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Post by Stripe on Sept 3, 2017 14:11:39 GMT -5
I don't expect Paetsch to return.
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Post by Stripe on Jul 7, 2017 18:09:27 GMT -5
Saarijarvi and Hronek are expected to turn pro this season with the Griffins, while Givani Smith is headed back to Guelph (OHL) and Cholowski is headed to the WHL to play for Prince George.
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Post by Stripe on Mar 3, 2017 22:11:31 GMT -5
Clemona42,
It depends on who you ask (Cleary). He is essentially just another coach at this point, I have heard his knees are giving him trouble, but never see him officially referred to as injured. In any case he didn't have much left last year, and probably even less this year. Coach said he was going to play the best 18 skaters each night, and it is obvious Cleary does not fit that definition currently.
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Post by Stripe on Nov 22, 2016 7:10:09 GMT -5
LORITO NAMED CCM/AHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
<image002.jpg>GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The American Hockey League announced today that Grand Rapids Griffins forward Matt Lorito has been selected as the CCM/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 20, 2016.
Lorito tallied two goals and four assists (2-4—6) as the Griffins split a two-game home set against the Texas Stars last week.
Lorito had a goal and two assists on Wednesday night as Grand Rapids doubled up Texas, 6-3, then matched that effort in Friday’s 4-3 loss to the Stars as he became the first Griffin to record consecutive three-point nights since Martin Frk did so last Dec. 19 and 26. Five (1-4—5) of Lorito’s six points during the week came on the power play, as the Griffins went 5-for-13 (38.4%) with the man advantage in the two games.
Lorito has been a key factor in the Griffins’ 9-for-27 power play performance over the last five games, which has vaulted the team’s percentage (24.2%) to fifth in the league.
Lorito, the first Griffin this season to garner Player of the Week accolades, won the honor for the first time in his career.
The 5-foot-9, 171-pound center has played in all 14 games this season and ranks among the AHL’s leaders with 16 points (T5th), 10 power play points (T2nd) and eight power play assists (3rd).
A second-year pro from Oakville, Ont., Lorito signed as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings on July 1, 2016, following a rookie season in which he tallied 18 goals and 36 assists (18-36—54) in 71 AHL games with Albany. The 26-year-old forward turned pro in the spring of 2015 after four seasons at Brown University, where he was an All-Ivy League selection three times, and has totaled 27 goals and 55 assists (27-55—82) in 96 career AHL contests.
In recognition of his achievement, Lorito will be presented with an etched crystal award prior to an upcoming Griffins home game.
The Griffins are 6-2 in the month of November and currently place second in the Central Division. Grand Rapids travels to division-leading Milwaukee on Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST.
Single-game tickets are currently on sale. Fans can secure their full-season, select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2 or visit griffinshockey.com for more information.
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Post by Stripe on Aug 20, 2016 16:22:33 GMT -5
Jensen, Sproul and Ouellet will not count as vets if they return because they have played less than 260 games which is the cutoff. The veterans currently slated to be in GR was of today are:
D Bryan Lashoff D Nathan Paetsch LW Eric Tangradi C Ben Street RW Matt Ford RW Mitch Callahan C Louis-Marc Aubry
Steve Ott could conceivable be assigned by Detroit out of training camp, depending on how the numbers game works out and of course Dan Cleary continues to be rumored to return.
The team can dress up to 5 veterans and a sixth player with less than 320 games played. GR currently stands at 7 and Ott or Cleary would make it 8 or 9...
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Post by Stripe on Jul 17, 2016 20:29:50 GMT -5
That is correct and maybe more to come from Detroit depending on the outcome of training camp...
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Post by Stripe on Mar 29, 2016 5:54:47 GMT -5
Triston broke his neck in an off season mountain biking incident. he returned for a couple of games and then reinsured himself. It does not appear he will return this season...
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Post by Stripe on Mar 17, 2016 16:59:02 GMT -5
GRIFFINS, MICHIGAN OFFICE SOLUTIONS AND PEPSI TO COLLECT WATER FOR FLINT ON APRIL13
<image006.jpg>GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins, in partnership with Michigan Office Solutions (MOS) and Pepsi, will hold a Water for Flint collection drive at their game on Wednesday, April 13, asking fans to donate cases of water for our neighbors in need on the east side of the state.
Fans can donate water in any of four ways:
• Bring one or more cases to the Pepsi station on the Fulton Street plaza in front of Van Andel Arena from 5-7 p.m. on April 13. Please refer to the water donation guidelines listed here or detailed below; • Purchase water from the Pepsi station at a cost of $5 per case; • Make an online donation in any multiple of $5; • Those not attending the April 13 game can also drop off water at the MOS corporate office (2859 Walkent Drive NW / M-F 9 a.m.-5 p.m.) now through April 12.
