Cleveland Offense Comes Up Big In Win Against Syracuse In Game Three of North Division Semifinals

Cleveland Monsters/Columbus Blue Jackets center Luca del Bel Belluz (65) moves in for a shot against Los Angeles Kings left wing Kevin Fiala (22) during the first period at Crypto.com Arena. (Source: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)

The Cleveland Monsters beat the Syracuse Crunch 4-3 after overtime in Game Three of the North Division Semifinals of the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Syracuse outshot Cleveland 9-3 for 18:55 minutes of the first period. The Crunch would capitalize and score at the 10:08 mark via the stick of forward Spencer Kersten.

However, the Monsters responded immediately eight seconds into the second period with a goal from forward Riley Bezeau. The Crunch had three opportunities in the power play with 5:45 minutes left in the period and put up five shots in them while outshooting Cleveland 12-8, but it was Cleveland's Guillaume Richard who found the go-ahead goal for the Monsters to put them up 2-1. The lead lasted for 6:10 minutes when Syracuse's Nick Abruzzese found the equalizer with the Crunchs' 12th shot of the frame.

With the Crunch barely outshooting the Monsters 11-10 in the third period and each team exchanging a goal, overtime was needed where Cleveland's Hudson Fasching would initially fail to score on a breakaway, but then make up for it right away by scoring on a wraparound, giving Game Three to the Monsters.

Cleveland goalie Zach Sawchenko made 31 saves off 34 shots for a save percentage of 0.912.