Faceoffs Help Cleveland Continue Race for Playoffs

CLEVELAND – Two fierce rivals in the Grand Rapids Griffins and Cleveland Monsters battled it out at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Monday night. However, it was Cleveland who skated away with the 2-1 win in regulation.

Despite being booted from playoff contention earlier this month, the Griffins played a hot and heavy style of hockey to start the game. Grand Rapids defender Wyatt Newpower let Cleveland know they weren’t going to take tonight lightly, scoring a mere 59 seconds into the first period.

The Monsters had a feeling the Griffins were going to come into last night’s tilt intent on destroying Cleveland’s race for playoffs.

“I’m sure in their heads they wanted to win this game and get us further out of the playoffs,” said forward Trey Fix-Wolansky.

Head Coach Trent Vogelhuber expanded on this sentiment by acknowledging that even though playoffs are out of reach for Grand Rapids there are “new players on the team who are working for contracts, who are working to prove they should be in this league.” He also added, “If you think anybody is going to be an easy win, you’re going to be in trouble.”

So, the Monsters were ready for everything the Griffins threw their way. By the time the second rolled around, things were starting to cook for Cleveland. 

Cleveland scored two goals towards the back half of the second period — first with a power play goal by Fix-Wolansky, then an even strength goal from Mikael Pyyhtia with 56 seconds to play in the period.

From Fix-Wolansky’s perspective, the two second period goals gave Cleveland the fire they needed to finish strong.

“I think getting the game back to even was huge for us. Obviously, Pyyhtia putting that one in at the end of the period was a big jump start for us as well,” explained Fix-Wolansky. “I thought our game took off from that goal.”

Both of these goals were set in motion by big faceoff wins where forwards Justin Richards and Owen Sillinger had to dig deep to come away with the puck once it was dropped. Fix-Wolansky informed the media that each successful faceoff win was due to the fact everyone — from the player taking the faceoff to those on the flanks — executed their job correctly.

“Carson did a great job on my goal of getting inside body positioning. Richie went and threw it back between his legs right onto my tape,” explained Fix-Wolansky. “I think that’s something we have to do more often as all three guys doing their job on the faceoff.”

Lately, finishing the play after winning a faceoff is something the Monsters have been working on in practice.

“In our previous 10 games, we were among the best o-zone faceoff wins and among the worst of getting shots to the net on those faceoff wins,” said Vogelhuber.

One thing assistant coach Mark Letestu has been having the team — especially the power play units — focus on when it comes to faceoffs is the seven-second rule.

“Once you win that faceoff, it gets to the net within seven seconds on the power play. It’s just the directness and you get rewarded off both of them by going to the net,” Vogelhuber explained.

Even though the Monsters earned two points tonight, they didn’t move out of the sixth spot in the North. The Laval Rocket, who sit in the fifth and final playoff spot, beat the Wilkes Barre-Scranton Penguins 4-0 to put them one point above Cleveland in the standings (72 points). With three games left in the Monsters’ season, it’s looking like the race for playoffs will be decided during the last game of the season on Sunday afternoon. 

For Fix-Wolansky, it’s both nerve wracking and exciting to have the chase for playoffs come down to the final game of the season.

“This is the most fun time of the year for us. It’s been a blast playing these games with these guys,” said Fix-Wolansky. “We are going to keep pushing and try our best to make the playoffs.”

Cleveland has a few days off before they have to play a three-in-three to end the season. Two of those games will be on the road against the Utica Comets and Rochester Americans on Friday and Saturday. They return home on Sunday to close out the season against the Americans in front of the hometown fans. 

No matter how the next three games turn out, there is no denying the 2022-23 season has been a rollercoaster of a season where anything — both good and bad — is possible for the Monsters.