For every case that is donated or purchased in person on April 13, Pepsi will provide a coupon redeemable for a free Pepsi fountain drink at that night’s Griffins game against the Lake Erie Monsters.
The Griffins, MOS and Pepsi are together donating 648 cases (nine pallets) of water to the effort, with Griffins players and coaches contributing 50 of those cases. With each case containing two dozen 16.9-oz. bottles, the combined efforts of these three partners alone will provide more than 2,050 gallons of water for Flint.
All water will be loaded onto an MOS truck as it is donated on April 13 then given to Food Bank of Eastern Michigan for distribution to Flint residents.
“Michigan Office Solutions is honored to be a part of this Water for Flint event with the Griffins and Pepsi,” said Ralph Slider, president of MOS. “MOS’ belief in being a strong corporate citizen is based on commitment to the communities in which we serve. The people of Flint need our help and MOS is fortunate enough to be in a position to provide that help!”
“A core philosophy of the Griffins organization is being a positive force in our community,” said the team’s vice president of corporate sales, Sean Wright. “Given the need in Flint, we’re thankful that we have the opportunity to join with MOS, Pepsi and our fans to help out our fellow Michiganders.”
To adhere to safety codes, all water donations need to observe the following guidelines, which allow them to be transported safely and efficiently.
The following items are acceptable: • Full cases of commercially packaged water (no loose bottles); • Commercially sealed gallon (or larger) containers of water; • All containers must have an expiration date of Oct. 13, 2016 or later.
The following items will NOT be accepted: • Canned water; • Containers with open/broken seals; • Carbonated water; • Flavored water; • Water past its expiration date or within six months of expiration.
For more information about the Water for Flint collection drive, please contact: Randy Cleves, Griffins senior director of public relations, at rcleves@griffinshockey.com or (616) 988-0246; or Shelly Bernecker, director of marketing for Michigan Office Solutions, at Shelly.Bernecker@mos-xerox.com or (616) 785-7866.
About Michigan Office Solutions Michigan Office Solutions (MOS) represents the best of both worlds when it comes to your business solutions – the technology strength and innovation of Xerox and 3D printing technology along with the agility of locally managed services and support team. MOS has been serving the Michigan community for over 58 years with eight locations throughout the state. Through the MOS 360° Assessment process, we help businesses transform their work environment, streamline processes and improve employee productivity. Get back to focusing on what you do best, we’ll take care of the rest. Michigan Office Solutions, you can count on us. For more information, visit mos-xerox.com. © 2016 Grand Rapids Griffins. All rights reserved.
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Post by Stripe on Jan 29, 2016 23:16:15 GMT -5
Marlies Rally to Top Griffins 4-2 Late collapse leads to fourth straight loss... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comJanuary 29th, 2016 The Griffins deserved a better fate, bouncing back from a 4-0 whitewash at the hands of the Toronto Marlies and outplaying the league leaders for most of the game. But a late collapse and two iffy goals allowed by starter Thomas McCollum allowed the Marlies to walk away with another win in the comfy confines of Van Andel Arena. The Griffins got a shorthanded goal from Andy Miele (9) and a third period tally from Anthony Mantha (12), but were unable to hold the Marlies who scored three goals in the final six and a half minutes of the game to break it wide open. McCollum made 24 saves for his second straight loss, dropping his record to 4-8-0. Campbell sprung Aubry up the middle and he tried to sneak a puck through five-hole, but Bibeau squeezed the pads together. Two-on-one Mantha and Zengerle, Mantha drew the defender and dished to Zengerle who sucked out Bibeau but couldn't get the puck over him. Great chance in front by Tangradi with a redirect on the doorstep. Miele short handed, passed the puck to himself off the boards to beat the defender, then went in two-on-one with Tangradi froze Bibeau and wired a shot in over his shoulder, glove side to give GR a 1-0 lead. The Griffins really carried the play the second half of the period. Shots on goal: GR 16 - Tor 7. Hoggan nice chance, but he ran out of room. The Marlies took an undisciplined penalty during a scrum, giving the Griffins the man advantage. Grand Rapids started five forwards as the 1st power play unit, but it did not help them generate much offense. Aubry stunned Holl with a heavy hit in the corner. Brian Lashoff under pressure, broke out and fed Tyler Bertuzzi deep for a chance. Mantha raced back, picked the puck carriers pocket and sent it back up ice. Brennan fired a long shot through McCollum's legs to even things up, taking advantage of some bodies in front of the Griffins netminder. Bertuzzi with a huge blast from the circle that just rimmed the crossbar, but stayed out. McCollum made a highlight reel save late in the period, diving across the crease and just knocking the puck wide. Shots