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Post by Stripe on Jul 1, 2014 15:14:58 GMT -5
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Post by Stripe on Jul 1, 2014 11:08:49 GMT -5
For Immediate Release – July 1, 2014 Contact: Kyle Kujawa, Public Relations Coordinator (313) 471-7518 office; (248) 953-4561 cell
RED WINGS SIGN RILEY SHEAHAN TO NEW TWO-YEAR CONTRACT … Former First-Round Pick Tallied 24 Points in 42 Games in First NHL Season …
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today announced that they have signed center Riley Sheahan to a new two-year contract. In accordance with club policy, additional details will not be disclosed.
Sheahan, 22, skated in 42 games with the Red Wings during his second professional season, registering 24 points (9-15-24), which tied him for 24th among NHL rookies in scoring. He also appeared in 31 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in 2013-14, tallying 18 points (8-10-18) and adding five points (1-4-5) in eight postseason games. In 2012-13, the 6-foot-2, 212-lb., forward notched 36 points (16-20-36) and 33 penalty minutes in 72 games with the Griffins and helped the team capture their first-ever Calder Cup championship, tying for the AHL rookie scoring lead with 16 points (3-13-16) in 24 postseason games. The St. Catharines, Ontario, native totaled 56 points (25-31-56) in 110 AHL games with Grand Rapids from 2011-14.
Originally drafted by Detroit with their first-round pick (21st overall) in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Sheahan appeared in 114 games with the CCHA’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2009-12 prior to turning pro, recording 64 points (20-44-64) and 74 penalty minutes. He was nominated for the CCHA Top Defensive Forward Award as a junior in 2011-12 before signing his entry-level contract with the Red Wings and making his NHL debut against Chicago on April 7, 2012.
Riley Sheahan, Center Born Dec 7 1991 -- St. Catharines, ONT Height 6.02 -- Weight 212 -- Shoots L
Selected by Detroit Red Wings round 1 #21 overall 2010 NHL Entry Draft
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ---- Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2009-10 Notre Dame CCHA 37 6 11 17 22 2010-11 Notre Dame CCHA 40 5 17 22 28 2011-12 Notre Dame CCHA 37 9 16 25 24 2011-12 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 7 1 1 2 0 -- -- -- -- -- 2011-12 Detroit Red Wings NHL 1 0 0 0 4 -- -- -- -- -- 2012-13 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 72 16 20 36 33 24 3 13 16 10 2012-13 Detroit Red Wings NHL 1 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- -- 2013-14 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 31 8 10 18 12 8 1 4 5 0 2013-14 Detroit Red Wings NHL 42 9 15 24 6 5 0 0 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NHL Totals 44 9 15 24 10 5 0 0 0 0
<Red Wings Sign Riley Sheahan to New Two-Year Contract.pdf>
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Post by Stripe on Jul 1, 2014 11:03:42 GMT -5
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday announced the signing of former Western Michigan University forward Shane Berschbach to a one-year contract.
Berschbach, 23, previously spent four seasons with Western Michigan from 2010-14, collecting 117 points (39-78—117) in 146 career collegiate games. The Clawson, Mich. native potted 38 points (16-22—38) in 40 contests with the Broncos during the 2013-14 season, earning him NCHC Offensive Player of the Week honors on three separate occasions. Last season, he also appeared in three games with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings, tallying one goal and one assist.
In 2011-12, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound forward helped lead the Broncos to their first CCHA Tournament Championship since 1986 when he finished second on the team in scoring with 32 points (10-22—32) in 37 games.
Prior to attending Western Michigan, Berschbach served as a member of the USHL’s Indiana Ice from 2008-10 under current Griffins head coach Jeff Blashill. In two seasons with the Ice, Berschbach potted 79 points (32-47—79) in 98 regular season games and 17 points (8-9—17) in 19 playoff appearances. In 2008-09, he helped Indiana capture the Clark Cup by posting 44 points (20-24—44) in 56 regular season games and 10 points (4-6—10) in 10 playoff games. A two-time USHL All-Star, Berschbach made the 2009 U.S. World Junior A Challenge team, where he was named to the All-World line after his team won the tournament.
