Monsters take on Crunch in Home Opener
In the first of four meetings between the two teams this season, the Cleveland Monsters, affiliate of the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, drop the puck vs. the Syracuse Crunch, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, on Friday with full coverage, live from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, underway at 7:00 pm on Alt 99.1, AHLTV and the Monsters Hockey Network.
MONSTERS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 4-1 road win over the Laval Rocket on Saturday, the Cleveland Monsters enter tonight’s game at 2-0-0-0 on the season. With four points, the Monsters currently rank first in the AHL’s North Division standings and tied for first in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is currently led in scoring by C Zac Dalpe (2-1-3), D Adam Clendening (1-1-2), LW Eric Robinson (1-1-2) and LW Calvin Thurkauf (1-1-2).
CRUNCH PRE-SCOUT: Following a 2-3 road overtime loss to the Rochester Americans on Friday, the Syracuse Crunch enter tonight’s game at 0-0-1-0 on the season. With one point, the Crunch currently rank fifth in the AHL’s North Division standings and tenth in the Eastern Conference. Syracuse is currently led in scoring by RW Cory Conacher (1-0-1), LW Danick Martel (1-0-1), G Louis Domingue, D Dominik Masin (0-1-1) and C Chris Mueller (0-1-1).
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES: Friday marks the first of four meetings between the Monsters and Crunch this season and the first of two tilts at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
| 35 Veini Vehvilainen | OVERALL | 1 GP, (1-0-0), 0 SO, 1.00 GAA, .968 S% |
| LAST APP. | (30/31) in 4-1 W at LAV 10/5/19 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | N/A | |
| ON THE ROAD | N/A | |
| 39 Brad Thiessen | OVERALL | 0 GP, (0-0-0), 0 SO, 0.00 GAA, .000 S% |
| LAST APP. | N/A | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | N/A | |
| ON THE ROAD | N/A | |
| 80 Matiss Kivlenieks | OVERALL | 1 GP, (1-0-0), 0 SO, 2.00 GAA, .931 S% |
| LAST APP. | (27/29) in 3-2 W at LAV 10/4/19 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | N/A | |
| ON THE ROAD | N/A |
CRUNCH GOALTENDERS:
| 1 Mike Condon | OVERALL | N/A |
| LAST APP. | N/A | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | N/A | |
| ON THE ROAD | N/A | |
| 29 Scott Wedgewood | OVERALL | N/A |
| LAST APP. | N/A | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | N/A | |
| ON THE ROAD | N/A | |
| 70 Louis Domingue | OVERALL | 1 GP, (0-0-1), 0 SO, 2.80 GAA, .909 S% |
| LAST APP. | (30/33) in 2-3 OTL at ROC 10/4/19 | |
| HEAD-TO-HEAD | N/A | |
| ON THE ROAD | 1 GP, (0-0-1), 0 SO, 2.80 GAA, .909 S% |
KEYS TO SUCCESS:
- HOT START: In the wake of the team’s first two games of the season, seven Monsters players (C Zac Dalpe, D Adam Clendening, LW Eric Robinson, LW Calvin Thurkauf, LW Marko Dano, C Justin Scott and C Kevin Stenlund) are scoring at a point-per-game or better pace this year.
- FANTASTIC FIRSTS: In the Monsters’ season-opening 3-2 road win over the Laval Rocket on Friday, Cleveland RW Trey Fix-Wolansky netted the game-winning strike, his first professional regular-season goal, and D Andrew Peeke posted his first professional point, an even-strength assist. In Saturday’s 4-1 road win in Laval, Cleveland G Veini Vehvilainen was superb, posting 30 saves and a victory in his first North American professional appearance.
- CREDIT THE CREASE: Monsters net-minders Veini Vehvilainen and Matiss Kivlenieks delivered strong initial appearances in a pair of road wins over Laval on Friday and Saturday. Entering this weekend’s home series vs. Syracuse, Cleveland’s goaltenders are a combined 2-0-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .950 save percentage this season.
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