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Gylander, Griffins Blank Monsters 5-0
Dries nets game-winner in teams 25th win...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
December 21st, 2025
The Grand Rapids Griffins scored early and often as they downed the Cleveland Monsters to push their record-setting record to 25-1-0-1 on the season. Rookie Carter Gylander pitched his first AHL shutout, stopping 22 shots for his 6th win of the season and lowering his goals against average to 1.57 per game. Sheldon Dries (9) opened the scoring midway through the first with the eventual game-winner. The Griffins also got tallies from Ian Mitchell (4), Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (7), Eduards Tralmaks (13) and Dominik Shine (14).
First Period
After a slow start to the period as both teams seemed to be feeling other out, the Griffin struck first, with Dries scoring Just past the six-minute mark. The Griffins' veteran shot in on net and wired a shot past Sawchenko, five-hole for a 1-0 lead. Gustafsson carried the puck deep with speed, circled the net and then sent a pass against the grain and across crease to a waiting Griffin for a scoring chance. Good pressure by Grand Rapids that forced a turnover and created a 2-on-1. Moyle in front nearly converted with a tip that Sawchenko stopped. Antti Tuomisto turned the puck over behind his own net but managed to recover. Mitchell, last man back, didn't take away the shot, forcing Gylander to make a tough save on a dangerous scoring chance. MBN to the box for high-sticking and Gylander came up huge again on a chance from the edge of the paint. GR managed to kill of the penalty and then had a late powerplay of their own but didn't have much to show for it.
Shots on goal: GR 9 - Clev 7.
Second Period
The Griffins started the second on the powerplay but didn't have shot on goal. Shortly after the powerplay ended, Mitchell blazed up the slot, took a shot which was blocked, and then stroked his own rebound into the empty side of the net, low stick-side. About a minute later a dump-in hit the end-boards and came back out to the side of the Cleveland net. MBN took advantage of a lackadaisical effort by a monsters blueliner, outhustled him to the loose puck and then chipped it in between Sawchenko and the post, high glove-side. Griffins are coming at Cleveland in waves now. Shine blew down the middle and tried to split the defense. He didn't make it, but able to hit Dries coming late for a great chance. Grand Rapids with a turnover and Gylander made another huge stop. MBN on his edges cut around a monsters' defender and hot Mitchell in the slot for a big shot. Justin Holl fell down in the corner and his man was left alone in front with the puck but couldn't get a shot off. Nice play by Carson Bantle to reach out and tip a loose puck, then kick it to his stick and enter the zone. Dries was hobbled after blacking a shot on the PK but stayed on the ice and then used his stick to block a shot and then clear the zone.
Shots on goal: GR 5 - Clev 6.
Third Period
Just over a minute into the third period, William Wallinder put a low point shot on Sawchenko, Ondrej Becher picked up the rebound and went across the circle to Tralmaks who backhanded a nice shot past Sawchenko, low glove-side. Dominik Shine made it 5-0 four minutes into the period on a great passing play. The Griffins entered the zone 3-on-2 and a tic-tac-toe passing play from Hillebrand to Tralmaks then ended up on Shine's stick for a beauty of a goal. Midway through the third, Becher to the box for slashing, setting up a Griffins penalty kill. The Monsters had a great scoring chance by Pinelli point blank, but Gylander held the fort. Grand Rapids killed the penalty, and then the monsters ended up in the box giving GR the man-advantage. Great defensive play by Autin Watson to ride his man away from the net and tie up his stick. Sawchenko took exception to no call when he got knocked down (by his own teammate), so he just lay on his side in the crease for a bit, Becher was high-sticked by Sillinger setting up another late powerplay for the Griffins.
Shots on Goal: GR 12 - Clev 9. For the Game: GR 26 - Clev 22.
Starting Lines:
#81 Rychlovsky - #11 Seger - #34 Tralmaks
#28 Brandsegg-Nygard - #15 Dries - #65 Shine
#47 Doucet - #25 Becher - #51 Watson
#26 Hillebrand - #27 Moyle - #21 Bantle
Pairs:
#56 Gustafsson - #3 Holl
#22 Wallinder - #55 Mitchell
#41 Kannok-Leipert - #4 Tuomisto
Goaltenders:
Starter: #31 Gylander
Backup: #33 Cossa
Scratches:
#35 Postava (Injured)
#37 Lagesson(Veteran Scratch)
#43 Mazur (Injured)
#55 Mitchell (Veteran Scratch)
#77 Angle (Injured)
#93 Lombardi (injured)
Power Play:
#65 Shine - #15 Dries - #28 Brandsegg-Nygard
#25 Becher - #56 Gustafsson
#81 Rychlovsky - #51 Watson - #34 Tralmaks
#55 Mitchell - #4 Tuomisto
Penalty Kill:
#15 Dries - #65 Shine
#22 Wallinder - #3 Holl
#11 Seger/#81 Rychlovsky - #51 Watson
#41 Kannok-Leipert - #55 Mitchell
Observations:
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