on goal: GR 13 - Tor 10. Andreas Athanasiou got behind the D and rocketed in on Bibeau but couldn't slide the puck past him. Tangradi in front on the powerplay tipped a shot just wide. Mantha stole the puck on a broken play and shot in on Bibeau, circled the net, and then firing a bad angle shot in off the goaltender for a 2-1 lead. The Grand Rapids penalty killing unit had several great scoring chances, but could not extend the lead. Holl tied things up late in the third for the Marlies when he drove to the net and somehow got a shot past McCollum shortside. Mantha with a couple of pops at the puck in front of Bibeau, but couldn't get the puck through. Nosek with a sick move in the slot to generate a fantastic scoring chance. Hyman scored the game-winner with under two minute left when he went through the crease and shoved the puck through McCollum. The Marlies added insult to injury with an empty netter about a minute later, capping a 4-2 victory. Shots on goal: GR 19 - ROC 13. For the Game: GR 44 - Roc 49. Lines: Callahan - Athanasiou - Nosek Bertuzzi - Miele - Frk Tangradi - Zengerle - Mantha Hoggan - Aubry - Campbell Pairings: Lashoff - Sproul Ouellet - Russo Paetsch - Jensen Starter: McCollum Backup: Coreau Scratches: #11 Cleary - Lower Body Injury #23 Grant - Injury #32 Hirschfeld - Seizure #44 Rechlicz #55 Kindl - Healthy Scratch PP: Tangradi - Zengerle - Athanasiou Ouellet - Sproul Bertuzzi - Callahan - Mantha Frk - Miele PK: Miele - Tangradi Paetsch - Jensen Nosek - Aubry Lashoff - Ouellet Observations: The Griffins played well enough to win except for a couple of minutes at the end of the game. While I am not throwing McCollum completely under the bus, both of the last two goals were not necessarily dangerous and looked like he should have had them. You also expect your veteran netminder to close the door to protect a lead, which did not happen yet again. The team as a whole had a lot of jump, and were really up on their toes showing off the team speed and frustrating the Marlies who just could not get any space or separation. Mantha in particular looked very good, with several scoring chances and a couple of nice defensive plays. He also kept his feet moving and was flying around the ice. Bryan Lashoff had a strong night on the blueline, breaking up chances and keeping his head up to make some nice breakouts. The Marlies stopped trying to come into the zone on his side as the game progressed because he took everything away. Callahan was very noticeable, especially on the forecheck where he was a demon. While he didn't have a lot of chances, he took a lot of punishment in front of the net and played a great support role. Another shout out to the 4th line for a strong game. Aubry and Campbell specifically were tough to play against and brought energy and a chippy physical game. Jeff Hoggan used his speed to stretch the defense and set up a couple of scoring chances and raised the bar with his compete level. Not sure what was going on with Nick Jensen who missed some shifts the second half of the game, and was missing from the bench at times. Hopefully it was just an equipment issue and not an injury. Official Game Sheet
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Post by Stripe on Jan 9, 2016 9:44:48 GMT -5
Griffins 4-2 Win Overshadowed by Frightening Medical Crisis Alden Hirschfeld collapses and suffers seizure on bench... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comJanuary 8th 2016 Most nights, beating the 1st place Milwaukee Admirals with a patchwork lineup with as many as 7 regulars out with injury would be the headline. But an incident thirteen minutes into the second period shifted the focus from the boxscore to the welfare of one of the players. Forward Alden Hirschfeld, recently recalled from the Toledo Walleye, slumped over on the bench and suffered a seizure requiring a stoppage of the game and a long delay while medical personnel worked to stabilize him. He was taken to a local hospital and was reported to be in stable condition. The game resumed after an intermission with the last six minutes of the second tacked on to the beginning of the third period. Grand Rapids got a pair of goals from Nathan Paetsch (3,4) and singles from Nosek (3) and Frk (11). Jared Coreau had another outstanding outing between the pipes stopping 31 of 33 shots including some acrobatic saves in the third. The Griffins got off to a good start, taking the lead early in the first with a goal just 2:33 in. Nosek in the slot took a pass from Hoggan and flicked a shot in under Mazanec's arm, stick side to open the scoring with his 3rd of the season. Mantha got behind the defense for a great chance, but ended up firing it over the net. Nedomlel with a huge hit in the corner on his first shift. Payerl chased him down and dropped the gloves, but got a thorough pummeling from the Griffins hulking defenseman before being sent to the ice with a left to the head. Martin Frk made it 2-0 on the powerplay, firing an absolute laser of a shot from between the circles that was in and out of the net before anyone even reacted. Mantha brought the crowd to its feet with a series of sick moves to work his way to the net with puck through several Admirals players before running out of room and ringing a shot off Mazanec's leg pad. Adberg got