Game Preview: Monsters vs Crunch 10/15
Oct 15, 2021In the first 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 Syracuse Crunch, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, on Friday with full coverage, live from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, underway at 7:00 pm on FOX Sports 1350 AM “The Gambler”, AHLTV and the Monsters Hockey Network.
MONSTERS PRE-SCOUT: Last season, the Cleveland Monsters posted a 16-10-1-2 record during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign. With 35 points and a .603 points percentage, the Monsters finished the season in second place in the Central Division and 10th in the AHL standings.
CRUNCH PRE-SCOUT: Last season, the Syracuse Crunch posted a 19-10-3-0 record during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign. With 41 points and a .641 points percentage, the Crunch finished the season in third place in the North Division and seventh in the AHL standings.
REGULAR-SEASON SERIES: Friday marks the first of eight meetings between the Monsters and Crunch this season and the first of four meetings between the two clubs at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse this year.
MONSTERS GOALTENDERS:
| 35 Jean-Francois Berube | OVERALL | -- |
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| AT HOME | -- | |
| 40 Daniil Tarasov | OVERALL | -- |
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| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| AT HOME | -- |
CRUNCH GOALTENDERS:
| 33 Max Lagace | OVERALL | -- |
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| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| ON THE ROAD | -- | |
| 60 Hugo Alnefelt | OVERALL | -- |
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| HEAD-TO-HEAD | -- | |
| ON THE ROAD | -- |
KEYS TO SUCCESS:
- CLAIMING THE CAPTAINCY: Monsters D Dillon Simpson was named Cleveland’s captain for the 2021-22 season on October 11th alongside assistant captains C Justin Scott and C Tyler Sikura.
- MR. MONSTER: On the eve of the 2021-22 season, Cleveland C Justin Scott sits just four appearances shy of the Monsters’ all-time franchise record for games played, a title currently held by former Monsters D Cameron Gaunce, brother of current Cleveland C Brendan Gaunce.
- MANY HAPPY RETURNS: Cleveland’s top ten leading scorers from the 2020-21 season all find themselves on the Monsters’ opening day roster for 2021-22.