Nov. 2 — The Monsters will need some new heroes in this new season after reaching Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last year before losing to the Hershey Bears in heartbreaking fashion.

Two players who could fill that hero role if the NHL Blue Jackets don’t call them up first helped the Monsters beat the Toronto Marlies, 4-2, on Nov. 2 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Max McCue, a 21-year-old forward from Sudbury, Ont., playing his second game with the Monsters, ripped a laser from the right point off the left post and into the net behind Toronto goalie Matt Murray to break a score of 2-2. tie 11:46 into the third period. Neither team had a shot on goal in the third period until McCue scored. The goal was unassisted and sent the crowd of 10,132 into a frenzy.

“I was playing the corner and the puck came flying out to the point,” McCue said. “I tried to put it on the Internet and luckily it happened.”

McCue signed an entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets in March of the 2023-24 season after four years with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. He scored 27 goals and had 34 assists in 61 games with the Knights last year.

“It’s only his second game,” coach Trent Vogelhuber said. “We’re still getting to know each other, but I thought it was a good step for him. The whole line (McCue, Jake Gaudet and Cameron Butler) was really good.

“It was a great play all the way up the ice. They had each other’s backs in the O zone. He got to that soft zone and let it rip. I don’t think the goaltender did it. even saw it. I’m happy for him, but this group deserved it.

Marlies coach John Gruden pulled his goalie with 2:22 left in the third period. The Marlies, undefeated in the regular season (6-0-0-1) until the Monsters beat them, put pressure on guard Jet Greaves and the defense in front of him with the extra attacker, but the Monsters was up to the challenge.

With just over a minute remaining, Toronto winger Nikita Grebenkin fired a targeted shot inside the left post. Twenty-year-old Monsters defenseman Denton Mateychuk, another young player with a chance to become a hero this season, dove to the ice to successfully block the shot. The Blue Jackets selected Mateychuk 12th overall in the first round of the 2022 draft.

Dylan Gambrell sealed the victory for the Monsters (3-3-0-1) with an empty-net goal 29 seconds from time.

Butler scored the first goal of the game in the first period to give the Monsters a 1-0 lead. James Maletesta tied the score 2-2 on a shot from the slot with 23 seconds left in the middle of the period after Toronto took a 2-1 lead.

Greaves stopped 25 of 27 shots to earn his first win of the season.