Milwaukee on the baord late in the period when he fired a screened shot through traffic that found its way into the net behind Coreau, low stick-side. The Griffins dominated the first period, carrying play for large stretches and playing most of the period in the Admirals' zone. Shots on goal: GR 11 - Mil 9. Bass instigated a fight with Nedomlel in the corner. Nedomlel didn't take that bait at first and then Bass punched him in the face with a gloved hand. Then Devane flew in and hit Nedomlel from behind. Nedomel took a few shots from bass but got the better of the Milwaukee center, hitting him several times in a row in the face in a truly heavyweight bout that went on for quite some time. Nedomlel got the gate for his second fight of the game, leaving GR with 5 defensemen for the rest of the night. Paetsch scored a fluky goal as he batted at a Nastasiuk shot in front that flipped up in the air and found its way in over Mazanec. A couple of minutes later, Paetsch scored another goal firing a long shot from the line that got through traffic and beat Mazanec low. Frk last man back, made a bad decision firing the puck into a Milwaukee defender and then taking a penalty as he chased the puck carrier back into the Griffins end. Nosek and Aubry dangerous chances shorthanded, buzzing the net. Coreau came out into traffic to clear the puck down the ice himself to relieve the pressure. It was at this point that the game took a turn for the worse when Griffins forward Alden Hirschfeld slumped over on the bench and began to have a seizure. Griffins trainer and medical staff rushed to his aid and it was very tense for 10-15 minutes as he lay on the floor behind the bench being attended to, at one point turning purple. They eventually got him stabilized and took him out on the gurney straight to the hospital for more testing. They announced they would be tacking on the remaining six minutes and change to the third period and started the intermission. Shots on goal: GR 8 - Mil 9. Czarnowczan with a nice heads up play leading a rush up ice. He made a nice move to beat a defender and surprised Mazanec with a bad angle shot. Huge sprawling save by Coreau to keep the three goal lead intact. Milwaukee very ill-tempered, scrumming and trying to push the physical agenda late in the third. Bertuzzi with a head fake and a nice chance on Mazanec using the defender as a screen. Cody Bass got around Nastasiuk and batted a bouncing puck past Coreau far side along the ice to cut the lead to two. Nosek with speed for a good chance that Mazanec had to juggle to stop. Milwaukee pulled their netminder for an extra attacker with several minute remaining to try and close the gap. Zengerle missed in front on an open net. Shots on goal: GR 9 - Mil 15. For the Game: GR 28 - Mil 33. Lines: Bertuzzi - Miele - Frk Tangradi - Zengerle - Mantha Hoggan - Nosek- Campbell Hirschfeld - Aubry - Nastasiuk Pairings: Lashoff - Sproul Paetsch - Russo #44 Richard Nedomlel - #2 Scott Czarnowczan Starter: Coreau Backup: #36 Jake Patterson Scratches: #11 Cleary - Injury #12 Athanasiou - Injury #14 Jensen - Injury #15 Callahan - Broken Jaw #16 Ouellet - Injury #23 Grant - Injury #30 McCollum - Injury #44 Rechlicz PP: Tangradi- Miele - Zengerle Paetsch - Mantha Frk - Nosek- Bertuzzi Sproul - Russo PK: Miele - Nastasiuk Paetsch - Lashoff Nosek - Aubry Russo - Nedomlel Observations: The Hirschfeld incident was pretty freaky. From my vantage point behind the bench we could see a lot of what was going on and it was not necessarily apparent at first that it was just a seizure. The players were visibly upset as they milled around the bench area. When they finally loaded him up he did not look good and there was a somber atmosphere in the arena for the rest of the evening. We were very happy to receive reports that he was in stable condition and at the hospital. Prayers and well wishes for a speedy recover Alden. As for the game, Grand Rapids beat up on Milwaukee and posted their 4th win in five games against the division leaders. We were worried a bit beforehand about missing Ouellet and Jensen both for this contest, but Scott Czarnowczan played a great game and really looked like a regular, to the point where we didn't look like we were playing short. Nedomlel in his half a game also looked better than I ever remember him looking in the past. Nedomlel had a ton of jump and was very aggressive on the puck, showing off some surprising quickness for such a big man. He laid out a couple of huge hits that sent Milwaukee players to the ice. He also made a couple of really nice plays along the boards to get the puck out of danger and showed he saw the ice pretty well. And for those of you keeping score at home, he also engaged in a pair of epic fights, administering a couple of beat downs. He really got a lot of punches in and hit to hurt. I would be very interested in seeing him get into more games, though I hope he would be able to finish one as I am sure the coach was not happy playing with 5 D for half the night. Czarnowczan was given an extension last year after a pretty impressive body of work during his rookie campaign and lost the battle for the last spot in GR earlier this season. He looked like a seasoned vet tonight, moving the puck with authority and playing airtight defense. He showed off a great first pass, and even carried the mail up ice a couple of times. Hopefully circumstances give him an opportunity to play more over the second half. Nosek was playing with a whole new level of confidence following his return from Detroit. He really jumped up into the play and was shooting the puck more. His skating was also much more noticeable as his feet were always moving and he was able to exploit the Milwaukee defense with his speed. Official Game Sheet
