Columbus Blue Jackets: Monsters Slow Down Comets
By William Espy
The Columbus Blue Jackets’ affiliate Cleveland Monsters faced the Utica Comets on Friday.
The Cleveland Monsters and Columbus Blue Jackets both took home a win in their first game of the week and both teams put on a show.
On Friday, the Monsters took on the Utica Comets and a couple of familiar faces namely Jaime Sifers and Ivan Kulbakov. Alex Broadhurst would put the Monsters on the board halfway through the first period.
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To start the second, alternate captains Zac Dalpe and Mark Letestu would give the Monsters a 3-0 lead, all three of which had been assisted by Gabriel Carlsson. The teams’ penalty issues continued as they handed the Comets a total of seven power plays, which put them back in the game late in the second.
Jonathan Dahlen who Vancouver acquired a while back in exchange for Alexandre Burrows would put Utica on the board, followed shortly by Darren Archibald. The second period would end with a 3-2 Cleveland Monsters lead.
Mark Letestu would net a second goal in the third, then league leader Reid Boucher would score ninth goal of the season and as a result the game would end 4-3 in favor of the Cleveland Monsters. The game winning goal would be rewarded to Letestu.
Jean-Francois Berube once again had a solid game, and the penalty kill did fairly well stopping five of seven Comets power play opportunities. Taking penalties has to be an area the Monsters improve on sooner rather than later though, soon it will start costing them games if it hasn’t already.
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The win would move the Monsters to second in the North behind the Rochester Americans. Tonight, the Monsters are in Binghamton to face the Devils in a second straight division game. Expect Brad Thiessen to get the start in the second game of the back to back.