2024 Calder Cup Playoffs: Game 6, Cleveland - 3 at Hershey - 2 (OT) 6/10/24

HERSHEY, Pa. - The Cleveland Monsters are one step closer to pulling off the unthinkable after an incredible come-from-behind overtime win in Game 6 Monday in Hershey.

Trailing the Eastern Conference Finals best-of-seven series three games to none, Cleveland has rattled off three straight wins and have the defending champion Hershey Bears on the ropes.

Moreover, Cleveland trailed 2-1 Monday night with 49.3 seconds left in regulation.

And for the third time this series in Hershey, Cleveland was able to score an extra attacker goal in the final minute of regulation to force overtime.

Unlike Games 1 and 2, where Hershey responded to claim an OT win, it was the Monsters completing the comeback and forcing a winner-take-all Game 7 with a trip to the Calder Cup Finals on the line when Jake Christiansen got to a loose puck along the left-wing wall, turned and flung a shot through traffic off the post and in.

There will be a Game 7 at Giant Center on Wednesday night.

GAME STORY

The two teams were locked in to a physical battle in the opening 20 minutes of Game 6, with both teams able to create a few scoring chances.

Hershey got the game's first Grade-A chance after the Bears forced a turnover on Cleveland's breakout, resulting in Alex Limoges getting the puck in front of the Monsters' net.

Unfortunately for the Bears, Limoges attempt to backhand a puck over a sprawling Greaves was stopped by the Cleveland netminder.

From there, some mental errors by Hershey allowed Cleveland to gain momentum as the Bears took a pair of too-many men penalties.

While the Bears were able to kill off the first bench minor, the Monsters took advantage late in the first period on Hershey's second too-many-men minor penalty.

James Malatesta got a puck from down low around the boards atop the left-wing circle, getting it to the slot for Steffan Matteau who slid a pass across to the right-wing circle for a one-timer from Sillinger that found the back of the net with 2:46 left before the first intermission.

Cleveland got themselves into penalty trouble in the waning moments of the first frame and beginning of the second period, giving Hershey a brief 5-on-3 power play when Jakub Zboril took a high-sticking penalty off the opening draw of the middle frame.

But the Monsters were able to tighten up defensively and prevent Hershey from registering a shot on goal during the opening minutes of the period to get the game back to five-on-five and preserve their 1-0 lead.

Hershey broke through to tie things up just past the midway point of the period after Limoges stole a Monsters' attempted clear out of the defensive zone.

Limoges gained possession of the puck just inside the Bears' offensive blue line at the right point, quickly sending the puck between the circles for a one-timer blast from Rybinski to even Game 6 at 1-1 with 9:23 left before the second intermission.

From there, things continued to tighten up defensively for both teams as the Bears and Monsters combined for 12 total shots on goal in the middle frame.

The two teams headed to the second intermission in a 1-1 deadlock, with the intensity picking up seemingly every shift in the waning moments of the middle frame.

The defensive battle continued in the third period, and Hershey had the early advantage in terms of carrying play - out-shooting  the Monsters by an 8-2 margin in the opening 12 minutes of the period - but were unable to get one past Greaves.

It wasn't until the final minute of regulation that the Bears took a 2-1 lead, with Chase Priskie connecting with Snively off-the-rush and Snively getting one to bank in off a Monsters defender with 49.3 seconds left.

For the third time this series, Cleveland pulled their goaltender and forced overtime in Hershey - scoring an extra attacker goal when Gaunce flung a puck to the net from down low in the right-wing along the wall.

The Monsters completed the comeback in overtime, with Christiansen flinging one from the left point through traffic past Shepard to force Game 7.

Cleveland Monsters Lineup Notes

Jet Greaves got the start once again for Cleveland in Game 6, with Malcolm Subban serving as the Monsters' backup goaltender.

On defense, Jake Christiansen returned for his first action since Game 2 of Cleveland's opening round playoff series against Belleville on May 3rd. Marcus Bjork, who had nine points in 10 playoff games for the Monsters, was the odd man out on Cleveland's blue line to make room for Christiansen.

Scratches: Pavel Cajan, Corson Ceulemans, Nick Blankenburg, Zachary Okabe, Samue Knazko, Cole Clayton, Hunter McKown, Cameron Butler, Marcus Bjork, Luca Pinelli, Luca Del Bel Belluz and Ole Julian Bjorgvik-Holm

Lines/Pairings:

Mikael Pyyhtia - Brendan Gaunce - Stefan Matteau James Malatesta - Owen Sillinger - Trey Fix Wolansky Tyler Angle - Jake Gaudet - Roman Ahcan Justin Pearson - Josh Dunne - Alex Whelan

Stanislav Svozil - David Jiricek Denton Mateychuk - Jake Christiansen Jakub Zboril - Billy Sweezey

Jet Greaves (Backup: Malcolm Subban)

Hershey Bears Lineup Notes

Hunter Shepard got the start in net for Hershey Monday night, while Clay Stevenson - who came on in relief of Shepard Saturday in Game 5 - remained the Bears' backup goaltender.

Bears Scratches: Garin Bjorklund, Mitch Gibson, Nicky Leivermann, Lucas Johansen (injured), Matthew Phillips, Pierrick Dube (injured), Tyson Empey, Ryan Hofer, Aaron Ness (injured), Dmitry Osipov, Kevin O'Neil and Jon McDonald (injured)

Lines/Pairings

Joe Snively - Hendrix Lapierre - Ethen Frank Alex Limoges - Jimmy Huntington - Henrik Rybinski Ivan Miroschnichenko - Garrett Roe - Mike Vecchione Matt Strome - Riley Sutter - Bogdan Trineyev

Hardy Haman Aktell - Dylan McIlrath Jake Massie - Chase Priskie Logan Day - Vincent Iorio

Hunter Shepard (Backup: Clay Stevenson)

GAME SUMMARY

1st Period

7:42: HER - (PP) bench minor, too many men (served by Lapierre) 15:17: HER - (PP) bench minor, too many men (served by Miroschnichenko) 17:13: CLE - PPG Sillinger (3) - Malatesta, Matteau 17:45: HER - Roe, minor (roughing) 17:45: CLE - Pearson, minor (roughing) 18:39: CLE - (PP) Sillinger, minor (cross-check)

2nd Period

0:17: CLE - (PP) Zboril, minor (high-sticking) 10:37: HER - Rybinski (4) - Limoges, Huntington

3rd Period

15:45: HER - (PP) Day, minor (high-sticking) 19:10: HER - Snively (2) - Priskie, Lapierre 19:27: CLE - Gaunce (3) - Svozil, Fix-Wolansky

Overtime

0:21: CLE - (PP) Matteau, minor (tripping) 17:31: CLE - Christiansen (1) - Mateychuk, Pearson

BOXSCORE

Cleveland  1 - 0 - 1 - 1 = 3 Hershey    0 - 1 - 1 - 0 = 2

Shots

Cleveland  8 - 5 - 10 - 9 = 32 Hershey    8 - 7 - 12 - 4 = 31

Goalies

CLE: Jet Greaves (29 saves - 31 shots) HER: Hunter Shepard (29 saves - 32 shots)

Power Play

CLE: 1-for-3 HER: 0-for-3

Penalty Kill

CLE: 2-for--3 HER: 3-for-3

Post-Game EXTRA!

Video interviews with Cleveland Monsters head coach Trent Vogelhuber and Monsters defenseman Jake Christiansen