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Post by Stripe on Jan 1, 2016 10:22:02 GMT -5
Coreau's Shutout Sinks Admirals 3-0 Tangradi's 14th goal extends home winning streak to 11 games... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comDecember 31st, 2015 The Griffins entered New Years Eve looking to avenge a 3-0 loss from the visiting Milwaukee Admirals suffered on Tuesday night. Jared Coreau provided the defense, stopping all 23 shots he faced to lead the Griffins to a 3-0 whitewash of the conference leaders, and Eric Tangradi provided all the offense they would need with his 14th of the season. Captain Jeff Hoggan (4) and veteran Louis-Marc Aubry (4) also scored for Grand Rapids in the win. Alden Hirschfeld made his season debut for the Griffins, who were playing without regulars Tomas Nosek (Detroit), Andreas Athanasiou (Injury), Mitch Callahan (Broken Jaw), Dan Cleary (Injury) and Thomas McCollum (Injury). Good pressure on the forecheck by Tyler Bertuzzi early to force a turnover and draw the ire of the Admirals. Triston Grant, making his 2015 home debut, had a good scoring chance on a wrap-around, but Mazanec made the stop. Tangradi dropped Gaudreau with an open ice hit, then answered the challenge from Allen, dropping the gloves in a short bout. Big save by Coreau on a point blank shot from the slot. Great pressure by the Aubry line, cycling the puck and creating chances. Lashoff fired a big point shot that hit Girard square in the face. The Admirals center dropped to the ice and had to be helped to the dressing room for repairs. Jensen was heading to the bench and didn't expect a pass, causing him to promptly turn it over to a speeding Admirals' forward, but Coreau made the save. Martin Frk drew a penalty with his hustle cutting hard to the net carrying a Milwaukee defender on his back. Shots on goal: GR 15 - Mil 8. Miele got sprung behind the defense on a breakaway, but was offside, so the play was blown dead. Anthony Mantha hit Zengerle in the slot for a quick shot that Mazanec stopped. Mantha had a breakaway and two quick pops at Mazanec. A scrum broke out along the boards with Bertuzzi in the middle of it, no surprise as he seemed to be a burr under the Admirals saddle all night. Tangradi got Grand Rapids on the board midway through the period when he raced up the slot, took a pass from Zengerle and ripped it in past Mazanec, glove-side. He almost made it 2-0 on an odd man rush with Mantha and Zengerle later in the period. Tangradi carried it deep and then dished to Mantha for a shot in close but ran out out of room to make a good play. Shots on goal: GR 9 - Mil 7. Milwaukee on the powerplay, missed on a wide open Griffins' net. Devane knocked Bertuzzi into the net, touching off a scrum after the whistle. Bertuzzi was jawing with an Admirals forward, and then Payerl came from out of nowhere to hit him from behind . Aubry got tossed from the circle and Campbell came in to win the draw and then draw a penalty with his hustle. Hoggan on the doorstep picked up a beautiful Aubry centering pass from behind the net and chipped the puck in over Mazanec. Oligny hit Tangradi by the Milwaukee bench and then put him into the bench. The Admirals summoned Mazanec to the bench for the extra skater during a powerplay, giving them a two man advantage. The Griffins penalty kill was up to the task, clearing the puck several times until Aubry netted an empty net goal with one second left on the clock. Shots on goal: GR 12 - Mil 8. For the Game: GR 36 - Mil 23. Lines: Bertuzzi - Miele - Frk Tangradi/Hoggan - Zengerle - Mantha Hoggan - Aubry - Campbell #23 Tristan Grant - #32 Alden Hirschfeld - Nastasiuk Pairings: Paetsch - Jensen Ouellet - Russo Lashoff - Sproul Starter: Coreau Backup: #34 Jeff Lerg Scratches: #11 Cleary - Injury #12 Athanasiou - Injury #15 Callahan - Broken Jaw #30 McCollum - Injury #44 Rechlicz PP: Tangradi/Bertuzzi - Miele - Zengerle Paetsch - Sproul Frk - Tangradi - Mantha Ouellet - Russo PK: Miele - Nastasiuk Paetsch - Jensen Campbell - Aubry Ouellet - Lashoff Observations: Grand Rapids came away with a good win in a close game against the Western Conference leading Milwaukee Admirals. The game was closer than the score would indicate, but the Griffins really appeared to outwork Milwaukee in all three zones. Jared Coreau looked very confident in the net, and while he didn't see a ton of shots, he was ready for the ones he did. When he is on his game (which is the case much more often then not as of late) he really is an impressive netminder with his speed. For such a big guy, he is very quick and active in his crease. With his size he also takes a lot of the net away, a very dangerous combination. Anthony Mantha had a very good night and looks to be playing with a new level of confidence. What really was noticeable was his skating as he was really flying around