For the fifth time in a row this season, the Marlies and Monsters needed extra time for a game decision. After jumping out to a 4-1 lead, things started to go south for the Marlies just past the halfway mark of the game. The Monsters answered back with four consecutive goals and took their first lead of the game midway through the third period. A late power play goal for the Marlies sent the game into overtime. Despite a number of chances at both ends, the extra time didn’t solve anything. Gagner scored in the shootout, but Timashov and Marchment were both stopped by Jean-Francois Berube. Nathan Gerbe and Mark Letestu scored for the Monsters to seal a 6-5 win.
Photo courtesy of Toronto Marlies
Carl Grundstrom opened the scoring at 4:18 of the first period, firing a rocket past Berube. The goal was Grundstrom’s 12thof the season and was unassisted. Minutes later, Colin Greening entered the zone fighting off multiple Monsters’ players to get in deep against the boards. He found Pierre Engvall behind the net who centered a pass out in front of the Monster’s goal where Jeremy Bracco was waiting on the doorstep to tap home his 11thof the season. The Monsters got on the board at 17:10 with a goal from Doyle Somerby. Shots on goal in the opening frame were even at eight apiece while the Marlies held a 2-1 lead on the scoresheet.
At 2:57 of the middle stanza, Adam Brooks extended the Marlies’ lead to 3-1 after a pass intended for Mason Marchment went in off a Monsters’ player. At 7:06, Rich Clune beat Berube in the slot for his first of the season. Engvall and Greening assisted on the goal. Just past the halfway point of the frame, the Monsters added back-to-back goals, bringing them within one heading into the final frame. The Marlies held the Monsters to five shots on goal in the second while they registered 14.
The Monsters evened things up at 7:12 as Kole Sherwood beat Hutchinson. At 11:41, they took their first lead of the night following a goal from Eric Robinson. Late in the frame, the Marlies capitalized on a power play as Sam Gagner beat Berube with a rocket from the hashmarks to even the score 5-5 and force overtime.
The extra time wasn’t enough to solve this one, so the game turned to a shootout. Cleveland’s Nathan Gerbe was the first shooter and beat Hutchinson to give the Monsters the advantage. Sam Gagner was up first for the Marlies and scored to keep things even. Mark Letestu shot second for the Monsters and was successful, while Dmytro Timashov missed for the Marlies. The third shooter for both sides missed so the Monsters sealed a 6-5 win with Letestu’s goal.