Scoreless Game Into Third Period Has A Wild Ending

(CLEVELAND, OH) – It was one of those nights that saw over 49 minutes of scoreless hockey, 131 minutes in penalties, three game misconducts and a wedding.

Matt Hendricks and Mark McCutcheon scored less than four minutes apart in the third to lift the Lake Erie Monsters to a 2-0 win over the Marlies in Cleveland on Friday night. The win was a record setting fourth straight for the Monsters and second consecutive shutout, while Toronto has dropped 6 of their last 7 road games.

The teams traded back and forth chances through the first two periods with a few key scoring chances, but Jason Bacashihua and Justin Pogge were able to hold their respective forts as the shots were 22-18 in favour of the Marlies. The game also saw a few big hits, which kept the crowd of 10,659 entertained at the Quicken Loans Arena.

Late in the second period, Ryan Hollweg threw a hit on Mike Bartlett in the corner of the rink. Bartlett was cut and left the ice, while Hollweg was assessed a five minute major for boarding and game misconduct.

In the third, with the Monsters working a 5 on 3 power play, the Monsters got a shot from the high slot through traffic. Pogge didn’t have his stick on the play, but managed to get most of the shot, before it bounced off his skate and rolled along the goal line before Hendricks tapped it in for the opening goal. 3:54 later, McCutcheon beat Pogge through the pads with a shot from inside the blue line, again through traffic for the 2-0 lead.

Things then got heated with 1:29 left in the third after a hit along that boards that sparked a wild rough sequence. Joe Ryan and Chris Durno squared off for a fight, while Andre Deveaux was in the mix with the rest of the scuffle. After the fight, Deveaux went after Durno, which sent off several other scrums with all the players on the ice. In the end, five misconduct penalties were handed out in addition to Deveaux getting a pair of game misconducts.

Toronto ended the game 0 for 5 on the power play, while Lake Erie was 1 for 8.

Bacashihua made 31 saves for his second shutout of the season, while Pogge stopped 26 shots.

The two teams meet again March 14th in Toronto.

The Marlies will face the Bulldogs in Hamilton on Saturday night at 7pm.

ICE CHIPS: Jeremy Williams had his five game goal scoring streak snapped….. During the first intermission, a couple was married on the ice. The full service included all the bridesmaids, groomsmen and a well decorated carpet. The Monsters mascot Sully was dressed in a tux and gave the bride away, while they celebrated their service on dollar dog, dollar drink night. The evening also included a Bridal Expo through the concourse of the arena, and a bridal fashion show before the game.