Photo by Lake Erie Monsters / Ben Hall

Scoresheet

For the second straight game, the Lake Erie Monsters (27-27-2-7) could not outlast the Toronto Marlies (34-20-2-4), falling 5-3 at Quicken Loans Arena on Sunday. The game was the second of three straight against the Marlies for the Monsters, following a 2-1 loss in Toronto on Wednesday. The two teams will meet again at The Q on Tuesday.

Andrew Agozzino and Stefan Elliott scored on the power play for the Monsters, while Tyson Barrie also added a goal. Rookie Calvin Pickard started in net for the 11th time in the last 12 games for the Monsters. Sunday’s loss is the fourth straight in regulation for Lake Erie, who had only lost four straight games in regulation one other time during the season.

Kenny Ryan scored on a deflection to give Toronto a 1-0 lead with the only goal of the first period at 5:37 of the opening frame.

Elliott scored on a wrist shot from the left point to tie the game at 1-1 for the Monsters at 1:24 of the second period. The goal was Elliott’s fourth of the season and was unassisted.

Brad Ross scored on the power play to get the lead back for the Marlies when he made it a 2-1 game at 3:43 of the second period; just over four minutes later, Ryan Hamilton deflected a shot from the blue line past Pickard to give Toronto a 3-1 lead.

Agozzino ignited a Monsters comeback when he fired home a one-timer from the right side with 3.9 seconds remaining in the second period and the Monsters on the power play. The goal was the 16th of the season for Agozzino, and was assisted by Geoff Walker and Barrie.

Barrie tied the game in the third period at 3-3 when he joined the rush and received a perfect backhand pass from Mike Connolly at the side of the Toronto net. Barrie sent the puck top-shelf on Toronto goalie Jussi Rynnas for his seventh goal of the season, which was also assisted by Mike Sgarbossa, at 11:02 of the third period.

But with 1:45 left in regulation, Toronto’s Jerry D’Amigo poked in his own rebound, scoring the eventual game-winner and making the score 4-3. D’Amigo also added an empty-netter in the final seconds to seal the win for Toronto, making the score 5-3.

Pickard takes the loss in net, stopping 21 of 25 shots; he is 16-17-5. Rynnas is 10-9-1 after stopping 17 of 20 shots for the Marlies.

NOTES: The Monsters are now 3-3-0-0 against the North Division-leading Marlies this season… The Monsters home record is now 13-14-1-4… The Monsters were 2-4 on the power play, and had scored just one power play goal over six games leading up to Sunday afternoon… The Monsters were 6-7 on the penalty kill, and are now 11-12 over their last two games on the penalty kill, with each of the last two games being against Toronto… Agozzino’s goal gives him two goals to go with seven assists in six games against the Marlies this season; his nine points leads the Monsters against Toronto in ’12-13… Gabriel Beaupre, at plus-one, was the only Monsters to finish Sunday’s game with a plus rating.

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