the ice all night. Last season, and even earlier this year there were times when he seemed to be coasting, but he was on his toes yesterday. He had several great chances, showing off his great hands and used his size well, battling for position around the net. Mantha also was very active in the neutral zone, using his anticipation to break up plays and feed the transition game. Tangradi looked like he had been shot out of a cannon and was a force on the ice. He used his size and speed and just looked like a world beater. He scored the first goal, threw some heavy hits, and even answered the bell on a fight. He had a lot of jump, fueled partially one would assume by his recent NHL recall. If you strip away the rambunctiousness of Bertuzzi's game, he has a surprising skill set. He has a nose for the net and a velcro stick, as everytime you look the puck seems to be drawn to his stick. He really got under the Admirals skin and I lost count of the number of times he ended up in exactly the right spot to bat the puck away to a Griffins forward with speed heading up ice. Martin Frk may not have made it on to the score sheet, but he had a good game nonetheless. Perhaps coach Nelson's most noticeable reclamation project, Frk looks like a different player. He does not look out of place when he doesn't have the puck, and appears to be be quicker and stronger than in the past. He is very adept at getting himself open and in scoring position, but no longer looks like a liability when he is not doing that. Official Game Sheet
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Post by Stripe on Nov 20, 2015 23:15:07 GMT -5
Jurco's Hat Trick Keys Seven Goal Explosion over Gulls Slovakian Sniper score four points in second game of conditioning stint... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comNovember 20th, 2015 The additions of Tomas Jurco and Andreas Athanasiou from the parent Red Wings paid immediate dividends as the pair combined for 4 goals and 3 assists in a 7-4 shellacking of the visiting San Diego Gulls. The Griffins jumped out to a 3-0 lead midway through the first on goals by Sproul (2), Jurco (1) and Mitch Callahan (2). San Diego fought back a couple of times before Jurco added two powerplay tallies, bookending both sides of a double minor to Shane O'Brien late in the third. Grand Rapids also got a goal from Eric Tangradi (4), playing on a line with Jurco and Athanasiou. Netminder Jared Coreau added his second straight victory and his 4th of the season making 31 saves. Griffins powerplay early and Sproul ripped a big shot off the face-off that beat Gibson stick side and blistered the paint on the goalpost. O'Brien boarded Hoggan and Aubry came over for some pushing and shoving. On the powerplay, Athanasiou went cross ice to Jurco in the circle and he stroked a shot in over Gibson for his first of the season. About a minute later, Sproul connected again from the opposite side with a huge point blast that Callahan tipped in front for a three goal lead. The Gulls got one back late in the period on the powerplay when Friberg fired a bouncing shot past a screened Coreau. Aubry stole the puck in front and had a couple of pops at Gibson. Three-on-one, Mantha, Callahan and Athanasiou, executed a tic-tac-toe passing play with Athanasiou scoring five hole to make it 4-1. Shots on goal: GR 13 - San 9. Mantha in alone on Gibson and ripped a shot that the netminder had to look behind him to make sure he stopped it. San Diego really pushing the pace in the second. Coreau made a stop, but Russo overskated the rebound and Cramarossa picked it up on the doorstep for an easy goal. Great movement by Grand Rapids on the powerplay, but they couldn't extend the lead. Nosek and Bailey pushing and shoving behind the play. Shots on goal: GR 9 - San 16. Jurco threaded a pass through traffic to Tangradi at the edge of the paint. Tangradi batted it in as Gibson flailed at it. Midway through the third, Montour beat Coreau from just inside the blue line to pull San Diego within two. San Diego cut the lead to one when Coreau was down on the ice scrambling in a pile of players and the puck went off Sproul and into the net. The play was reviewed but allowed to stand. Ouellette smoked a Gulls player angling towards the net and he stayed down for awhile. Bickell dropped the gloves and pummeled an unwilling Anthony Mantha. The Griffins starting to gain momentum, putting a lot of rubber on Gibson. Nice chance by Campbell who made a surprising little move to turn a routine clear into a dangerous scoring chance. Athanasiou drew a penalty with his hustle by the net. O'Brien argued and ended up with a double minor. On the ensuing powerplay, Athanasiou gained the zone with speed, curled into the circle and then hit Jurco coming late in the slot. Jurco bulged the twine behind Gibson for his second of the night. He completed the hat trick less than a minute later when he picked a rebound in front of the net and fired it past a sprawling Gibson. Hats rained down on the ice in celebration and the Griffins wrapped up a 7-4 win. Shots on goal: GR 18 - San 10. For the game: GR 40 - San 35. Lines: Callahan - Miele - Mantha Tangradi - #12 Athanasiou - Jurco #11 Cleary - Nosek - Campbell Hoggan - Aubry - Nastasiuk Pairings: Paetsch - Jensen Ouellet - Russo Lashoff - Sproul Starter: