Monsters Fighting For Another Day Together
Photo Credit: Cleveland Monsters
On Saturday night, the Cleveland Monsters pushed the Eastern Conference Finals to game six after scoring five straight goals to beat the reigning Calder Cup Champions, the Hershey Bears, 5-1. Alex Whelan opened the scoring for the Monsters early in the second period. Both Cleveland captain Brendan Gaunce and alternate captain Josh Dunne provided two goals. Monsters netminder Jet Greaves stopped 33 of 34 shots faced and spent much of the game unphased by the Bears.
A little under a week ago, Cleveland was down 3-0 in the series and on the verge of being swept on home ice. Now, they’ve handed Hershey their first back-to-back losses in regulation all season, regular and post.
As we've seen all season, the Monsters are special. The combination of untapped potential, shiny young superstars, and consistent veterans helped propel them into playoffs.
Plus, they have a healthy mindset. Not only do the Monsters ride or die with the “Next Man Up” mantra, but they also look at stressful moments in a different way than most. “I think you can enjoy it. Pressure can burst a pipe. Pressure can make diamonds,” said goaltender Greaves. “I think just understanding just how that can affect you. It’s important for us to look at it with a positive experience and enjoy each opportunity.”
At the end of the day, their success in the Eastern Conference Finals comes down to one thing: their genuine love and respect for one another. The Monsters aren't motivated by accolades and rewards to win. Their motivation stems from one another. As Whelan put it, Cleveland is “fighting for another day together.”
Greaves echoed this sentiment. “And for us right now, we’re just trying to keep winning games, keep spending more time together. I mean, that's the biggest thing for us,” said Greaves. “We love to win and we love to spend time together,” said Greaves.
According to Dunne, the Monsters love being together. “This group is amazing. We love coming to the rink. Just to compete every day. The bickering in the locker room is so much fun.” Dunne expanded on this point by saying, “I said in the locker room there is a lot of bickering back and forth, but it’s all in good fun nature.”
The Monsters are a family. A band of brothers, you could say. Whether it’s one game or seven, this family plans to enjoy every moment they have together.
