The Rockford IceHogs went into Monday night’s game against the Cleveland Monsters still searching for their first win. Once again, they left the game the same way. The 7-3 loss did not shine positively on this IceHogs team. 

There were two positives to take away from it, but I’ll get to those at the end. Let’s suffer a little first. 

Here’s the lineup that the Icehogs rolled with:

L1: #47 John Quenneville “A” - #58 MacKenzie Entwistle - #42 Gabriel Gagne

L2: #67 Matej Chalupa - #26 Evan Barratt - #84 Andrei Altybarmakyan

L3: #49 Mitchell Fossier - #14 Garrett Mitchell “C” - #57 Chris Wilkie

L4: #78 Brad Morrison - (7D 11F) - #59 Mikael Hakkarainen

D1: #43 Chad Krys - #11 Cody Franson “A”

D2: #75 Alec Regula - #63 Michael Krutil 

D3: #41 Isaak Phillips - #56 Dmitry Osipov/#62 Cole Moberg

#90 Matt Tomkins

#31 Cale Morris

On to the game!

The Rockford IceHogs started this one much like the previous two. They were flinging pucks to no one and nowhere. MacKenzie Entwistle did get somewhat of a chance all alone with the goaltender. But, Thiessen stretched out the pads and easily stopped the puck. 

It didn’t take long for the period to spiral downward. 

Monsters Goal #1: Zac Dalpe - Tyler Sikura, Wyatt Newpower

You read that correctly. Former IceHogs captain, Tyler Sikura, signed with the Cleveland Monsters in the offseason. He came into this game with purpose and he set up the first goal of the game. 

Sikura entered the zone, flew down the left wing escaping IceHogs rookie defender Michael Krutil, and sent the puck through the slot (and through IceHogs rookie defender Isaak Phillips) to Zac Dalpe who had a wide open cage. With zero hesitation, he redirected it past Matt Tomkins. 

That wasn’t a very flattering shift for the two rookie defensemen. With both being 2020 draft picks, that’s to be expected from time to time. They’ll come back from it and be fine. The team could easily recover - it was only one goal. 

Until it wasn’t. 

12. Seconds. Later. 

Monsters Goal #2: Zac Dalpe - Trey Fix-Wolansky, Tyler Sikura

Tyler Sikura received a great pass at the offensive blue line and controlled the puck until he found Trey Fix-Wolansky coming down the center of the zone. Fix-Wolansky quickly got the puck over to the left wing where Zac Dalpe was waiting, one again, wide open. Dalpe sent the one-timer past Tomkins. 

That goal produced all sorts of bad feelings. To start, it was only 12 seconds after their first goal. I didn’t have time to properly process that one before I was sad again. Then, of course Tyler Sikura had to also pick up and assist on it. Lastly, it was the first of way too many times we had to hear Trey Fix-Wolansky’s name during the game. If he wasn’t putting up points, he was nearly putting up points. This is going to be a very long 4-game series. 

Not to mention, the pain was only just beginning. 

With 13:36 left, Cleveland scored again. That equalled 3 goals on 5 shots. *FUNSIES.*

Monsters Goal #3: Carson Meyer - Wyatt Newpower, Evan Polei

Carson Meyer came flying down the right wing. From near the hash marks, he sent a wrister toward the net that beat Matt Tomkins cleanly under the blocker. That’s one that needed to be stopped. Tomkins was in position and just wasn’t quick enough to make the save. 

About a minute later, Cole Moberg took a slashing penalty to stop a near breakaway. With the way the first period was going, that seemed like it would lead to disaster. 

Enter Chris Wilkie - The Shorthanded King. 

IceHogs Goal #1: Chris Wilkie (SH) - Mitchell Fossier

The Monsters goaltender went on a little adventure to retrieve the puck. Mitchell Fossier met him behind the net and stole it. Fossier quickly got it to Chris Wilkie out front and, after a few generous bounces, the puck ended up in the net. 

After killing that same penalty, the IceHogs had a bit of positive momentum. Evan Barratt had a great chance all alone with the goaltender, but the goal post got the better of him. 

Then, through the darkness, came a glimmer of hope. 

Brad Morrison put the IceHogs within 1. He was mysteriously scratched on Thursday, despite being the most efficient point getter on the team. But, that’s a whole different topic. 

IceHogs Goal #2: Brad Morrison - MacKenzie Entwistle 

MacKenzie Entwistle had the puck behind the net and found Brad Morrison all alone in the slot. With a great shot, Morrison sent the puck right over the glove of Brad Thiessen. 

After the scoring frenzy in the first half of the period, the IceHogs got two power plays of their own. The first wasn’t the worst power play they’ve had this season, but there was definitely a lack of guys getting open for a pass. Despite that, they did get some shots and chances. Brad Morrison sent the puck to Garrett Mitchell at the side of the net. If he had been able to one-time it, it would have been in. 

Sometimes the bounces just don’t go your way. 

With 2:29 left in the first, the IceHogs went on their second power play. They didn’t score, but they got some great chances, and it was a good end of the period to send them into the intermission with momentum. 

END OF 1:

IceHogs - 2

Monsters - 3

SOG: 14-13 CLE

The second period started and, like with every game, my chest tightened. I’m just waiting for them to have a good middle frame. Just humor me. Let me see that it’s possible. 

It hadn’t been possible yet, and it sure wasn’t last night. 

Alec Regula took an early tripping penalty roughly 4 minutes into the second, and that’s when the wheels came flying off all over again. 