Coreau Backup: McCollum Scratches: #9 Zengerle #39 Bertuzzi #27 Frk #42 Nedomlel #23 Grant - Injured #44 Rechlicz PP: Callahan - Athanasiou - Jurco Ouellet - Sproul Tangradi - Miele - Mantha Paetsch - Russo PK: Cleary - Campbell Paetsch - Jensen Nosek - Aubry Ouellet - Lashoff Observations: The Griffins had a very good game, easily their best of the season. the biggest difference is they were up on their toes skating, using their speed to create gaps and move the puck through the gaps to scoring chances. I hope this will continue to build going forward. Jurco and Athanasiou looked like NHL'ers playing in the AHL and were dominant forces, especially Jurco who had the puck on a string. It was a solid effort pretty much up and down the lineup. Another player who really stood out was Aubry who was a force at both ends of the ice and was flying tonight. It was also nice to Sproul unleash his cannon of a shot on the powerplay several times. he was only credited with 4 shots, but several were blocked on the way to the net and made for some very wary shot blockers for San Diego. Official Game Sheet
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Post by Stripe on Nov 18, 2015 23:46:22 GMT -5
Rookie Russo Leads Griffins Over IceHogs 3-2 Rookie rearguard notches first career goal and a pair of assists in the win... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comNovember 18th, 2015 Robbie Russo picked a good time to record his first pro goal, a clutch marker that broke a 2-2 tie in the third to give the Griffins a 3-2 win. Grand Rapids also took advantage of Tomas Jurco, recently assigned by the parent Detroit Red Wings on a conditioning stint, who shook off the rust of being a frequent scratch in Detroit to put on a fairly dominant performance for the Griffins. Netminder Jared Coreau made 33 stops for the win, his third of the season. Grand Rapids also got goals from Andy Miele (2) and Nathan Paetsch (2) on the night. The Griffins got off to a slow start but really picked up the pace and started skating midway through the first. Hoggan had a brilliant chance in front and just couldn't get the puck over Leighton's pad. Tangradi had a point blank scoring chance on a nifty feed from Miele. Nosek broke in on Leighton, made a slick little move and fired a shot off the netminders' pad. Hoggan in the slot facing a nearly wide open net, hit Nastasiuk's skate with the shot. Hinostroza walked right around Sproul for a dangerous chance on Coreau. Jurco fed the puck through an IceHog to Tangradi on the doorstep, but he was too surprised to get a good shot off. Shots on goal: GR 14 - Rock 12. Miele got the Griffins on the board early in the second with a quick flick of the wrist on the doorstep for his second of the season. Coreau came up with a huge series of saves to preserve the Griffins lead. Grand Rapids in penalty trouble with two players in the box, but the penalty killers were up to the task. Paetsch hit Callahan coming out of the penalty box for a breakaway, but he fired it high and wide. Two on one with Tangradi and Jurco. Tangradi made a nice pass to Jurco who fired in into the goaltender. Paetsch made it 2-0 when his long, low shot got by Leighton with Jurco screening in front. The goal was reviewed but allowed to stand. DeSousa lined up Miele and crushed him with a high open-ice hit. Callahan went right over and knocked DeSousa to the ice, touching off a big scrum. Callahan and Ross spent most of their time in their respective boxes jawing at each other. Late in the period, Ouellet turned the puck over right in front of Coreau and Bickell buried it past a stunned Coreau to cut the lead to one. Shots on goal: GR 10 - Rock 9. Rockford knotted the score at two with a bad angle shot by Dowell from the corner behind the goal line that caught Coreau cheating off the post. Grand Rapids got it right back when Russo wired a point shot through Leighton with Ouellet in front for his first pro goal. Coreau made the save of the game when he made a big stop and then slid across the net to stop the rebound. Callahan with a couple of good chances late. Coreau went behind the net and got caught, luckily the defense bought him enough time to get back before the IceHogs could muster a shot. Rockford called a time out with 1:48 left in the clock and then kept Leighton on the bench for the extra attacker. Grand Rapids cleared the puck several times before time ran out on a 3-2 Griffins win. Shots on goal: GR 10 - Rock 14. For the game: GR 34 - Rock 35. Lines: Callahan - Miele - Mantha Tangradi - Nosek - #28 Jurco #11 Cleary - Zengerle - Campbell Hoggan - Aubry - Nastasiuk Pairings: Paetsch - Jensen Ouellet - #5 Russo Lashoff - Sproul Starter: Coreau Backup: McCollum Scratches: #39 Bertuzzi #27 Frk #42 Nedomlel #23 Grant - Injured #44 Rechlicz PP: Callahan - Zengerle - Jurco Ouellet - Sproul Tangradi - Miele - Mantha Paetsch - Russo PK: Cleary - Campbell Paetsch - Jensen Nosek - Aubry Ouellet - Lashoff Observations: It's amazing the difference one player can make. Jurco came out and skated circles around the IceHogs on one of his first shifts, and the rest of the team started to crank it up to try and play at that level. Official Game Sheet
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Post by Stripe on Nov 18, 2015 23:46:05 GMT -5
released from his PTO...
