OKC holds off a hard Charging Lake Erie Team to win 3-2

After going up 3-0 at the end of 2 periods, the Barons had to fight off a hard charging Lake Erie Monsters who had 16 shots in the 3rd period and after going up 3-2, pulled their goalie Trevor Cann in hopes to force Overtime against the Western Conference Leaders. Fortunately the Barons Defense was able to help out Goaltender Yann Dennis to preserve a 3-2 win and improves their Goals Against Average to 2.19 GAA which is now in 4th in the entire American Hockey League.

The Barons lead in the Conference has also increased to 4 points as the Barons are beginning to show some signs they can finally pull away from the West Division Lead Pack that has until recently with the Barons, Aeros & Heat exchanging the lead the regular basis so far this season.

So far the Barons are right now are 2-0 on the current road trip as they will now head to Ontario to play the Toronto Marlies on Friday Night, then Sunday Afteroon the Barons will wrap up the Road Trip against the Hamilton Bulldogs. The team's next home game is on January 13 against the Rockford Ice Hogs.

Here's the Current AHL West Division Standings as of 1/5.

Full AHL Standings

1. Oklahoma City:  35 GP  23-8-4  50 PTS  109-82

2. Abbotsford:  33 GP  22-9-2  46 PTS  88-79

3. Houston:  34 GP  18-7-9  45 PTS  97-87

4. San Antonio:  34 GP  16-16-2  34 PTS  78-95

5. Texas  31 GP  14-16-1  29 PTS  90-94

Oklahoma City Barons 3  Lake Erie Monsters 2  (2-0, 1-0, 0-2)

From the Daily Oklahoman Website

From Cleveland, Ohio: Ryan Kelly & Philippe Cornet had a goal and an assist each Wednesday Night, and the Oklahoma City Barons hung on to beat the Lake Erie Monsters 3-2 in an American Hockey League game before 4,247 fans at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

Ryan O'Marra added a goal and two assists to help the Barons take a 3-0 lead. Lake Erie, the top farm team of the Colorado Avalanche, scored twice in the 3rd period but failed to tie the game in the waining seconds after pulling goaltender Trevor Cann for an extra attacker.

Cornet, defensemen Alex Plante and goaltender Yann Dennis were named on Wednesday to the AHL Western Conference All Star Team. They will join Barons Head Coach Todd Nelson at the All Star Classic January 29-30 in Atlantic City, N.J.

Cornet leads the Barons with 17 goals, and Dannis 15-5-1 with a 2.20 GAA. Plante is currently with on the Edmonton Oilers roster but is out indefinitely with a concussion.

Kelly who scored the Barons first goal Wednesday Night just 12 seconds into the game, left in the 2nd period after a vicous hit to the jaw by Adrian Foster. Kelly, who tops the Barons in scoring with 30 points in 36 games, was bleeding from the mouth. An extended loss would add to the growing list of Barons Injuries.

Oklahoma City is without defensemen Ryan Lowery, Kirill Tulupov & Dylan Yeo and forwards Gilbert Brule, Tristian Grant, Linus Omark & Andrew Lord. Edmonton has also made 12 transactions with the Barons since the Christmas Break. This week, the Oilers recalled forward Teemu Hartikainen, Josh Green & defensemen Colton Teubert.

Yet the team continues to win. Recent Central Hockey League signees, defensemen Andrew Martins of the Wichita Thunder & Sean Erickson of the Tulsa Oilers, played well in front of Goaltender Dannis on Wednesday Night. Lake Erie had 22 total shots on goal but just 6 shots through 2 periods.

Cann, the Lake Erie Goaltender, won 24 games over the 2009-2011 seasons with the Tulsa Oilers. He is usually the Monsters #2 Goalie, but starter Cedric Desjardins is out with injury. Desjardins tops the AHL with a 1.85 GAA against average and a .941 SV%.

Oklahoma City continues its four game road trip at 6:00 PM Friday at the Toronto Marlies who lead the North Division. Then on Sunday, it's a trip West to Hamilton to play the Hamilton Bulldogs.