Following Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Toronto Marlies, the Lake Erie Monsters (15-15-1-1) are looking for their second three-game win streak this season. They also stand the chance to pull to within a point of second-place Rochester in the North Division standings with a victory this afternoon against the Hamilton Bulldogs (13-14-1-3). All the action can be heard live from Hamilton, Ontario at 3:00 PM on WHK-AM 1420.

The Monsters 2-1 win over Toronto Thursday was not the most conventional of wins. After all, the Monsters set a new single-game record low for shots on goal in a game with 11, but they managed to score on two of those shots to preserve the victory. Their one-shot third period also tied a record low in Monsters history. The win, of course, came on the heels of a wild 6-5 overtime victory over another North Division opponent in Grand Rapids on Wednesday. With help from leading goal scorer Hugh Jessiman, who has four goals in two games this week, and Trevor Cann, who stopped 25 of 26 shots in Thursday’s win, the Monsters have a chance to move above the .500 mark for the first time this season.

The Monsters are 11-8-0-1 in their last 20 games; a stretch during which Jessiman has 15 goals. His 16 goals and six power play goals are both team bests at the moment. But another player who has elevated his game as of late is Justin Mercier, who became the Monsters all-time games played leader just over a week ago. Mercier’s goal, which opened the scoring in Thursday’s matchup, is his third over his last five games; a time in which the forward has earned five points.

In 32 games this season, Tyson Barrie has made a transition from being a talked-about prospect to one of the key cogs in all facets of the game for the Monsters. As the team’s leading scorer with four goals and 20 points overall this season, he has a goal and five assists in his last six games.

Hamilton's Frederic St-Denis may be the only other defenseman in the American Hockey League who has as much offensive importance to his team’s success as Barrie. St-Denis has eight assists in eight games since returning from a stint with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. He’s a sure-handed player at both ends of the ice, and will certainly be a factor again for the Bulldogs.

Broadcaster Doug Plagens and South East Harley-Davidson take us On the Road in Hamilton: