'Greatest game you'll watch': Fresno Monsters make it to playoffs

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Playoff hockey is coming to Fresno this week, and the Fresno Monsters are anticipating an breathtaking crippled this Thursday.

The Fresno Monsters, a inferior hockey league squad that competes successful the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL), is getting acceptable to big a squad from Nevada, the Henderson Force, successful their playoff opener Thursday nighttime astatine the Gateway Ice Center successful Fresno.

It's a best-of-three series, with games besides scheduled for Friday nighttime and Saturday night, if necessary, astatine the Gateway Ice Center.

The Monsters are coming disconnected a terrific regular play successful which they went 37-9 overall, and claimed the apical spot successful the league's 8-team Pacific Division.

"The travel truthful acold has been amazing. Just each the hard enactment we enactment successful unneurotic arsenic a squad to marque it into playoffs, and present we yet get to play for them. It's been a agelong and bully journey," said Jesse Nuutinen, a 19-year-old defenseman from Finland, who is 1 of galore planetary players connected the Monsters roster.

Team members accidental they person been honing their skills to hole for Thursday's game.

"A batch of method enactment and signifier and conscionable making definite that we person a coagulated basal going into playoffs, and that's however we're gonna win," said goalie Peter Burke.

Players connected the squad promote everyone to travel and bask the vigor of the game— adjacent those who whitethorn not cognize hockey.

"It's the top crippled you'll watch— especially, you know, we're the champion sports squad to ticker successful Fresno for sure. There's truthful overmuch excitement astatine our games, it's truthful overmuch precocious energy, and it's a large happening to travel watch," said Burke.

Face-off connected Thursday nighttime is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Friday's crippled starts astatine 6 p.m., and if necessary, Saturday's deciding crippled 3 volition get going astatine 5 p.m.

Anyone who would similar to acquisition tickets tin visit the Fresno Monsters website.

"Get your tickets— get arsenic galore arsenic you can, bring your friends and battalion the barn," Burke said.