Group tickets for eight guaranteed home dates at Van Andel Arena are now on sale along with 2014-15 season ticket packages. Single-game tickets will go on sale to the public in September. 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 Jun 30, 2014 14:41:44 GMT -5
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Post by Stripe on Jun 30, 2014 11:35:35 GMT -5
Qualified:
Tomas Tatar Riley Sheahan Landon Ferraro Mitch Callahan Andrej Nestrasil Danny DeKeyser Adam Alquist
Not Qualified - Now Unrestricted Free agents:
Trevor Parkes Willie Coetzee Cory Emmerton Max Nicastro Gleason Fournier
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Post by Stripe on Jun 25, 2014 6:59:03 GMT -5
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Post by Stripe on Jun 11, 2014 13:31:02 GMT -5
According to several news sources, David McIntyre signed with SaiPa in Finland for next season.
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Post by Stripe on Jun 6, 2014 11:48:27 GMT -5
I would like to see Evans return as no one else brings what he does, and he is still very effective. If Nedomlel is in GR next season, Evans would be a good role model for the type of game he is projected to play. McIntyre had a disappointing season and will count against our number of veterans next season, so I would think he is iffy. Grant is an interesting case, as I think him not being in the lineup regularly affected the chemistry on the bench the latter part of the season...
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Post by Stripe on Jun 4, 2014 13:26:32 GMT -5
DETROIT SIGNS BLASHILL TO NEW THREE-YEAR CONTRACT
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday signed Grand Rapids Griffins head coach Jeff Blashill to a new three-year contract, extending his tenure with the organization through the 2016-17 season.
“Jeff Blashill has done a tremendous job in Grand Rapids,” said Red Wings general manager Ken Holland. “Our young players were instrumental in getting us into the playoffs for a 23rd straight season, and the championship experience they got under Jeff in Grand Rapids was invaluable in turning those young players into NHL players. We’re excited to keep one of the top young coaches in hockey to continue to lead in the development of the next wave of Red Wings.”
“I’m thrilled to be able to remain with the Griffins,” said Blashill. “Both the Red Wings and Griffins are top-notch organizations filled with talented people that I enjoy working with. My family loves it here, and I’m happy to be able to continue to call Grand Rapids home. The AHL is a very challenging league, and we have a great group of young players and veteran leaders. I’m looking forward to being able to continue to work with them.”
Blashill, 40, has enjoyed two monumental seasons at the helm of the Griffins. In 2012-13, his first season as head coach at the pro level, Blashill led the Griffins to the Calder Cup, marking the first championship in franchise history. During the 2013-14 campaign, Blashill helped the Griffins maintain prominence in defense of their title despite turnover which saw only four of their prior year’s top 12 scorers and just three of their top 10 playoff producers play a majority of the season in Grand Rapids. Blashill helped the team earn a regular season record of 46-23-2-5 (99 pts.) – surpassing the 42 wins and 92 points from its Calder Cup season – and ultimately led Grand Rapids to the Western Conference Semifinals, where it was eliminated by the regular season champion Texas Stars in six games.
In April, Blashill was named the winner of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the American Hockey League’s outstanding coach for the 2013-14 season, as voted by fellow coaches and members of the media in each of the league’s 30 cities. Blashill became the second Griffins head coach to be named AHL Coach of the Year and the third to be named his league’s coach of the year, following the selections of Bruce Cassidy in 2001-02 and Guy Charron for the 1999-2000 International Hockey League season.
In February, Blashill became the first Griffins head coach in 12 years to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic, guiding the AHL All-Stars to victories over Färjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League in both the skills competition and All-Star Game. The event, which took place at the Mile One Centre in St. John’s, Newfoundland, marked the first international contests in AHL All-Star history.
Born in Detroit and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., Blashill played a key role in the success of the parent Red Wings by preparing 10 of his 2013-14 players for their NHL debuts, including nine as members of the Wings. In all, 17 members of Blashill’s 2013-14 squad were called up to play a total of 329 NHL games, and 13 players from his Calder Cup championship team logged time in Detroit during the 2013-14 season, helping the club extend its playoff streak to 23 consecutive seasons.
