Columbus Blue Jackets: Monsters Play Penguins for First Time in Season
The Columbus Blue Jackets prospects are ready to suit up for their fourth game of the season.
The Cleveland Monsters and Gabriel Carlsson, who was recently sent down by the Columbus Blue Jackets, are ready to face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Quicken Loans Arena for the first match up of two games in three days.
Adding a defensive defenseman like Carlsson to the Cleveland defense will help a limit a high scoring team, even though it hasn’t been an issue to this point thanks to Jean-Francois Berube and Brad Thiessen having strong performances in every game this season.
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The Monsters are led by two players who rank top five in the league for scoring, veteran Zac Dalpe and rookie Eric Robinson. Dalpe is tied for the league lead with six points, however Nicolas Roy gets the edge by having one game played less than Dalpe.
Robinson is currently the highest scoring rookie and is tied for third with former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sam Gagner. Both have posted three goals and two assists for a total of five points through three games.
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have only played one game to this point which was a shootout win over the Springfield Thunderbirds. Scoring wise, they are led by five players who all have a single point.
Although Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry would have been starting more than likely, an injury to the Pittsburgh Penguins starting goalie Matt Murray has caused Jarry to get a call up to the NHL roster instead.
In between the pipes for Wilkes-Barre Scranton will likely be Anthony Peters who won the first game of the season. The call could go toward John Muse though. Either way, the Monsters will likely face both of the duo over the next couple days.
The same will go for the Monsters goaltenders. Berube may get the start on Thursday or it may be Thiessen, either way which ever doesn’t start then will likely get the nod on Saturday.
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Will the Monsters be able to propel themselves to a very impressive 4-0-0 start or will the Penguins rain on the Monsters’ early season parade planning? Well find out Thursday night at 7pm.