When his team needed him, Tyler Weiman came up big, yet again.  With their backs against the playoff wall, the Monsters goalie stopped everything thrown his way  while leading  Lake Erie to a big 2-0 win in Milwaukee on Friday night. The victory avenged Wednesday's 2-1 overtime loss at home to the same Admirals. 

The shutout was the ninth of the season for Lake Erie, and seventh for Weiman himself, a mark that ranks at the top of the AHL.

With fourth-placed Toronto's shootout loss to Grand Rapids on Friday, the Monsters are still clawing for a playoff spot, and are now eight points behind the Marlies with 10 games to play in the season.

Weiman virtually single-handedly kept the Monsters in the ballgame in the first period.  The Admirals rattled off 12 shots in the frame, compared to just two for Lake Erie.  Yet none of Milwaukee's attempts could get past Weiman. Despite the drastic shot discrepancy, the first period came and went with no score.

More than half the second period would elapse without a score as well.  The lamp finally got lit off the stick of Nigel Williams, putting Lake Erie up, 1-0.  Codey Burki and Per Ledin assisted on the goal. The two teams were much more evently matched in the middle session, as each put up eight shots on net apiece.

The Monsters clung to their one-goal advantage for almost the entire third period.  Although Lake Erie bested Milwaukee in the shots category, 9-5, they still weren't able to find the back of the net.  That was until after the Admirals had pulled their goalie, Drew MacIntyre, in favor of an extra attacker. 

Ledin make the Admirals pay for their risk, scoring on an empty net with only two seconds left in regulation.  It was the fourth multi-point game of the year for Ledin.  He was assisted by Matt Hendricks and Ray Macias, sealing the 2-0 victory.

Weiman finished the night a perfect 25-for-25 in net for the Monsters.  MacIntyre blocked 17 of the 18 shots he faced. 

The Monsters now head back home immediately for a back-to-back to finish off the three games in three nights weekend.  Lake Erie hosts San Antonio on Friday and Grand Rapids on Sunday.