Blashill was named by the Red Wings as the ninth head coach in Griffins history on June 25, 2012 after serving as an assistant coach for the Wings in 2011-12, when he helped the team to its 12th consecutive 100-point season and 21st consecutive postseason appearance. Prior to joining the organization, he served as the head coach of the CCHA’s Western Michigan Broncos in 2010-11, earning several national coach of the year honors. Blashill's Coaching Record Regular Season Playoffs Season Team League Position GP W L T OTL SOL PCT GP W L PCT 1998-99 Ferris State CCHA Asst. Coach 36 14 16 6 -- -- 0.472 -- -- -- -- 1999-00 Ferris State CCHA Asst. Coach 39 21 16 2 -- -- 0.564 -- -- -- -- 2000-01 Ferris State CCHA Asst. Coach 39 13 22 4 -- -- 0.385 -- -- -- -- 2001-02 Ferris State CCHA Asst. Coach 36 15 20 1 -- -- 0.431 -- -- -- -- 2002-03 Miami (OH) CCHA Asst. Coach 41 21 17 3 -- -- 0.549 -- -- -- -- 2003-04 Miami (OH) CCHA Asst. Coach 41 23 14 4 -- -- 0.610 -- -- -- -- 2004-05 Miami (OH) CCHA Asst. Coach 38 15 18 5 -- -- 0.461 -- -- -- -- 2005-06 Miami (OH) CCHA Asst. Coach 39 26 9 4 -- -- 0.718 -- -- -- -- 2006-07 Miami (OH) CCHA Asst. Coach 42 24 14 4 -- -- 0.619 -- -- -- -- 2007-08 Miami (OH) CCHA Asst. Coach 42 33 8 1 -- -- 0.798 -- -- -- -- 2008-09 Indiana USHL Head Coach 60 39 19 -- 2 -- 0.667 13 9 3 0.692 2009-10 Indiana USHL Head Coach 60 33 24 -- 3 -- 0.575 9 4 5 0.444 2010-11 Western Michigan CCHA Head Coach 42 19 13 10 -- -- 0.571 -- -- -- -- 2011-12 Detroit NHL Asst. Coach 82 48 28 -- 6 -- 0.622 5 1 4 0.200 2012-13 Grand Rapids AHL Head Coach 76 42 26 -- 4 4 0.605 24 15 9 0.625 2013-14 Grand Rapids AHL Head Coach 76 46 23 -- 2 5 0.651 10 5 5 0.500 GRIFFINS/AHL TOTALS 152 88 49 -- 6 9 0.628 34 20 14 0.588 HEAD COACHING TOTALS 314 179 105 10 11 9 0.618 56 33 23 0.589
Blashill's Playing Record
Regular Season Playoffs Season Team League GP W L O/T GAA SO GP W L GAA SO 1991-92 Des Moines USHL 10 7 0 0 2.16 0 -- -- -- -- - 1992-93 Des Moines USHL 25 18 4 0 3.43 0 -- -- -- -- -- 1993-94 Des Moines USHL 26 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1994-95 Ferris State CCHA 26 10 10 3 3.90 0 -- -- -- -- -- 1995-96 Ferris State CCHA 32 11 18 2 3.52 2 -- -- -- -- -- 1996-97 Ferris State CCHA 16 5 8 0 4.79 0 -- -- -- -- -- 1997-98 Ferris State CCHA 4 1 0 0 4.07 0 -- -- -- -- --
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Post by Stripe on May 23, 2014 18:07:42 GMT -5
The first Griffin has fled the nest this offseason as Cory Emmerton has signed for next season with the KHL Sochi Leopards for the 2014-15 season...
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Post by Stripe on May 15, 2014 16:57:05 GMT -5
RedWings,
I thought Emmerton had a very good game. He certainly played with as much or more intensity than I had ever seen from him in the past. He took some punishment to try to get the puck into scoring areas, but as you said, had no body to go to once he got there.
We were talking bout the defenseman sneaking into the cycle during the game last night. Blashill has countered several of the home run plays from early in the series, and has almost nullified the stretch passes that were sending people behind our defense in games one and two, so I wouldn't bet against him addressing it. One of things that could have prevented that goal would have been to ice the puck after getting caught in our end end for almost 50 seconds. they were much better on Wednesday, but still are guilty of trying to thread a neat pass through a seam and it doesn't get out and then they get running around in their own end until it ends up in the net. Sometimes it is better to take the icing and smoke it over the D or off the glass and down the ice. They certainly looked better last night...
I agree losing Jurco would be quite a blow...
