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Griffins' Sharpshooters Surprise Monsters 6-4
Home team nets 6 goals on first 16 shots...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
December 1st, 2024
Veteran Joe Snively (2g + 1a) led the way as the Griffins outlasted the Cleveland Monsters in a pond hockey style game at Van Andel Arena. Both teams scored early and often, but the home team stacked back-to-back three goal periods to record a 6-4 win. In addition to Snively (7,8), the Griffins got tallies from Tory Dello (1), Dominik Shine (6), Antti Tuomisto (1), and Nate Danielson (3). Sebastien Cossa surrendered 4 goals on 33 shots, and while a couple were questionable, he closed the door when needed to give his team the win.
First Period
The game featured a physical tone early with a lot of hitting. The Griffins started slow and were hemmed into their own end a lot and back on their heels. Ondrej Becher nice defensive play to bat the puck away from the trailer on a dangerous scoring play. The rookie forward read the play and inserted himself in the right place to take away what would have been a grade-A scoring chance. Tory Dello put GR on the board just past the seven minute mark when his long point blast found its way through traffic and bulged the twine behind Sawchenko. Tim Gettinger was in front and may have gotten a piece of it. Cleveland answered right back, Cossa made a pair of saves and had no help clearing the rebound. Malatesta pounced on the second rebound for a goal to knot the score at one. Nifty play by Elmer Soderblom to block a shot, fish the puck out of his equipment and then backhand the puck over the defenders onto the tape of Shine for a partial breakaway. Sheldon Dries was sprung up the middle for a weak shot on Sawchenko. Austin Watson with a huge hit in the corner that left a monsters player in a heap. Joe Snively stole the puck and dished to Danielson for a 2-on-1. Shine came late, took the pass and fired it in off the crossbar to restore the one goal lead. Amadeus Lombardi weaved through the defense for a point blank chance as he skated by the net. Cleveland turned up the heat and the Griffins 4th line having a hard time clearing the puck. Cossa fanned on a big shot from the blueline and Cleveland tied the score again. Griffins two-on-one with Dries passing to Hanas who had a couple of great chances. Lombardi like a rocket, streaked in on net and hit Soderblom for a good look. Shine got behind the defense and was pulled down, setting up the first griffins powerplay. Good puck movement by GR ended with Snively sniping a shot from the circle to push the score to 3-2.
Shots on goal: GR 7 - Clev 12.
Second Period
Grand Rapids stuck in their own end, running around and unable to clear. Fix-Wolansky snapped a shot from the circle past Cossa, stick-side. Cossa would probably like that one back as he saw it all the way. Snively in traffic in front, found a hole to thread the needle to reagin the one goal lead. Antti Tuomisto one-timed a shot from the circle past Sawchecko to push the lead to two. That was the end of the night for Sawchenko as he headed to the bench in favor of Jet Greaves. William Wallinder to the box for cross-checking. GR defense tightened up, completely shutting down the Monsters, they can't complete two passes without having the puck taken away. Josiah Didier took a hit to make a play in front of the Monsters bench. He managed to get a shoulder up and checked the Monsters player over the boards and into his own bench where he collided with several seated players and took them out as well. Tic-tac-toe passing play in front and Danielson deflects the puck over Greaves and under the crossbar for a 6-3 lead. Two Griffins players were injured in the period, Danielson took a puck under his visor, but returned after repairs. Amadeus Lombardi took a high stick on the way to the bench and did not return to the game.
Shots on goal: GR 9 - Clev 9.
Third Period
Wallinder and Fix-Wolansky jousting a bit around the net. Nice look by Danielson in front. Grand Rapids can't clear again, and eventually take a penalty. The penalty killers were up to the task and killed it off again. Griffins three-on-one Danielson to Viro to Shine, and he fired it way wide. Great play by Viro accelerated to catch the puck carrier, hit him and pinned him along the boards before stripping the puck and moving it up ice. Soderblom back in his own end to get the puck, turned on a dime, punched in the afterburners and blew through a pair of forecheckers. Then he carried the puck up ice fighting through the sticks from behind to get the puck into the offensive zone. The Griffins yet again stuck in their own end until Shine takes a penalty. This pattern has to stop! Greaves to the bench for an extra attacker setting up a 6-on-4. Watson had a chance at the empty net and it went just wide. The Monsters made things interesting, when a puck trickled through traffic in front of Cossa to cut the lead to 6-4. Shine with a steal and set up Soderblom in front for a chance, but couldn't get the puck out of his feet. Greaves again to the bench, but time ran out on a 6-4 Griffins win.
Shots on Goal: GR 3 - Clev 12. For the Game: GR 19 - Clev 33.
Starting Lines:
#71 Hanas - #15 Dries - #26 Gettinger
#51 Watson - #29 Danielson - #21 Snively
#85 Soderblom - #93 Lombardi - #65 Shine
#81 Rychlovsky - #41 Becher - #47 Doucet
Pairings:
#3 Dello - #44 Didier
#22 Wallinder - #4 Tuomisto
#8 Buium - #5 Viro
Starter: #33 Cossa
Backup: #30 Jack Campbell
Scratches:
#11 Seger
#25 Rafferty
#28 Johannes
#31 Gylander
#37 Lagesson - Suspended 3 games
#43 Mazur - Injured
PP:
#29 Danielson - #15 Dries - #65 Shine
#22 Wallinder - #21 Snively
#71 Hanas - #93 Lombardi - #85 Soderblom
#4 Tuomisto - #51 Watson
PK:
#15 Dries - #65 Shine
#44 Didier - #5 Viroy
#51 Watson - #29 Danielson
#44 Didier - #3 Dello
Observations:
Good teams find a way to win even the normal things aren't working well. The Monsters outplayed the Griffins for large chunks of the game, but the team reached deep to find a way to win. Cossa didn't have his best stuff tonight, but the team defense was stellar at times, decent at others. The offense broke loose and outscored their mistakes. It was interesting to watch how many shots were blocked by the Griffins and the team mentality of having sticks in the lanes and constantly breaking up plays and taking the puck away.
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