Struggling chiefs shake up lineup

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November 10, 2009

BY MIKE MASTOVICH The Tribune-Democrat Tue Nov 10, 2009, 11:40 PM EST

Bryan Marshall spent Tuesday morning in Cincinnati, figuring he was about to begin another week as a member of the Cincinnati Cyclones.

A few hours later, Marshall was traded to the Johnstown Chiefs as coach Jeff Flanagan hoped to add a spark to a 1-6-2-0 team.

“Everything happened pretty quick. This is the first time I’ve been involved in a trade,” said Marshall, a forward from Livonia, Mich. “I’m excited. I played one game for Johnstown last year. I know a couple of the guys that are still there. I was only in Cincinnati for a couple weeks, but it’s a pretty good group of guys. It’s not easy to leave, but it’s a new opportunity to meet some new guys and play with some new players.”

The Cyclones got Ryan Del Monte, who had 16 goals,

48 points and 81 penalty minutes in 69 games with Johnstown last season and a goal and three points in nine games this year.

“My career at this time, it’s a good thing that I change scenery,” said Del Monte, who departed what turned out to be his final game as a Chief via a flurry of penalties, including a game misconduct, with 1:01 left in the first period at Wheeling on Saturday. “I haven’t had a great start this season. I think a new city and a new team might spark me to play a little better.”

Marshall is expected to be in the lineup when the Chiefs host Reading at 7:30 tonight in the Veterans Day game at Cambria County War Memorial Arena.

“Our goal scorers are down and they’re not in a space we want them to be,” Flanagan said. “We need to get more goals per game. Bryan Marshall is that type of player. He has a pretty good shot.

“Ryan Del Monte has some value around the league. We felt it would be a good fit. Ryan is a real good guy around here and he’s a good player. As we’re trying to get better, sometimes you have to give up something good to get something good.”

Marshall spent most of last season with Lake Erie in the AHL, where he had six goals and 14 points in 50 games. Last season, Marshall played one game for Johnstown, ironically in Cincinnati, and had two assists.

“I was injured at the beginning of the season last year.

“When I was coming back Lake Erie had me meet the Chiefs in Cincinnati,” said Marshall, who had two goals and four points in five games with the Cyclones this season. “I drove from Cleveland to Cincinnati. I played the game and drove back to Cleveland. But there were a lot of guys in Johnstown that filtered to Lake Erie last year so I knew a lot of the guys.”

The Chiefs won their first game of the season 4-3 at Cincinnati on Nov. 5 and forced overtime before falling 4-3 at Wheeling on Saturday.

“The guys are positive,” Flanagan said. “We had a bit of a dismal stretch. Our last two games we’ve got three out of four points. We should’ve won at Wheeling but we did manage to get a point. The guys feel like they’re turning it around. We still have a lot to work on and we’ve worked hard this week. We feel we’re in a better position to win.”

Del Monte also feels as if he’s in position to win with the Cyclones.

“They always have pretty solid teams,” he said. “I’m happy to be going to a team that’s done a little better. I think I’ll fit in well with them.

“They have a lot of hard-working players. I think I’ll do fine.

“Johnstown’s been really good to me,” he added. “The people here are very welcoming.

“I have nothing but good things to say about the city and the people here.”

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