The Cleveland Monsters won a track meet game on Feb. 15 against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It was a sign of their ability to run up the score and control high-scoring games. On Wednesday night, they beat the Hartford Wolf Pack in a defensive battle, taking the game 3-2 with two late goals.
This is a big thing to check off for the Monsters. They had to prove they can win in multiple ways, and they’ve done that lately. They’ve leaned into the situation or the type of game and figured out how to win them, making them suddenly look like a top team in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Monsters Ability to Adapt
The underlying numbers suggest that the Monsters aren’t a juggernaut and far from it. They average 2.9 goals per game and similarly allow only 2.9 goals per game. Those numbers, however, are misleading because the Monsters got off to a slow start and have been great in recent weeks.
“Our team is very clear about what gives us success and what can get in the way of that,” Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber noted in a conversation with Hockey Hot Stove. The Monsters can win a 5-4 high-scoring game where they lean on their offense, and also win a 2-1 defensive battle.
The Monsters are also proving that they can adjust to the situation. They’ll play fast or slow things down, and late in the games, they’ll close things out by playing smart hockey. “We’ve been one of the best teams on rushes against and allowing inner chances,” Vogelhuber added when talking about the team’s recent play.
The Stars Are Leading the Way
In the AHL, teams can only go as far as the veterans take them. Taking it up a notch, teams go with their star players. It’s why the Wolf Pack have turned a corner lately, with five wins in eight games thanks to seven goals and six assists from Trey Fix-Wolansky.
The way Luca Del Bel Belluz plays sets the tone for the rest of the team. He’s a top prospect in the Columbus Blue Jackets system known for his skill but he’s stepped up defensively. “I’ve seen it from him, and it’s new for him. Filling in some of the gaps is where he has to be to go to the next level, and he’s been conscious of using the body in the past month,” Vogelhuber added. Cleveland is home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in the city, Del Bel Belluz has become the Monsters rockstar.
It’s not just Del Bel Belluz either. The Monsters are getting the most from the star players like Brendan Gaunce, another center who plays both ends. Gaunce is one of the veterans who has not only been a tone-setter but a key part of the developement of the prospects, like Del Bel Belluz. It’s allowed them to roll four lines at teams and overwhelm them.
Monsters in the Calder Conversation
The Monsters aren’t the best team in their division. Along with having the third-best record, they are behind two juggernauts in the Laval Rocket and Syracuse Crunch. Those two teams are set up for a Calder Cup run while the Monsters are still working to get to that spot. As of now, they are comfortably in third place and good enough to win a series but not much else.
That said, they’ve trended in that direction. The Monsters are looking like a complete team at the right time. With the season heating up and teams preparing for the final push, it’s when they want to round out their game, and the Monsters are doing that. They’ve become the team that nobody wants to face.
