Monsters Take on Checkers in Sunday Home Rematch
In the second of eight meetings between the two teams this season, the Cleveland Monsters, affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, drop the puck vs. the Charlotte Checkers, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, on Sunday with full coverage, live from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, underway at 1:00 pm on Alt 99.1, AHLTV and the Monsters Hockey Network.
MONSTERS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 2-1 home overtime win over the Charlotte Checkers on Friday, the Cleveland Monsters enter today’s game at 6-3-0-1 on the season. With 13 points, the Monsters currently rank fifth in the AHL’s North Division standings and eighth in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is currently led in scoring by LW Nathan Gerbe (3-6-9), C Zac Dalpe (4-4-8) and C Justin Scott (2-5-7).
CHECKERS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 1-2 road overtime loss to the Cleveland Monsters on Friday, the Charlotte Checkers enter tonight’s game at 4-4-1-0 on the season. With nine points, the Checkers currently rank seventh in the AHL’s Atlantic Division standings and 13th in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is currently led in scoring by C Morgan Geekie (4-5-9), LW Brian Gibbons (3-5-8) and D Chase Priskie (2-6-8).
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES: Sunday marks the second of eight games between the Monsters and Checkers this season and the second of four meetings between the two teams at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse this year. So far in 2019-20, Cleveland is 1-0-0-0 vs. Charlotte both overall and at home with a +1 goal differential (2/1) in both situations.
MONSTERS GOALTENDERS:
| 35 Veini Vehvilainen | OVERALL | 4 GP, (2-2-0), 1 SO, 2.27 GAA, .927 S% |
| LAST APP. | (29/29) in 5-0 W vs RFD 10/26/19 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | N/A | |
| AT HOME | 2 GP, (1-1-0), 1 SO, 3.00 GAA, .909 S% | |
| 39 Brad Thiessen | OVERALL | N/A |
| LAST APP. | N/A | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | N/A | |
| AT HOME | N/A | |
| 80 Matiss Kivlenieks | OVERALL | 6 GP, (4-1-1), 0 SO, 2.27 GAA, .913 S% |
| LAST APP. | (20/21) in 2-1 OTW vs CHA 11/1/19 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | 1 GP, (1-0-0), 0 SO, 0.99 GAA, .952 S% | |
| AT HOME | 3 GP, (2-1-0), 0 SO, 1.33 GAA, .943 S% |
CHECKERS GOALTENDERS:
| 30 Alex Nedeljkovic | OVERALL | 5 GP, (0-4-1), 0 SO, 3.85 GAA, .874 S% |
| LAST APP. | (31/33) in 1-2 OTL at CLE 11/1/19 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | 1 GP, (0-0-1), 0 SO, 1.98 GAA, .939 S% | |
| ON THE ROAD | 3 GP, (0-2-1), 0 SO, 4.48 GAA, .836 S% | |
| 31 Anton Forsberg | OVERALL | 5 GP, (4-0-0), 0 SO, 2.69 GAA, .909 S% |
| LAST APP. | (24/26) in 3-2 SOW vs LV 10/25/19 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | N/A | |
| ON THE ROAD | 3 GP, (2-0-0), 0 SO, 3.64 GAA, .886 S% |
KEYS TO SUCCESS:
- UP AND DOWN: While the Monsters lost RW Kole Sherwood to a recall by the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, Cleveland also received LW Jakob Lilja via his first-career AHL assignment. In ten appearances for Columbus this season, the first NHL action of his career, Lilja supplied two assists and a -1 rating.
- GERBE THE GREAT: Monsters co-captain and leading scorer, LW Nathan Gerbe, is currently in the midst of a three-game goal streak (3G), a four-game points streak (3-2-5) and has eight points (3G, 5A) in his past six appearances.
- STEADY SCOTT: Cleveland C Justin Scott is scoring at a point-per-game pace in his last four outings (2-2-4).
Related Articles
