Jet Greaves Shines in October

By The Numbers:
Record: 4-2-0-0; 8 pts
Power Play % (Rank): 17.4% (18th)
Penalty Kill % (Rank): 74.1% (29th)
Leading Scorers (overall): Trey Fix-Wolansky; 8
Most Goals: Carson Meyer; 4
Most Assists: Trey Fix-Wolansky; 6
(Stats as of 10/31/2023)

After a bitter tasting end to the 2022-23 season, the Cleveland Monsters started the 2023-24 season with a sweet, sweet record of 4-2-0-0.

Cleveland started the season on the road splitting games with Lehigh Valley (5-2, W) and the reigning Calder Cup Champs, the Hershey Bears (5-2, L). Then, the Monsters returned to Cleveland for what will go down in history as a disastrous home opener, getting blanked by the Syracuse Crunch, 5-0. 

Getting embarrassed in front of a wild and supportive home crowd was all the Monsters needed to win three straight to finish out the month on a positive note. 

While it was a full team effort, three players stood out in the month of October for Cleveland.

Jet!

At the end of October, Jet Greaves was one of two goaltenders with four wins to their name (last season’s AHL MVP, Dustin Wolf of the Calgary Wranglers, was the other one).

After letting in four goals in 17 shots on opening night, Greaves bounced back the next evening, stopping 31 of 33 to help push Cleveland to victory. His mental toughness in situations such as opening weekend is the best tool Greaves has in his goaltender toolbox.

“No matter what the result is, he just goes about his process. So, we weren’t worried about him being nervous or responding in a negative way,” said Head Coach Trent Vogelhuber on Greaves’ resolve in tough situations. “Because, it is what it is. He goes back to work and does it the way he does it. Way more often than not, he gets a positive result.”

Greaves extended Vogelhuber’s thoughts to include the entire team, as well.

“I think that’s a huge thing for myself and for our whole group to be able to be resilient — especially early in the year — and establish our identity of who we are as a team,” said Greaves.

During October, everyone was treated to another one of Greaves’ fantastic skills — seeing through screens. Multiple times throughout the month, opposing players would plant their big bodies on the crease, blocking Greaves’ sight lines. Often, he was able to see right through them as if they were invisible; it allowed him to stop many plays from turning into goals against.

According to Greaves, this ability comes from being able to use his peripheral vision and understanding the plays that are unfolding before him.

“When you can, taking looks around and being aware of what’s happening on the ice, and understand when the shot’s coming and the timing and the flow of the play,” said Greaves.

Vogelhuber explained Greaves’ personality is what helps when players sit on the doorstep and block his vision.

“He’s a battler and a grinder,” said Vogelhuber. “He’s going to fight his way through.”

Cooking With Carson

At the end of October, forward Carson Meyer had earned two multi-goal games and five points, four of which were goals.

While watching Meyer roam around the ice, you can see he’s writing up a tasty recipe involving putting the puck into the back of the net. Once he sees the right ingredients, Meyer starts cooking. The next thing you know, the horn is sounding, signifying dinner’s ready.

As the season rolls along, the ability to draw up plays, even in the most difficult circumstances, will prove helpful for Cleveland.

Fix On A Mission

Cleveland forward Trey Fix-Wolansky finished October with a team high of eight points. Now, we could just stop there and point production alone would simply be enough to consider him one of the standout players of the month. But, let’s take a quick moment to discuss why he was able to find himself on the score sheet multiple times in October.

This season, Fix-Wolansky has been skating like a man on a mission. Since the end of last season, his skating has gotten stronger and faster.

“I wanted to build off last year. Skating is such a big part of the game with the agility, speed, and strength,” said Fix-Wolansky of his skating this season. “I fixed whatever I could to strengthen my legs and work on my stride and I think it’s working so far.”

His strength in skating has allowed Fix-Wolansky to be more in control of his body movements. When a player is in control of their body, their confidence in their skills tends to skyrocket. They can then focus on using their brain to find successful ways to create plays which help themselves and their teammates find the back of the net.