WCF Game 2: Monsters 3, Reign 2 + postgame notes/video

Lake Erie Monsters 3, Ontario Reign 2
Final (Monsters lead best-of-7 series, 2-0)

Radio Feed
Box Score
Game 1 links: Breakdown | Stothers quotes | Player quotes | Notes and video

SOG: ONT – 29; LE – 21
PP: ONT – 0/3; LE – 1/4

First Period
1) LE – Markus Hannikainen (1) (Lukas Sedlak, Ryan Craig), 12:28
2) LE – Lukas Sedlak (6) (Markus Hannikainen, Justin Falk), 12:40

Second Period
3) LE PPG – T.J. Tynan (1) (Ryan Craig, Steve Eminger), 4:40

Third Period
4) ONT – Paul Bissonnette (1) (Kris Newbury, Joel Lowry), 5:31
5) ONT – Kevin Gravel (1) (Michael Mersch, Nic Dowd), 12:48

(1) Ontario Reign vs. (2) Lake Erie Monsters
Sunday, May 22, 2016, 7 p.m. PT
Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, CA
Referees: #42 Jake Brenk, #43 Tom Chmielewski
Linesmen: #64 Brandon Gawryletz, #81 Tanner Nua
AHL Live, Mixlr Radio

ONT starters: G Peter Budaj, D Kurtis MacDermid, D Vincent LoVerde, LW Michael Mersch, C Nic Dowd, RW Mike Amadio
ONT scratches: F Jonny Brodzinski, F Sam Herr, F Matt Leitner, G Jack Flinn, D Nick Ebert, D Zach Leslie, F Ryan Horvat, 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

Video

Notes

–The Reign lost back-to-back games for the first time all postseason and now head to Cleveland for Game 3 of this series on Tuesday at 4 p.m. PT trailing two games to none in the best-of-7. The Reign are now 7-4 while the Monsters improved to 9-2.

–The Monsters’ T.J. Tynan and Markus Hannikainen and the Reign’s Paul Bissonnette and Kevin Gravel all scored their first goals of the postseason.

–The Reign’s penalty kill went 3-for-4 to improve to 6-for-8 in the series.

–Anton Forsberg picked up his second straight win in net for the Monsters with 27 saves. The Reign’s Peter Budaj countered with 17.

–Lake Erie improved to 6-1 on the road in the playoffs. The Reign fell to 4-3 at home.

–Michael Mersch led all skaters with five shots on goal and had a chance in alone on Forsberg to tie the game in the final 20 seconds.

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

Michael Mersch – Nic Dowd – Mike Amadio
Brett Sutter – Adrian Kempe – Sean Backman
Jordan Samuels-Thomas – Andrew Crescenzi – Justin Auger
Joel Lowry – Kris Newbury – Paul Bissonnette

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

–Sutter returned to the lineup after missing the last seven playoff games due to injury. Zach Leslie, who was shaken up in the third period of Game 1, did not take warmups. LaDue was in for him and made his pro debut despite Ebert taking line rushes. It was learned earlier today that Jonny Brodzinski recently had wrist surgery.

–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
Zach Werenski – Steve Eminger
Dillon Heatherington – Dean Kukan