|
Post by Stripe on Jan 16, 2015 14:46:16 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Jan 13, 2015 13:01:58 GMT -5
Ferraro Powers 5-1 Romp Over Wolves Surging winger notches three point game... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comJanuary 10th, 2015 The Grand Rapids Griffins took advantage of the visiting Chicago Wolves Saturday to send a message that the team's offense did not leave with Teemu Pulkkinen's recall to Detroit. Forward Landon Ferraro scored the teams added two goals and an assist to bookend the scoring while linemates Mitch Callahan and Andy Miele each added a goal and a helper. Brennan Evans, honored before the game for playing his 80oth game, added his 1st of the season late in the second. Thomas McCollum made 19 saves for his 10th win of the season and likely his last start for awhile due to an NHL recall. Ferraro came out of the corner, took Tvrdon's pass from behind the net, and smoked a shot from the circle that just got through Binnington low. Fraser had a good chance for the Wolves when he rolled a puck through the crease past McCollum, but it stayed out. Miele in the circle got a back door pass from Paetsch and roofed it for a 2-0 lead. Nosek with a sick move to beat a defender and then cut in alone on the net minder for a great chance. Shots on goal: GR 18 - Chi 7. Callahan won a foot race to a loose puck and passed back to Miele for a good chance. Callahan again cut up the middle and outraced the Wolves defense for a breakaway but was hauled down. Give and go between Porter and Nosek produced another great chance. Callahan great second and third effort on a Mantha feed to bat the puck past Binnington. Twenty seconds later Evans was the recipient of the puck after a great individual effort by Nosek and the veteran blue liner banged a short shot past the beleaguered Wolves goalie, prompting a change between the pipes. Clime came in for Chicago. Miele tried to carry the puck out of his own zone and was hauled down by Rattie setting up another Griffins man-advantage. Shots on goal: GR 12 - Chi 6. Rattie finally got Chicago on the board early in the third. Miele nice move to get free, took the puck all the way in on Climie and Ferraro came late and chipped in the rebound for his 15th. Miele fired a lead pass way up ice for Callahan, but it was just out of his reach. Mantha had a partial break, but was fouled before he could pull free, and a penalty shot was called. Mantha moved in, shifting back and forth and rang a shot off Climie's toe. In the dying seconds of the game, Sopel went after Bruton in front of the Wolves bench and the grappling match almost spilled over the boards into the bench. Shots on Goal: GR 4 - Chi 7. For the Game: GR 34 - Chi 20. Lines: Tvrdon - Nosek - Ferraro Callahan - Miele - Mantha Hoggan - Porter - Zengerle Bruton - Hirschfeld- Frk Pairings: Czarnowczan - Marchenko Evans - Sproul Paetsch - Jensen Starter: McCollum Backup: Coreau Scratches: Campbell Athanasiou - Broken Jaw Aubry - Concussion Barnes PP: Callahan - Miele - Ferraro Paetsch - Sproul Zengerle/Hoggan - Nosek - Porter Tvrdon/Czarnowczan - Marchenko PK: Porter - Callahan Paetsch - Jensen Nosek - Ferraro Evans - Marchenko Observations: Ferraro had a great game and has really been on a roll the last couple of weeks. His offense seems to be on a two year rotation, as he has already matched last years goal total, and is well on his way to the 24 he scored in 2013. Mantha saw time in Pulkkinen's spot on the top line, but may be better served right now moving back down the lineup a bit. He has the skill to play there, but seemed to have a bit of a problem with the extra defensive attention. That did not stop him from making a couple of great plays in the offensive zone. He also had a failed penalty shot attempt in the third, drawing the penalty with his size and speed. Martin Frk was very noticeable. He had a ton of jump and flying around the ice. His footspeed was noticeably increased and he really was involved in all three zones. He probably realizes he is being passed by Tvrdon and it has turned his fire up another notch. He also made a couple of great defensive plays by anticipating the play and being in the right spot. Great game. Official Game Sheet
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Jan 6, 2015 16:58:29 GMT -5
OUELLET AND PULKKINEN SELECTED FOR 2015 AHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The American Hockey League announced on Tuesday that Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Xavier Ouellet and right wing Teemu Pulkkinen have been selected to play for the Western Conference AHL All-Star Team at the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Turning Stone Resort Casino, which will be held Jan. 25-26 at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica, N.Y.