Monsters Goal #4: Trey Fix-Wolansky (PP) - Nathan Gerbe, Dillon Simpson

Trey Fix-Wolanksky (there he is again) wasn’t satisfied with only assists. He picked up a power play goal to get himself in the G column by beating Tomkins clean from the right circle. It looked identical to Carson Meyer’s goal in the first period. Tomkins was in the same position, and the shot came from nearly the same spot.

Then, Cleveland took the fun to a whole new level by regaining their 3 goal lead with a puck that was moving about as fast as I do when I wake up in the morning (not fast at all). 

Monsters Goal #5: Carson Meyer - Justin Scott

Carson Meyer’s second goal of the game also came from that same exact spot on the ice. The difference was this one came directly off the faceoff and didn’t beat the goaltender cleanly. Instead, it trickled between the legs of Matt Tomkins and took a leisurely stroll across the goal line. Mark that down as another one the goaltender has to stop. If not the initial save - grabbing it before it crawls into the back of the net. 

Both of those goals were scored within the first 5:28 of the period. 

Just over the halfway mark, at 10:28, the pain grew deeper. 

Monsters Goal #6: Justin Scott (SH) - unassisted

With the IceHogs on the power play due to a Too Many Men call on the Monsters, Justin Scott got the puck away from Cody Franson at the point, and away he went. He lifted the backhander over the glove of Matt Tomkins. That’s another one that really needed to be stopped. It’s hard to blame a goaltender for a breakaway goal against, but that was a stoppable puck. With the team down by 3, and on the power play, a big stop there could have changed the momentum. But, we’ll never know because we can’t rewrite history. 

The Cleveland Monsters gained a 4 goal lead and put up 6 goals with half the game still to play. 

Luckily, the rest of the second period didn’t see anything hit the highlight reel for the visiting team. 

END OF 2:

IceHogs - 2

Monster - 6

SOG: 24-23 IceHogs

The IceHogs went into the third period just needing to stop the bleeding and maybe pick up a goal or 2 for some good vibes. Especially because Monday night was the first game of a back-to-back with Cleveland. 

Matt Tomkins was not in goal to start the third. Cale Morris came into the game and made his professional debut. It took a few minutes for him to see his first shot, but they didn’t stop coming once he did. 

Before all of that happened, and before you could even say the puck had dropped on the final frame, Mitchell Fossier was saying hello to Brad Thiessen by throwing the puck past him for his first professional goal. That came at the 9 second mark of the period. Yes, 9 seconds. 

IceHogs Goal #3: Mitchell Fossier - unassisted 

The Monsters won the faceoff, but the defenseman bobbled the puck in his own zone. Fossier, in hot pursuit, said “this is mine, thank you!”, grabbed the puck while spinning away from the defensive stick, and put a backhander past the Cleveland goalie. 

There are worse ways to score your first goal. 

This one was a beauty. 

Going back to all of those shots that Cleveland ended up getting in the third, Cale Morris had to face a full 2 minute 5 on 3 in his first professional period. He made some huge stops. They say sometimes your goaltender has to be your best penalty killer, and that’s exactly what he was. He was calm and collected and didn’t let the pressure of the moment get to him. That is nothing if not impressive. 

He faced 14 shots through 20 minutes, and only 1 got by him. 

Monsters Goal #7: Nathan Gerbe (PP) - Trey Fix-Wolansky, Dillon Simpson

The IceHogs, led by Cale Morris,  may have thwarted the 5 on 3. But, Cleveland had to rub salt in the gaping wound by adding a late power play tally 7 seconds after Evan Barratt was sent off for slashing. 

Fix-Wolansky (ugh) sent a laser pass through the center of the ice to Nathan Gerbe who ripped a one-timer past Morris. He nearly got there to stop the shot, but the puck was a little bit quicker. 

With nothing else happening to write home about, we were all put out of our misery as the final buzzer sounded.

END OF 3:

IceHogs - 3

Monsters - 7

SOG: 37-32 CLE

Had enough suffering? Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about the positives I promised up top. So here you go:

#1: Cale Morris - The third period of the game saw Cale Morris between the pipes in relief of Matt Tomkins (6GA 17SVS). It was Morris’s professional debut, and it wasn’t long before he was put to the test. With a Holding call against Cole Moberg and a Faceoff Violation to Garrett Mitchell on the penalty kill’s opening draw, Cale Morris had to face a full 2 minutes of 5 on 3 power play time for Cleveland. Clearly, they weren’t having difficulties scoring goals in this game, but he came up with some huge stops and successfully killed both penalties. Nathan Gerbe managed to get a power play goal past Morris as the period was winding down, but it was a wicked one-timer. With 13 saves on 14 shots in his first professional period, especially one that saw a 5 on 3, I’d call that a success. 

#2: Mitchell Fossier - Coming out of the University of Maine, Mitchell Fossier was an unknown talent. In 3 games this season, he’s picked up 3 points which puts him in a 3 way tie for second on the team alongside Cody Franson and Chad Yetman. 2 of Fossier’s 3 points came in Monday night’s defeat. He assisted on Chris Wilkie’s shorthanded goal with a great effort to meet Brad Thiessen behind the net and steal the puck from the goaltender. Even more exciting, Mitchell Fossier scored his first professional goal - 9 seconds into the 3rd period! 

The Rockford IceHogs and Cleveland Monsters face off in the second half of the back-to-back tonight at 6:00 pm CST.