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Post by Stripe on May 15, 2014 9:37:38 GMT -5
Griffins Rally To Even Series At Two Three goal second period too much for Texas... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comMay 14th, 2014 Grand Rapids just won't go away quietly as the frustrated Texas Stars are learning. The resilient Griffins rallied back from a one goal deficit to score three unanswered goals and take game four to knot the series at two games apiece. Andrej Nestrasil (4) scored the game winner, while the Griffins also got tallies from Hoggan (4) and McIntyre (1). Petr Mrazek made 33 saves in picking up his 20th career playoff win. Right out of the gate, Riley Sheahan blistered a shot from the circle that hit Nilstorp in the mask and left him down on the ice. After a few minutes he was able to shake it off and completed the game. The Griffins picked up their game another notch and looked even with Texas after being outplayed badly yesterday. Good pressure and movement on an early GR powerplay that resulted in a few chances in close. Huge save by Mrazek and a quick play right in front. Play is going end to end with both teams generating great chances, very fast paced. Hoggan with a big hit in front of the Texas bench which drew some retaliation but no penalties. Xavier Ouellet fired a big point blast that just missed being redirected by Pulkkinen. Hoggan let a big shot go from the circle that Nilstorp had to look behind him to make sure he stopped. Shots on Goal: GR 8 - Tex 10. Texas started the period on the powerplay, a carryover from the end of the first. Thirteen seconds into the period, Jeffrey walked around the defense and slid the puck past Mrazek for a 1-0 lead. Mrazek made a series of unbelievable stops while laying in the crease, not giving up on the puck until the whistle went. The Griffin answered back a few minutes later with their own powerplay goal. Hoggan on the doorstep redirected an Emmerton centering pass through Nilstorp to knot the score at one. Tootoo and McKenzie having a conversation, but neither could be baited into dropping the gloves. Great play by Ouellet to break up a dangerous looking 2-on-1. Tootoo centered the puck on the rush and it was batted into the net by McIntyre, but was waived dead because of a high stick. After a few minutes of review, the goal was reinstated and the Griffins had a 2-1 lead. Tootoo centered for McIntyre again but he couldn't get a shot off. Backman sprung Nestrasil into open ice for a big shot on the rush that deflected off the defenseman's skate and up into the netting. Great play by Callahan, getting worked over behind the net, to get the puck to Nestrasil for a pretty goal from the slot. Big shot by Pulkkinen went the opposite way and Nilstorp had to really extend to get a glove on it. late in the period, the Griffins were unable to clear the zone for quite awhile and former Griffin Derek Meech went behind the net for a wraparound, bouncing the puck off a defender in front and past Mrazek to cut the lead to one. Shots on Goal: GR 11 - Tex 15. An early Griffins penalty put Texas back on the powerplay. Shorthanded 2-on-1, Sheahan to Callahan but Nilstrop just stopped it. The Grand Rapids penalty killers got the job done again, despite several great Texas chances. Delayed penalty to Texas and GR really pressuring the net. Nilstorp caught a break when a puck trickled through him and he turned around and just got a glove on it before it trickled across the goal line. Callahan up the middle got through a couple of guys with the puck and then got knocked down with no call. McIntyre set up Nestrasil in front and he fired it just wide. Tootoo with a big hit at the line, sent Fortunas flying, and took the puck. Frk with a steal made a couple of sick moves and took it deep then tried to center, but no one was there. Campbell in on Nilstorp and taken down, again with no call. Nilstorp to the bench for the extra attacker and Texas really pressuring in the Griffins zone. Big clear by Paetsch to take the pressure off, and then Nestrasil stole the puck and sent it down ice where Callahan chased it down for a chance at the empty net. The buzzer sounded on an emotional 3-2 win to even the series at 2 games apiece. Shots on Goal: GR 6 - Tex 10. For the Game: GR 25 - Tex 35. Lines: Callahan - Sheahan - Jurco/Frk/Nestrasil Pulkkinen - Emmerton - Nestrasil/Tootoo Hoggan - Nastasiuk - Frk/Campbell Tootoo - McIntyre - Campbell/Frk Pairings: Backman - Ouellet Paetsch - Jensen Evans - Sproul Starter: Mrazek Backup: McCollum Scratches: #1 Paterson #3 Marchenko - Ankle Injury - out for season #5 Almquist - Lower Body Injury - Indefinite #8 Coetzee #17 Nicastro #20 Fournier #21 Parkes #23 Grant - Veteran #25 Aubry #29 Ferraro - Lower Body injury #31 Coreau #38 Janmark #42 Nedomlel #47 Athanasiou PP: Callahan - Sheahan - Jurco Pulkkinen - Backman Emmerton - Nestrasil - Frk Paetsch - Sproul PK: McIntyre - Emmerton Evans - Ouellet Callahan - Sheahan Paetsch - Jensen Observations: The intensity level for this one was off the charts! The Griffins looked much better early, but still couldn't keep it up for a full 60 minutes. The second half of the game GR was having trouble getting the puck out of the zone and was standing around a bit too much, but looked better than yesterday. Texas has got to be wondering what they have to do. Mrazek was brilliant again, and really was the difference in this game. He was always in position and looked calm and in control. A Tough break for GR losing Jurco early in the game, hopefully he does not miss much time. Xavier Ouellet played an incredible game. He was in a zone and made some stunning defensive plays as well as flexing his offensive muscle by flying around the ice creating chances. He really stood out as a difference maker on the blueline. To counter that, Jensen had another poor outing. His softness and lack of intensity was on full display and had the crowd cringing every time he made a weak attempt at clearing the zone and had it picked off at the line. Oddly enough, his last couple of shifts he seemed to bear down more and was more effective, but that did not make up for the rest of the game. David McIntyre stepped up tonight in a big way and really was a thorn in the Stars' side, he was buzzing around the net all night and was abrasive and gritty in his own end. He scored a goal and could have easily had another, and assumed Ferraro's spot on the penalty kill. Captain Jeff Hoggan gets a shout out for again being the conscience of the this team. He just sets the example through his work ethic and sacrifice. He was leading the forecheck, blocking shots and grinding in the high traffic areas. The rest of team can't help but follow his example. Nestrasil continues to show he is a player as he stepped up to fill in for Jurco and scored the game winner. He uses his size well and knows how to get into good scoring position where he can use his quick hands. He is not afraid to pay the price to make the play. Texas has been plying Pulkkinen very close, not allowing him to get a clear lane to fire his laser of shot on net. He had several chances blocked and has to find a way to get loose. Have to also give mention to Mitch Callahan who goes 100mph every shift, barreling into people and bulling his way to the net despite a broken jaw. His injury has not slowed his gritty style of play at all. Tootoo did not see much ice in the early going, but played a pretty responsible game, and did a good job of getting the puck to the net. If he can continue to use his speed and smarts in this fashion and stay out of the box he could be an asset in the long run to the Calder Cup. Official Game Sheet
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Post by Stripe on May 14, 2014 13:47:43 GMT -5
Jurco's Hat Trick Leads Offensive Surge In 5-2 Win Griffins offensive explosion takes game three... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comMay 13th, 2014 The Griffins may have been down and bloodied after two thrashings in Texas by the stars, but back in the cozy confines of Van Andel Arena they showed they were far from out. Tomas Jurco highlighted a five goal offensive outburst with three of his own, and the Griffins turned the tables on Texas taking a commanding 5-0 lead before holding off a late rally to finish 5-2 and cut the series lead to one game. Petr Mrazek was sensational, stopping 35 shots including several point blank chances to frustrate the Stars and pick up the win. The Griffins came out physical with a couple of big hits on the first shift. Texas kept the Griffins hemmed in their own zone for several shifts, running up the shot clock. Callahan on the rush had a big shot on Campbell, and then Emmerton had a good chance close in. Nastasiuk got the puck deep and set up a couple of scoring chances for the 4th line. Jurco scored on a wraparound after winning a battle behind the net, giving the Griffins the lead. Jurco came out of the box, picked the D's pocket at the line and had a break in on Campbell, but the puck rolled wide. The Griffins had good puck movement on their first powerplay, leading to Sheahan hitting Jurco for a backdoor goal to extend the lead to two. Texas rang a shot off the post that stayed out. Nice flurry of chances at the end of the period with Campbell losing his stick. Shots on Goal: GR 11 - Tex 12. Grand Rapids kept their foot on the gas entering the second period. Just 25 seconds in, Pulkkinen made a beautiful behind the back pass to Nestrasil who came late and he buried it for a 3-0 lead. Hoggan got