A native of Bayonne, France, Ouellet has split his 2014-15 campaign between the Griffins and the Detroit Red Wings. In 21 games with Grand Rapids this season, the 21-year-old has collected eight points (1-7—8) and 16 penalty minutes. Detroit’s second choice (48th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Ouellet has also notched two points (1-1—2) in 11 games with the Wings, tallying his first NHL point (assist) on Nov. 22 at Toronto and his first NHL goal on Nov. 28 at New Jersey. In 91 games with the Griffins over the last two seasons, the 6-foot, 200-pound blueliner has accumulated 25 points (5-20—25), 38 PIM and a plus-eight rating.
Pulkkinen leads the Griffins in scoring and ties for second overall in the AHL with 38 points (19-19—38) in 32 games, while also tying for the league lead with 19 goals. In Saturday’s 4-2 come-from-behind victory over the Milwaukee Admirals at Van Andel Arena, which happened to be his 23rd birthday, the Vantaa, Finland, native scored the game-tying goal with just 4:32 remaining in regulation to extend his active goal streak to seven games. It marks the second-longest goal streak in Griffins franchise history, behind only Donald MacLean’s eight-game streak in 2005-06, when he was named the AHL’s regular season MVP. Pulkkinen’s streak also marks the longest in the AHL since former Griffin Jamie Tardif notched goals in seven consecutive games for the Providence Bruins nearly two years ago (Jan. 25-Feb. 16, 2013).
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound right wing has been held off the score sheet in only eight of his 38 games this season. On top of his current seven-game goal and point streak, Pulkkinen also recorded a six-game point streak from Oct. 11-31 (4-4—8) and an eight-game point streak from Nov. 12-29 (5-10—15). Out of 10 multi-point performances this season, Pulkkinen’s scoring came to a head on Dec. 27, when he posted a goal and three assists in a 9-2 rout of the Iowa Wild. Last season, Pulkkinen was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team after leading the Griffins in scoring with 59 points (31-28—59) in 71 regular season games.
Former Griffins head coach Mike Stothers (2007-08), whose Manchester Monarchs sport the AHL’s best record at 24-7-2-1, will serve as a coach for the Eastern Conference all-stars.
Both the 2015 AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, Jan. 25 (8 p.m.) and the 2015 AHL All-Star Game on Monday, Jan. 26 (7 p.m.) will be televised live nationally in the United States and Canada.
2015 AHL All-Star Classic Jan. 25-26 at Utica Memorial Auditorium in Utica, N.Y.
2015 AHL All-Stars – Eastern Conference
Albany – F Joe Whitney Binghamton – D Chris Wideman Bridgeport – D Ryan Pulock Hartford – F Chris Bourque Hershey – F Tim Kennedy Lehigh Valley – D Brandon Manning Manchester – D Colin Miller, F Brian O’Neill, F Nick Shore, F Jordan Weal Norfolk – F Chris Wagner Portland – F Alexandre Bolduc Providence – F Alexander Khokhlachev, F David Pastrnak Springfield – G Anton Forsberg, D Austin Madaisky St. John’s – G Connor Hellebuyck Syracuse – F Vladislav Namestnikov, D Nikita Nesterov Wilkes-Barre/Scranton – F Tom Kostopoulos, D Derrick Pouliot, G Jeff Zatkoff Worcester – D Matt Taormina
Coaches: Mike Stothers, Manchester; Roy Sommer, Worcester
2015 AHL All-Stars – Western Conference
Adirondack – G Joni Ortio, F Emile Poirier Charlotte – D Ryan Murphy Chicago – F Ty Rattie Grand Rapids – D Xavier Ouellet, F Teemu Pulkkinen Hamilton – F Charles Hudon Iowa – D Matt Dumba Lake Erie – D Stefan Elliott Milwaukee – G Magnus Hellberg Oklahoma City – D Brad Hunt, F Anton Lander Rochester – F Phil Varone Rockford – D T.J. Brennan, F Joakim Nordstom San Antonio – F Bobby Butler, F Drew Shore Texas – D Maxime Fortunus, F Travis Morin Toronto – F Connor Brown Utica – G Jacob Markstrom, F Cal O’Reilly, D Bobby Sanguinetti
Coaches: Travis Green, Utica; John Anderson, Chicago
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Jan 1, 2015 10:55:03 GMT -5