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Post by Stripe on Oct 21, 2015 23:00:49 GMT -5
Frk Leads Griffins Over Checkers 4-3 Coreau makes 37 saves in win... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comOctober 21st, 2015 Grand Rapids rebounded from a tough start to pick up their first victory of the season, a 4-3 win over the visiting Charlotte Checkers. Martin Frk proved the unlikely hero, notching a pair of goals and first star honors on the night. Jared Coreau out dueled former Griffin Drew McIntyre, making 37 saves on 40 shots. Anthony Mantha and Jeff Hoggan also tallied their first goals of the season in the win. The Griffins got off to another slow start, which was apparent when Charlotte had more scoring opportunities while short handed than GR during an early power play. Nosek with a steal in front had a great chance but McIntyre made the stop. The Griffins were awarded another man advantage, and again Charlotte took advantage of a turnover to create another great scoring chance short handed. Coreau came up with a major league stop to keep the score at zero. Jensen couldn't hold it in at the line, but sacrificed himself to a brutal hit to knock the puck out of danger. Big scrum to the side of McIntyre's cage after the whistle. Campbell followed up a shot looking for a rebound and jammed away at it until the whistle blew. Grand Rapids had a 3-on-1 and Tangradi took the shot, firing it into the netting. Mantha set up Paetsch in the slot with a drop pass, but the veteran defenseman couldn't handle it to get a shot off. Late in the period, Charlotte scored an easy power play goal to take the lead when Hensick was left alone in front and hit Di Giuseppe back door. Grand Rapids answered back 32 seconds later, when Mantha snuck into the slot and Callahan made a pretty behind the back pass from the side of the net that the speedy sniper roofed to tie the game at one. Shots on goal: GR 16 - Cha 10. Hoggan picked off a pass and shot in on McIntyre, firing a rocket from the circle that was stopped. Callahan into the zone with speed went cross ice to Sproul for a chance. midway through the period, Frk with speed went in alone on McIntyre and fired a wicked wrister past him for a 2-1 lead. Frk in the slot again, fed Tangradi for a blast that rang off the post behind McIntyre. Shots on goal: GR 9 - Cha 8. Jensen's long point shot was redirected by Aubry in the slot and Hoggan in front to increase the lead to 3-1. Huge save by Coreau on a Checkers' 2-on-1 which resulted in a point blank shot. Paetsch over-skated his man allowing him to walk in alone on Coreau and fire a shot that was redirected in by Woods. Miele up the middle fought through a check to have a great chance on the doorstep. Frk got behind the defense, cut in on McIntyre, and tucked it under his pads for his second of the night. Lowe and Campbell dropped the gloves behind the play with both players landing punches. Campbell appeared to get the better licks in to take the win. Charlotte pulled McIntyre with three minutes remaining, and used the extra attacker to pepper the Griffins net with shots. They finally got another one past Coreau with 6.4 seconds remaining, on a controversial play that was reviewed and allowed to stand. The Griffins held on for a 4-3 win. Shots on goal: GR 10 - Cha 22. For the game: GR 35 - Cha 40. Lines: Tangradi - Miele - #27 Frk Bertuzzi - Athanasiou - Mantha Callahan - Nosek - Zengerle Hoggan - Aubry - Campbell Pairings: Paetsch - Jensen Lashoff - Sproul Ouellet - Marchenko Starter: Coreau Backup: McCollum Scratches: #28 Cleary #5 Russo #37 Nastasiuk #23 Grant - Injured #44 Rechlicz PP: Tangradi - Nosek - Zengerle Frk - Jensen Callahan - Athanasiou - Mantha Miele - Paetsch PK: Nosek - Campbell Paetsch - Jensen Athanasiou - Tangradi Lashoff - Marchenko Observations: The Griffins started to click midway through the first and did a great job of creating chances. Frk saw a ton of cie time on a scoring line and looked like he belonged. He still is not the fleetest skater or a top defensive forward, but he can score with the best of them Great to finally get win number one out of the way, I saw Callahan fishing out the final game puck to give to coach Nelson to commemorate the milestone. Dan Cleary was in the house sitting to my right, as was Chris Chelios who was watching the Checkers where his son Jake plays... Official Game Sheet
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