Gaunce's 2:45 Overtime Goal Sends Monsters Past Penguins

Brendan Gaunce crashed the crease and tipped in the winner 2:45 into overtime, lifting the Cleveland Monsters to a 4-3 road victory over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza on Sunday. Gaunce finished with three points (1G-2A) and the OT winner, and the Monsters improved to 25-15-6-1, currently listed in third place in the AHL’s North Division.

The scoring swing began early when Max McCue rifled in his first goal of the season at 1:56 of the first period, aided by Luca Del Bel Belluz and Luca Marrelli. Rutger McGroarty knifed a loose puck out of a net-front scramble at 5:29 to tie it 1-1, a play the Penguins’ release said came in the dying embers of a power play. Owen Sillinger restored a Cleveland lead at 13:46 of the first with assists from Gaunce and Del Bel Belluz; Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Ville Koivunen replied with a late first-period equalizer at 18:58. Mikael Pyyhtiä wired a shot past the glove of Joel Blomqvist at 9:56 of the second to put Cleveland up 3-2 through 40 minutes. Emil Pieniniemi launched the first goal of his AHL career 43 seconds into the third period to pull the Penguins even at 3-3 and force the extra session, setting the stage for Gaunce’s OT finish off assists from Dysin Mayo and Jack Williams.

Netminding decided the finish. Cleveland goalie Zach Sawchenko stopped 29 shots for the win. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton starter Joel Blomqvist denied 13 of 16 shots before exiting, and coach Kirk MacDonald turned to Sergei Murashov in relief; Murashov recorded 14 saves and took the overtime loss after having started a game fewer than 24 hours earlier, per the Penguins’ release.

The game carried broader implications for roster management and scheduling. The Penguins entered the night at 32-13-3-2 and used a goalie who had started within 24 hours, underscoring a heavy workload on depth netminders during this stretch. Cleveland’s win marked, as the Penguins’ release put it, a league-high 18th overtime for the Monsters this season, a surprising stat that highlights how often this club’s games extend past 60 minutes and can affect travel, recovery and broadcast windows.

Cleveland’s team site lists a trip to Grand Rapids on Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00 p.m. at Van Andel Arena, while the Penguins’ release lists their next game that night as a 7:05 p.m. start against the Springfield Thunderbirds at the MassMutual Center. Automated feeds provided alternate CST start times, illustrating the noise that can accompany scheduling as teams and outlets juggle time zones and streaming windows. Emil Pieniniemi’s first-career AHL goal and Gaunce’s three-point leadership night will both factor into how each club markets prospect progress and veteran impact during the playoff push.