With their hopes of a playoff spot hanging in the balance, the Lake Erie Monsters play three must-win games in just as many days this weekend. Not only do the Monsters need to win their last 11 games of the regular season, the team also needs for the fourth place Toronto Marlies to play .500 hockey in their remaining 12 games of the regular season if there is any chance of making the 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs.

The weekend starts Friday, as the Monsters follow-up on a home-and-home series with the Milwaukee Admirals, making their first appearance in franchise history at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. The team’s first game of the home-and-home set was a 2-1 overtime loss at Quicken Loans Arena Wednesday night. This season, the Monsters are 1-0-1 against the Admirals, as the team defeated Milwaukee 4-3 in their fifth game of the year, October 22nd at The Q.

Right after their game in Milwaukee, the Monsters will hop on the next flight to Cleveland for a 7:00 p.m. start Saturday against the San Antonio Rampage. Currently in eighth place in the West Division, the Rampage is also the league’s third-most penalized team in the league. In their two games against the Rampage this season, the Monsters are 1-1, as they rang in the New Year with a 6-2 loss in San Antonio on January 1st and avenged the defeat in the form of a 5-1 win on January 21st in their second and final game of the season at the AT & T Center.

Saturday’s game will be the Monsters inaugural “Pink in the Rink,” as the team will wear pink jerseys to be auctioned off at the end of the game with proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen foundation, the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists. The Monsters will also be skating a top a sheet of pink ice Saturday.

The weekend contests culminate on Sunday, when the Monsters host the Western Conference’s third-best team, the Grand Rapids Griffins, for the eighth and final time this season. So far, the Monsters have compiled a 4-2-0-1 record against the Griffins in the 2008-09 regular season.

Sunday is also the Monsters first-ever “Pucks and Paws” night. For $5, fans can bring their dog to the game, with the proceeds of the dog tickets going to the Cleveland Animal Protection League, which is sponsored by Camp Bow Wow of Bedford Heights. After this weekend’s games, the Monsters have eight games remaining in the regular season, with four of them being played at The Q.
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Saturday is Hockey Night in Cleveland, presented by Labatt Blue
Hey Monsters fans, this Saturday and every Saturday night game at The Q is Hockey Night in Cleveland, presented by Labatt Blue. Look for details at participating retail locations about the Labatt Blue Zone seats at The Q. Labatt Blue, imported daily from Canada.

Stop by the following locations on home Saturday game days for your chance to win tickets to the Labatt Blue Zone and enjoy great specials on Labatt Blue:

Boneyard; Clevelander; Harry Buffalo E. 4th St.; Local Heroes; and Panini's E. 9th St.