Monsters Battle the Amerks in the Final Leg of the Road Trip

Jan 17, 2020

In the fourth 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 Rochester Americans, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, on Friday with full coverage, live from Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY, underway at 7:00 pm on Alt 99.1, AHLTV and the Monsters Hockey Network.

 

MONSTERS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 2-5 road loss to the Binghamton Devils on Wednesday, the Cleveland Monsters enter tonight’s game at 17-19-1-2 on the season. With 37 points, the Monsters currently rank eighth in the AHL’s North Division standings and 14th in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is currently led in scoring by D Adam Clendening (6-23-29), LW Nathan Gerbe (8-17-25) and C Stefan Matteau (9-11-20).

 

AMERKS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 4-5 road loss to the Syracuse Crunch on Saturday, the Rochester Americans enter tonight’s game at 21-11-2-3 on the season. With 47 points, the Amerks currently rank third in the AHL’s North Division standings and fifth in the Eastern Conference. Rochester is currently led in scoring by C Jean-Sebastien Dea (12-14-26), D Zach Redmond (5-19-24) and C Kevin Porter (6-15-21).

 

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES: Friday marks the fourth of eight meetings between the Monsters and Amerks this season and the third of four tilts between the two clubs at Blue Cross Arena this year. So far this season, the Monsters are 1-1-1-0 vs. the Amerks overall with a -1 goal differential (8/9) and 1-0-1-0 vs. Rochester on the road with an even goal differential (6/6).

 

MONSTERS GOALTENDERS:

35 Veini Vehvilainen	OVERALL	19 GP, (8-10-1), 2 SO, 2.22 GAA, .918 S%
	LAST APP.	(27/30) in 2-4 L at HER 1/11/20
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	1 GP, (0-1-0), 0 SO, 3.09 GAA, .889 S%
	ON THE ROAD	9 GP, (4-4-1), 0 SO, 2.33 GAA, .915 S%
39 Brad Thiessen	OVERALL	1 GP, (1-0-0), 0 SO, 4.00 GAA, .875 S%
	LAST APP.	(14/15) in 0-2 L at LV 1/12/20
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	N/A
	ON THE ROAD	1 GP, (0-1-0), 0 SO, 1.03 GAA, .933 S%

AMERKS GOALTENDERS:

1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen	OVERALL	N/A
	LAST APP.	N/A
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	N/A
	AT HOME	N/A
31 Jonas Johansson	OVERALL	18 GP, (11-3-3), 2 SO, 2.23 GAA, .924 S%
	LAST APP.	(13/16) in first 35:29 of 1-5 L vs BEL 1/10/20
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	2 GP, (2-0-0), 0 SO, 1.98 GAA, .925 S%
	AT HOME	10 GP, (6-2-2), 2 SO, 2.26 GAA, .921 S%
35 Andrew Hammond	OVERALL	22 GP, (10-8-2), 4 SO, 2.61 GAA, .902 S%
	LAST APP.	(28/33) in 4-5 L at SYR 1/11/20
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	1 GP, (0-0-1), 0 SO, 2.77 GAA, .842 S%
	AT HOME	10 GP, (5-2-2), 2 SO, 2.00 GAA, .920 S%

 

KEYS TO SUCCESS:

• CALVIN’S CRUISIN’: Monsters LW Calvin Thurkauf is scoring at a better than point per game pace in his last five outings (2-4-6).
• SAM’S SUCCESS: Cleveland C Sam Vigneault has scored a goal in three of his last four appearances.
• SIZZLIN’ SIMPSON: Monsters D Dillon Simpson is scoring at a point pergame pace in his last five appearances (1-4-5).