Tonight, the Lake Erie Monsters face the Manitoba Moose for Game 4 of the Calder Cup Championship's North Division Semi-Finals. After splitting Games 1 and 2 in Cleveland last weekend, the Monsters regained a one-game lead in this series with a 2-1 triumph in Winnipeg on Tuesday night.

Two “Special Teams”

Lake Erie was whistled for eight penalties in Game 3, but its penalty-killing unit was perfect, again, in killing off all of Manitoba’s chances with the man advantage.

The Monsters’ PK went 20-for-20 against the Moose during the regular season and it has denied all 15 of Manitoba’s power play opportunities through the first three games of this series.

To date, Lake Erie is the only team in the Calder Cup playoffs to own a perfect penalty killing unit.

Lake Erie’s power play has converted on two of its 12 chances (16.7%) in this series.

During the second period of Game 1, the Monsters recorded a shorthanded, power play and even-strength goal, respectively, in their 6-4 victory.

Top Guns

Offensively, David van der Gulik and Ben Walter lead the way for Lake Erie, as they’ve both recorded two goals and an assist in this series. Walter has notched a point in each of the three games (2G, 1A), including the game-winner in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory. Van der Gulik scored Lake Erie’s first goal of the game in Games 2 and 3, while he also posted a two-point (1G, 1A) outing in Game 3.

Manitoba’s Marco Rosa has totaled five points (3G, 2A) so far in this series, while he figured in all four Moose goals (2G, 2A) in Game 1. Sergei Shirokov, who scored just 1:09 into Game 3, has posted a point in each game of this series (2G, 1A).

Pulling Out All The Stops

Jason Bacashihua started Game 1 for the Monsters but veteran John Grahame went the distance in Games 2 and 3. Grahame posted 39 saves in Game 3, and with 40 saves in Sunday’s 3-2 overtime loss, he has stopped 79 of 83 shots faced in this series.

Manitoba started rookie sensation Eddie Lack in Game 1 but he was relieved by former Monster Tyler Weiman late in contest. Weiman then backstopped Manitoba’s win in Game 2 and went 17-for-19 for a loss in Game 3. Weiman, who played three seasons with the Monsters (2007-2010), ranks first among all-time Lake Erie goaltenders in games played (118), wins (51) and shutouts (13).

Ben Holden previews this evening's contest: