Monsters Battle Phantoms in Afternoon Match Up

Jan 12, 2020

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 Lehigh Valley Phantoms, AHL affiliate of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, on Sunday with full coverage, live from PPL Center in Allentown, PA, underway at 3:00 pm on Alt 99.1, AHLTV and the Monsters Hockey Network.

 

MONSTERS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 2-4 road loss to the Hershey Bears on Saturday, the Cleveland Monsters enter tonight’s game at 17-17-1-2 on the season. With 37 points, the Monsters currently rank seventh in the AHL’s North Division standings and 13th 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).

 

PHANTOMS PRE-SCOUT: Following a 2-0 home win over the Laval Rocket on Saturday, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms enter tonight’s game at 14-19-1-4 on the season. With 33 points, the Phantoms currently rank seventh in the AHL’s Atlantic Division standings and 15th in the Eastern Conference. Lehigh Valley is currently led in scoring by LW Greg Carey (9-9-18), F Mikhail Vorobyev (6-10-16) and C Cal O’Reilly (2-13-15).

 

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES: Sunday marks the first of four meetings between the Monsters and Phantoms this season and the first of two tilts between the two clubs at PPL Center this year.

 

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	N/A
	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.	(28/32) in 5-4 W vs MIL 1/4/20
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	N/A
	ON THE ROAD	N/A

PHANTOMS GOALTENDERS:

34 Alex Lyon	OVERALL	23 GP, (9-11-2), 1 SO, 2.56 GAA, .916 S%
	LAST APP.	(37/37) in 2-0 W vs LAV 1/11/20
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	N/A
	AT HOME	10 GP, (7-2-1), 1 SO, 1.87 GAA, .939 S%
35 Jean-Francois Berube	OVERALL	17 GP, (5-8-3), 0 SO, 2.71 GAA, .901 S%
	LAST APP.	(23/26) in 56:39 of relief in 2-5 L at UTI 1/10/20
	HEAD-TO-HEAD	N/A
	AT HOME	8 GP, (3-3-2), 0 SO, 2.95 GAA, .887 S%

 

KEYS TO SUCCESS:

• AWESOME ADAM: Cleveland D Adam Clendening is on a tear with eight points (1G, 7A) in his past four games. Clendening currently ranks in the AHL’s top five among defensemen in goals (6, T5th), assists (23, T2nd), points (29, T2nd), power-play assists (11, T3rd) and power-play points (12, T5th) and is currently in the midst of a season-long eight-game assist streak (12A).
• TREMENDOUS THURKAUF: Monsters LW Calvin Thurkauf has five points (2G, 3A) in his past three appearances.
• HANNI’S HEALED: With his team enduring eight NHL recalls and a slew of injuries, LW Markus Hannikainen appears poised to make his return to the Cleveland lineup on Sunday following a seven-game injury absence due to a lower-body ailment.