butt-ended in the face by Henderson, setting up another GR Powerplay. The Griffins had a couple of good chances and some good puck movement with the man advantage. Sproul wiped out Henderson in the corner with a heavy hit. Texas with a great chance, and then Nastasiuk stole the puck and cleared it. Mrazek made two incredible point blank shots to keep the Stars off the board. Pulkkinen wired a rocket from the circle past Campbell, shortside, to extend the lead to four. That was the end for Campbell as he went to the bench for Nilstorp. The Griffins caught another break when a Texas player had a wide open net and just hit the top of Mrazek's pad, popping the puck up, but not into the net. Great shorthanded Rush by Sheahan and Callahan, then Emmerton and Ferraro had a 2-on-1 but Ferraro hit the post. Emmerton had another rush, but lost an edge cutting around the back of the net. Hedden went down on Mrazek negating what looked to be a Stars goal. Great pressure by Callahan, Jurco and Sheahan around the net. Jurco got a Sheahan feed at the side of the net and banked it in off Nilstorp's foot to complete the hat trick. Hoggan doing a great job on the forecheck to frustrate the Stars. Faksa high sticked McIntyre after losing a battle and went off for four minutes. Shots on Goal: GR 13 - Tex 8. Campbell back in to start the third for Texas. Backman made an errant pass that was picked off as a Stars' player exited the box for a partial break and a goal, high stick-side on Mrazek. Texas crashing the net more as they get frustrated, making contact multiple times with Mrazek. Ranford alone in front got a pass from behind the goal line and cut the lead to three with his 6th of the postseason. Momentum continued to shift away from Grand Rapids when Jensen fired the puck over the glass on a routine clear leaving GR shorthanded. The Griffins penalty killers were up to the task and kept the vaunted Stars powerplay off the board again. McKenzie leveled Jurco with an elbow while the Griffins winger was on his knees. Great defensive play by Ouellet diving and essentially staying with the puck carrier until he ran out of options. Sproul found himself all alone in front with the puck, but couldn't convert. Nastasiuk got behind the defense for a breakaway, but ran out of room to lift the puck over Campbell. Texas pulled their goalie for an extra skater with four and a half minutes left in the game. Callahan with a steal, fed Jurco for a chance at the empty net and then had a chance of his own. Emmerton also fired a long shot that went just wide. With time running out, McKenzie started pushing and shoving with Evans who dropped him with a shot touching off a big scrum. While the officials were busy with Evans, McKenzie went over and engaged Jurco in a bout, and the Griffins winger gave a good accounting of himself. Oleksiak was also trying to goad Callahan into dropping the gloves, pushing and knocking him down. Originally they showed an extra penalty to Grand Rapids, and Ntahan Paetsch was visibly irate, arguing with the officials until another penalty was put up for Dallas. Shots on Goal: GR 3 - Tex 12. For the Game: GR 22 - Tex 37. Lines: Callahan - Sheahan - Jurco Pulkkinen - Emmerton - Nestrasil Hoggan - Ferraro - Athanasiou Grant - McIntyre - Nastasiuk Pairings: Backman - Ouellet Paetsch - Jensen Evans - Sproul Starter: Mrazek Backup: McCollum Scratches: #1 Paterson #3 Marchenko - Ankle Injury - out for season #5 Almquist - Lower Body Injury - Indefinite #8 Coetzee #17 Nicastro #20 Fournier #21 Parkes #22 Tootoo - Upper body injury #25 Aubry #27 Frk #31 Coreau #32 Campbell #38 Janmark #42 Nedomlel PP: Callahan - Sheahan - Jurco Pulkkinen - Backman Emmerton - Nestrasil - Ferraro Paetsch - Sproul PK: Ferraro - Emmerton Evans - Ouellet Callahan - Sheahan/McIntyre Paetsch - Jensen Observations: The Griffins should feel good about walking away with a win, but still did not play their game and except for a stretch midway through the game, were not dominant. As a matter of fact, Texas controlled a lot of the play and just were not able to get the puck past Mrazek. The good news is that means the Griffins can still play better, and they will need to to take this series. GR has to be harder on the puck and do a better job of clearing it, as Texas is deadly around the net, and is relentless in putting shots on goal. Nastasiuk had a good game and was noticeable for the right reasons. He brought a different dynamic on the 4th line and played with some jump. Jurco was a force a night, in addition to his scoring, he also played physical, initiating contact and winning the battles. His line accounted for 9 of the teams 22 shots, which is a testament to their game, but also is something that needs to change. The powerplay looked much better tonight than it has for several weeks, even when they didn't score they moved the puck well and had some good looks. Mrazek was unbelievable for most of the game, and made some highlight reel saves. He looked very calm and made it seem easy. One of his best post-season games yet. Official Game Sheet
