Tuesday’s loss in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals left the Cleveland Monsters looking for answers, but head coach Trent Vogelhuber is fond of pointing out that each game in a playoff series is a new start.
The Monsters have at least one more new start in them tonight when they try to avoid elimination in Game 4 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. After back-to-back overtime losses at Hershey to begin the series, the Monsters again fought back to tie Game 3 after Hershey had taken a 2-0 lead but eventually fell, 6-2.
“We’ve got to regroup,” Vogelhuber told reporters afterward, making it a point to stress that the Monsters have to show more discipline. “The message is we’ve had an outstanding season up to this point, and whether it’s one game left or 11, whatever, we just have to play in a way that makes our season proud. You can’t go down like we did in the third [period of Game 3].
“Play for each other like you have all year.”
The Milwaukee Admirals can more than relate to Cleveland’s plight. After all, the Admirals have been in this uncomfortable position before.
Milwaukee is already 4-0 this postseason when staring down elimination, but they face their biggest challenge yet after Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to Coachella Valley in Game 3.
“All the cliches are applicable now,” head coach Karl Taylor told reporters. “We’re up against it now. As a group, I like our mettle and how strong we’ve been in dealing with elimination games. Our locker room has been really strong in these moments.
The Admirals had to overcome elimination three times in their division semifinal series against Texas, and then took the deciding Game 5 from Grand Rapids in the division finals.
“It feels pretty similar,” defenseman Marc Del Gaizo said. “We’ve been here before.”
Added Taylor, “We’re not going to be an easy out.”
With Cleveland and Milwaukee looking to extend their seasons tonight, it has been 50 years since both league semifinal series ended in sweeps.
In 1974, the Hershey swept the Baltimore Clippers in the Southern Division final, while the Providence Reds knocked out the New Haven Nighthawks in four straight in the Northern Division final.
The Bears went on to win the Calder Cup in five games.
― with files from Patrick Williams
