justin Richards (6-16-22).

 

ROCKET PRE-SCOUT: Following a 3-7 road loss to the Syracuse Crunch on Friday, the Laval Rocket enter tonight’s game at 13-18-4-1 on the season. With 31 standings points, the Rocket currently rank seventh in the North Division standings and 15th in the Eastern Conference. Laval is currently led in scoring by LW Anthony Richard (18-14-32), RW Jesse Ylonen (8-19-27), and LW Rafael Harvey-Pinard (15-10-25).

 

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES: Saturday marks the fifth of eight meetings between the Monsters and Rocket this season (2-1-0-1, +3 goal differential [19/16]) and the third of four games between the two clubs at Place Bell this year (1-0-0-1, +3 goal differential [11/8]).

 

MONSTERS GOALTENDERS:

30 Pavel Cajan	OVERALL	14 GP, (5-7-2), 0 SO, 3.51 GAA, .879 S%
	LAST APP	(32/33) in 2-1 W at BEL 1/13/23
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	2 GP, (1-1-0), 0 SO, 3.50 GAA, .905 S%
	ON THE ROAD	7 GP, (4-2-1), 0 SO, 3.12 GAA, .892 S%
31 Darion Hanson	OVERALL (ECHL)	10 GP, (3-4-0), 0 SO, 3.10 GAA, .910 S%
73 Jet Greaves	OVERALL	15 GP, (6-6-2), 0 SO, 3.69 GAA, .885 S%
	LAST APP	(28/30) in 5-2 W at CHI 1/6/23
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	2 GP, (1-0-1), 0 SO, 3.84 GAA, .900 S%
	ON THE ROAD	9 GP, (2-4-2), 0 SO, 3.75 GAA, .885 S%

ROCKET GOALTENDERS:

35 Joseph Vrbetic	OVERALL	4 GP, (2-1-0), 0 SO, 4.05 GAA, .871 S%
	LAST APP.	(18/23) in first 29:17 of 3-7 L at SYR 1/13/23
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	1 GP, (1-0-0), 0 SO, 1.00 GAA, .963 S%
	AT HOME	1 GP, (1-0-0), 0 SO, 4.00 GAA, .871 S%
39 Kevin Poulin	OVERALL	21 GP, (7-11-2), 0 SO, 3.29 GAA, .882 S%
	LAST APP.	(11/13) in 30:28 of relief in 3-7 L at SYR 1/13/23
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	2 GP, (1-1-0), 0 SO, 4.84 GAA, .800 S%
	AT HOME	7 GP, (4-1-2), 0 SO, 2.63 GAA, .905 S%

 

KEYS TO SUCCESS:

• GETTING IT DUNNE: Cleveland C Josh Dunne is scoring at a point per game pace in his last four outings (3-1-4).
• CHRISTY’S CRUISING: Monsters D Jake Christiansen is currently riding a four-game point streak (1-3-4).
• PK PROWESS: Cleveland’s man-down unit has largely struggled this season but has shown significant improvement lately, successfully navigating the team’s last 16 penalty kill situations.