AHL Cleveland Monsters

Monsters Hang on for Overtime Win After Giving up Early Lead

Published on December 28, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Cleveland Monsters News Release


Hugh Jessiman netted a hat trick and Evan Brophey tied a franchise all-time best with four assists as the Lake Erie Monsters (14-15-1-1) escaped with a 6-5 overtime win against the Grand Rapids Griffins (12-13-3-2) before a crowd of 7,827 at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday. The Monsters built a 4-0 lead after the first period before getting outscored 5-1 over the remaining 40 minutes to send the game to overtime. Rookie Tyson Barrie's overtime goal was his second OT winner of the season.

Jessiman opened the scoring with a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Griffins goalie Joey MacDonald at 2:56 of the first period. The power play goal was Jessiman's 13th of the season, and team-leading sixth power play goal of the season. Brophey and Cameron Gaunce assisted on the goal.

Less than three minutes later at 5:06 of the first period, Jessiman scored on another wrist shot, his 14th of the season, to give the Monsters a 2-0 lead. Brophey and Dean Strong assisted on Jessiman's second of the night.

David Liffiton scored his third goal of the season on a quick snap shot from the left point at 11:30 of the first period on a Monsters power play. Barrie and Justin Mercier assisted on the goal, giving the Monsters a 3-0 lead.

Lake Erie's third goal of the night spelled the end of the evening for MacDonald in the Grand Rapids net. In 11:30 of work, he stopped nine of 12 shots. Jordan Pearce entered the game in relief.

Mercier concluded the Monsters first-period scoring with a shorthanded goal from the left portion of the slot at 14:31 of the frame. Mercier's sixth goal of the season was assisted by Brophey.

Jamie Johnson and Logan Pyett scored for the Griffins in the first 8:47 of the second period to pull Grand Rapids to within a pair of goals before Jessiman completed his hat trick. Jessiman pulled a puck from behind the net to the right-wing side of the goal and sent in a wrist shot to beat Pearce for his third of the game and team-leading 15th of the season. Barrie and Brophey assisted on the goal that gave the Monsters a 5-2 lead.

Brent Raedeke redirected a Garnet Exelby point shot to pull Grand Rapids to within two goals once again, making the score 5-3 at 17:49 of the second period. Raedeke scored the third period's first goal at the 2:14 mark to decrease the Monsters lead to 5-4.

With 20 seconds left in regulation, Exelby shoved a rebound into the Monsters goal to tie the game at 5-5 for the Griffins and force overtime.

Just 35 seconds into the extra session, Barrie carried the puck up the right side and fired a wrist shot into the Grand Rapids net to secure the 6-5 overtime win.

Cedrick Desjardins stopped 39 of 44 Griffins shots to improve to 8-5-1. Pearce suffered the loss, and is now 1-5-2 after stopping 11 of 14 shots in 47:33 of work.

The Monsters host the Toronto Marlies Thursday night at 7:00 PM.

NOTES: Evan Brophey became the first Monster to register four assists in a game since David van der Gulik (currently with NHL parent club Colorado) reached the mark on 3/18/11 at Grand Rapids... Hugh Jessiman's hat trick is the first Monsters hat trick since Brophey netted three on 11/11/11 against San Antonio...With a goal and two assists tonight, Tyson Barrie now has five multi-point games this season and 20 points overall... Justin Mercier's shorthanded goal moves him into a three-way tie for second all-time with three shorthanded goals as a Monster... The Monsters are now 3-2-0-0 in their seven-game stretch against North Division opponents; they see the division-leading Toronto Marlies tomorrow... With the win, the Monsters even the season series with Grand Rapids; they are 2-2-0-0 against the Griffins this season... With David Liffiton scoring, the Monsters are 7-0-1-0 when a defenseman scores a goal; in all, Monsters defensemen have contributed 11 goals this season.

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American Hockey League Stories from December 28, 2011


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