WCF Game 4: Monsters 2, Reign 1 (2OT) + postgame notes/video

Lake Erie Monsters 2, Ontario Reign 1 (2OT)
Final (Monsters win best-of-7 series, 4-0)

Radio Feed
Box Score
Preview link: Game 4 notebook

SOG: ONT – 42; LE – 31
PP: ONT – 0/5; LE – 0/5

First Period
1) LE – Lukas Sedlak (7) (Kerby Rychel, Sonny Milano), 6:26

Second Period
No scoring

Third Period
2) ONT – Joel Lowry (4) (unassisted), 2:44

First Overtime
No scoring

Second Overtime
3) LE – Lukas Sedlak (8) (Josh Anderson, Kerby Rychel), 6:25

(1) Ontario Reign vs. (2) Lake Erie Monsters
Thursday, May 26, 2016, 4 p.m. PT
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
Referees: #41 Mark Lemelin, #48 Garrett Rank
Linesmen: #52 Shandor Alphonso, #67 Pat Richardson
AHL Live, Mixlr Radio

ONT starters: G Peter Budaj, D Derek Forbort, D Kevin Gravel, LW Michael Mersch, C Nic Dowd, RW Joel Lowry
ONT scratches: F Jonny Brodzinski, F Kris Newbury, F Brett Sutter, F Matt Leitner, G Jack Flinn, D Nick Ebert, D Zach Leslie, D Kevin Raine, D Alex Lintuniemi

LE starters: G Anton Forsberg, D Michael Paliotta, D Justin Falk, LW Markus Hannikainen, C Lukas Sedlak, RW Oliver Bjorkstrand
LE scratches: G Brad Thiessen, D Steve McCarthy, D Mark Cundari, D John Ramage, D Jamie Sifers, F Nick Moutrey, F Paul Bittner, D Blake Siebenaler, F Jordan Maletta, F Justin Scott, D Oleg Yevenko, F Brett Gallant

Notes and video

–Lukas Sedlak puts the Monsters up 1-0 at 6:26 of the first period when Kerby Rychel finds him with a pass from behind the net. The goal came 11 seconds after the Reign had finished killing a Paul LaDue interference call:

–Joel Lowry takes advantage of a misplayed puck by Monsters goalie Anton Forsberg and ties the game 2:44 into the third period for his fourth goal of the playoffs:

–Sedlak’s second goal of the game is the game-winner in double overtime as he buries a rebound of a Josh Anderson shot:


–Lake Erie has won the Western Conference Finals best-of-7 four games to none and will advance to meet the winner of the Hershey-Toronto series in the Calder Cup Final. Hershey leads that series three games to none.

–Center Nic Dowd finishes as the Reign’s leading goal scorer in the playoffs with 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points. Joel Lowry’s goal in the third period was his fourth of the playoffs, which finished tied for the team lead with Dowd and Adrian Kempe.

–The Reign finish the playoffs with an 8-5 record (4-3 at home, 3-3 on the road). The Monsters improved to 11-2 overall in 3-0 in overtime games.

–The Reign’s penalty kill finished 5-for-5 in the game and allowed just four goals in 48 penalty kills in the postseason (92 percent).

–Anton Forsberg made 41 saves in Game 4 and held Ontario to just 6 goals in the four games. Peter Budaj made 29 saves in the loss and finished with a 3.20 goals against average in the series.

–Michael Mersch led all skaters with 8 shots on goal.

–Sedlak’s double-overtime winner was his first game-winning goal of the postseason. He scored both of his team’s goals in the clincher and finished with four goals in the series against Ontario.

–The Reign led for a total of 2:47 in the series total, a span in the second period of Game 1 on an opening goal by Sean Backman.

–Here’s how the Reign aligned in line rushes, including quite a new look up front:

Michael Mersch – Nic Dowd – Joel Lowry
Adrian Kempe – Mike Amadio – Sean Backman
Sam Herr – Andrew Crescenzi – Justin Auger
Jordan Samuels-Thomas – Ryan Horvat – Paul Bissonnette

Kurtis MacDermid – Vincent LoVerde
Derek Forbort – Kevin Gravel
Jeff Schultz – Paul LaDue

–Here’s how the Monsters aligned in line rushes:

Alex Broadhurst – Michael Chaput – Daniel Zaar
Kerby Rychel – T.J. Tynan – Josh Anderson
Markus Hannikainen – Lukas Sedlak – Oliver Bjorkstrand
Sonny Milano – Trent Vogelhuber – Ryan Craig

Justin Falk – Michael Paliotta
Dillon Heatherington – Zach Werenski
Dean Kukan – Steve Eminger

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