WCF Game 3: Monsters 4, Reign 0 + postgame notes/video

Lake Erie Monsters 4, Ontario Reign 0
Final (Monsters lead best-of-7 series, 3-0)

Radio Feed
Box Score
Preview link: Game 3 notebook

SOG: ONT – 26; LE – 27
PP: ONT – 0/1; LE – 0/6

First Period
1) LE – Oliver Bjorkstrand (5) (unassisted), 6:00
2) LE – Sonny Milano (4) (Steve Eminger, Trent Vogelhuber), 7:50
3) LE – Josh Anderson (7) (Kerby Rychel, Steve Eminger), 10:27

Second Period
4) LE – Markus Hannikainen (2) (Lukas Sedlak, Oliver Bjorkstrand), 16:31

Third Period
No scoring

(1) Ontario Reign vs. (2) Lake Erie Monsters
Tuesday, May 24, 2016, 4 p.m. PT
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
Referees: #42 Jake Brenk, #43 Tom Chmielewski
Linesmen: #64 Brandon Gawryletz, #81 Tanner Nua
AHL Live, Mixlr Radio

ONT starters: G Peter Budaj, D Derek Forbort, D Kevin Gravel, LW Michael Mersch, C Nic Dowd, RW Adrian Kempe
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

Notes and video

–Oliver Bjorkstrand scores the opening goal on a backhander:

That backhander? #ONTvsLEhttps://t.co/YraKHcmg1V

— AHL (@TheAHL) May 24, 2016

–Sonny Milano tips a shot-pass from Steve Eminger to make it 2-0 Monsters:

Pretty for @monstershockey, pretty ugly for @OntarioReign, Eminger to Milano pic.twitter.com/AbAHziog77

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) May 25, 2016

–Lake Erie goes up 3-0 on a breakaway goal by Josh Anderson. The three goals come just 4:27 apart:

Josh Anderson on the breakaway makes it 3-0. #ONTvsLEhttps://t.co/k759DCvgWJ

— AHL (@TheAHL) May 24, 2016

–Markus Hannikainen makes it 4-0 with a rebound goal in the second period:

Another NZ turnover leads to @monstershockey quick strike by Hannikainen, LE 4-0 heading into 3rd pic.twitter.com/e3hhkklZC7

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) May 25, 2016

–The Reign trail the best-of-7 series three games to none with Game 4 to be played on Thursday at 4 p.m. PT in Cleveland.

–The lone bright spot for Ontario was its penalty kill, which finished a perfect 6-for-6 to improve to 39-for-43 (90.7 percent). Lake Erie’s power play dropped to 12-for-49 (28.0 percent).

–The Reign were shut out for the second time this postseason, the first time coming in Game 3 against San Diego in a 3-0 loss on May 8.

–Michael Mersch led all players on the ice with 7 shots on goal. Lukas Sedlak had 5 for the Monsters.

–Reign goalie Peter Budaj was pulled after the second period after allowing four goals on 21 shots. Budaj was pulled just once in the regular season on March 30 against San Jose. Michael Houser made six saves in a scoreless third period. The Monsters’ Anton Forsberg made 26 saves in picking up the shutout in his fourth straight win.

–Lake Erie improved to 4-1 on home ice in the playoffs and 10-2 overall. The Reign dropped to 3-2 on the road and 7-5 overall.

–Hannikainen has goals in back-to-back games, including three points in the last two games.

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

Michael Mersch – Nic Dowd – Adrian Kempe
Brett Sutter – Mike Amadio – 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 – 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
Zach Werenski – Steve Eminger
Dillon Heatherington – Dean Kukan