Oklahoma City’s four power-play goals snapped the Lake Erie Monsters’ (4-2-0-0) three-game win streak, as the Barons (3-2-0-0) took a 4-3 decision at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City Tuesday night.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored his first two AHL goals, including the game-winning goal with 14:15 left in the third period, and added an assist. Jordan Eberle had a goal and two assists, Teemu Hartikainen recorded a goal and an assist and Justin Schultz tallied three helpers.
Bryan Lerg scored twice for the Monsters, giving him three goals in his last two games. The game was the last of a four-game road trip for Lake Erie.
The Monsters opened the scoring on the power play when Lerg fired a puck from the high slot over the left shoulder of Oklahoma City goalie Yann Danis for his second goal of the season at 6:35 of the first period. Assisting on the goal were Karl Stollery and Mike Sgarbossa.
Nugent-Hopkins answered for the Barons, also on the man advantage, with a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Monsters goalie Calvin Pickard, who had posted back-to-back shutouts prior to Tuesday’s contest. Nugent-Hopkins made the score 1-1 at 9:33 of the opening frame.
Andrew Agozzino banged home a rebound for the Monsters at 13:40 of the first period to extend his point streak to four games with his third goal of the season. David van der Gulik made sure the puck made it to the net, earning him an assist on the goal that regained a one-goal advantage for the Monsters.
On the power play once again, Oklahoma City tied the game at 17:58 of the first period when Eberle found the back of the net, with assists to Nugent-Hopkins and Hartikainen.
The Barons struck first in the second period to take a 3-2 lead when Hartikainen scored at the 6:41 mark, again on the power play.
But on a power play of their own, Lerg answered on a wraparound backhand goal — his second tally of the game — to tie it at 3-3 at 9:32 of the second. Sgarbossa and Thomas Pock assisted on Lerg’s third of the year, and third in his last two games.
Nugent-Hopkins scored the eventual game-winner for the Barons at 5:45 of the third period, with assists from Eberle and Schultz on the power play.
Pickard stopped 34 of 38 shots sent his way in net for the Monsters, and his individual record falls to 2-2-0. Danis stopped 28 of 31 for the Barons, and he is now 2-1-0.