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Post by Stripe on May 9, 2014 7:56:16 GMT -5
STARS SHINE IN GAME 1 Calder Cup Playoffs – Western Conference Semifinals – Game 1 – Texas Leads Series, 1-0 GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 2 at Texas Stars 5 May 8, 2014 CEDAR PARK, Texas – After their last road loss by three goals during the playoffs, the Grand Rapids Griffins ripped off a franchise-record seven straight postseason wins on foreign ice. The defending Calder Cup champs will now try to duplicate that rebound after the Texas Stars exploded for five goals over the game’s first 30:02 en route to a 5-2 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Thursday at the Cedar Park Center. Texas will host Game 2 at 8 p.m. EDT Saturday before the series shifts to Van Andel Arena for Games 3 and 4 next Tuesday and Wednesday. The Stars got their modest but raucous home crowd into the game early by scoring on their second and third shots in the opening four minutes. Sprung on a breakaway by a pass from AHL MVP Travis Morin, Brendan Ranford swooped in on Petr Mrazek and deked before patiently lifting a backhand into the top of the net at 3:19. Just 13 seconds later, Dustin Jeffrey put another backhand between Mrazek and the right post from the slot, giving the Stars a 2-0 lead and prompting Griffins head coach Jeff Blashill to call his timeout. The two Texas tallies were the fastest in the franchise’s playoff history. It didn’t take long for Grand Rapids to respond, as Cory Emmerton cut the margin to one with an acrobatic power play goal at the 4:42 mark. Nathan Paetsch collected a centering pass from Landon Ferraro between the circles and quickly passed to the slashing Emmerton, who went airborne after contact with goalie Jack Campbell but managed to get his stick on the puck and slip it inside the left post while falling to the ice. Eventually outshot 15-7 during the opening 20 minutes, the Griffins appeared that they would weather the storm with minimal damage until the Stars’ lethal power play connected with 1:09 remaining, as former Griffin Mike Hedden stood on the doorstep to tip home Jyrki Jokipakka’s point shot to make it 3-1 Texas. Grand Rapids, which hadn’t trailed by more than a single goal during its seven-game road winning streak in the playoffs, had nevertheless come from behind to win each of its last three road playoff games, dating to Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals. That resilience was displayed 4:20 into the second period, when Tomas Jurco took a pass from Ryan Sproul at the Griffins’ line, maneuvered up the right side, cut to the high slot between three defenders and ripped a shot under the crossbar. But it took the Stars only 1:21 to reestablish their two-goal advantage on another breakaway, with AHL rookie of the year Curtis McKenzie taking a shot that bounced off Mrazek’s blocker, over his shoulder, onto his back and into the net. Texas notched a second power play tally at 10:02 to push its lead to 5-2, as Jeffrey darted around Mattias Backman and down the slot before stuffing the puck past Mrazek. It marked the Griffins’ first three-goal deficit on the road during the postseason since a 4-1 loss to Oklahoma City in Game 3 of the 2013 Western Conference Finals, as well as the first time in his 29 playoff games with Grand Rapids that Mrazek personally allowed more than four goals. In a stark contrast to the seven combined goals over the first half of the contest, the remainder of the game transpired without a red light, despite Mrazek heading to the bench in favor of an extra attacker with more than four minutes left in regulation. Texas, which out-gunned Grand Rapids 36-25 on the night, finished 2-for-5 on the power play, and the Griffins went 1-for-2. Mrazek made 31 saves in defeat while Campbell stopped 23 to improve his playoff record to 2-0. Notes: The Griffins are 3-7 all time in best-of-seven series when dropping Game 1, including 0-3 when losing the series opener on the road. The last time they rallied from a 1-0 deficit to win a seven-game series was against Manitoba in the 2006 North Division Finals, although they did win the best-of-five conference quarterfinals last spring after dropping Game 1 at Houston. Three Stars: 1. TEX Jeffrey (two goals); 2. TEX Jokipakka (two assists); 3. TEX Morin (two assists)
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Post by Stripe on May 7, 2014 12:06:58 GMT -5
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