Coreau's Stellar Start Ties up IceHogs Netminder's team record 25 save first period overcomes teams slow start... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comDecember 31st, 2014 Netminder Jared Coreau was the story tonight for Grand Rapids, as he singlehandedly kept his team in the game during a terrible first period in which the Griffins were outshot 25-6. Coreau set a team record by stopping all 25 shots he faced and staking his team to a 1-0 lead on Teemu Pulkkinen's league leading 18th goal. It took 29 shots for the IceHogs to get on the board, trailing 2-0 to Grand Rapids. They eventually tied the game, forcing overtime and a shootout where Michael Leighton was forced to provide some goaltending heroics of his own to earn the win. Pulkkinen's league leading 18th goal open the scoring, converting an Andy Miele pass back door. The ice is definitely tilted in the IceHogs favor as they are winning the races to the puck and peppering Coreau. Coreau has really made some huge saves to keep GR in the game, often fighting through Rockford players crowding the crease. Shots on goal: GR 6 - Rock 25. Great short handed chance by Ferraro, stealing the puck and going around the defenseman for a break on Leighton. The speedy penalty killer was fouled twice, drawing a penalty to even things out. Griffins 2-on-1, Pulkkinen passed to Miele who roofed a shot from the circle to make it 2-0. End to end play, great chance by Aubry. Carey finally solved Coreau on the IceHogs 29th shot of the game, when he received a centering pass in the slot and stroked it into the net. The goal was reviewed but allowed to stand. Brennan hit a streaking Hartman with a pass from the line, and he scored a pretty goal glove side to knot the score at two. Bruton and Labrie squared off in front of the boxes off the face off. Labrie put the hurt on Bruton, pounding him early and often in a very one-sided bout. Hartman smoked Ferraro in the corner with a wicked cross check from behind. Mantha went right over, threw Hartman down and tried to get him to drop the gloves, but ended up with the only penalty. Griffins with a late flurry of great chances that Leighton had to stand on his head to stop. Shots on goal: GR 11 - Rock 13. Sproul's cannon of a point shot hit an IceHogs' player and bounced out into no-mans land where it was scooped up for a partial break in on Coreau. Sproul stayed with the play, eventually taking a penalty to break up the scoring chance. Hoggan taken down behind the net setting up a late Griffins powerplay. Zengerle drifted in back door, but couldn't convert the pass. Callahan with a great chance in front in traffic, and fired it just wide. Mantha and Nosek showing great chemistry, creating magic with the puck as they give and go like its on a string. Ferraro got loose and cut through the crease, trying to stuff the puck past Leighton from the edge of the paint. After the play he got thumped into the end boards by Bass. Play going the other way, the puck trickled through Coreau, but Marchenko fished it out before it went over the line. Marchenko with another great defensive play to the side of the net. Evans and Labrie in the middle of a scrum in front went down together and traded a couple of shots along the ice. Shots on Goal: GR 8 - Rock 10. BR> Things really heated up for the Griffin during the overtime session. Miele sprung Pulkkinen for a breakaway, but fired the puck right into Leighton. Pulkkinen returned the favor and hit Miele for a long breakaway, and was robbed by Leighton making a highlight reel save. Paetsch fired a low point shot on net that was gloved by Leighton, stopping the clock and setting up 3-on-3. Paetsch had another great chance right in the slot as the clock ticked down on the end of the extra session. Shots on Goal: GR 8 - Rock 1. For the Game: GR 33 - Rock 50. The Shootout: Mantha made a nice move and tried to slide it past Leighton, but the veteran netminder stayed with him and took away the hole with his leg pad. Carey was the first shooter for the IceHogs and hit Coreau with a drive that deflected high into the air. Miele deked and dazzled but ran out of room and rang a weak shot off Leighton's leg pad. Terevainen went next for Rockford and fired a snap shot that Coreau flashed the glove on to keep the puck out. Pulkkinen tried to beat Leighton with his quick slapshot, but could not beat him. Regin slid the puck in under Coreau to win the shootout in the final round. Lines: Tvrdon - Porter - Zengerle Callahan/Mantha - Miele - Pulkkinen Hoggan - Aubry - Bruton Mantha/Callahan - Nosek - Ferraro Pairings: Evans - Sproul Czarnowczan - Marchenko Paetsch - Jensen Starter: Coreau Backup: McCollum Scratches: Campbell Athanasiou - Broken Jaw PP: Callahan - Miele - Pulkkinen Paetsch - Sproul Zengerle - Nosek - Mantha Tvrdon - Czarnowczan PK: Porter - Callahan Paetsch - Jensen Nosek - Ferraro Evans - Marchenko Observations: The first period was abysmal, it looked like the Griffins were skating in quicksand and Rockford was racing around them for loose pucks like they were orange cones. Without the absolutely stellar play of Coreau it easily would have been a rout. Coreau used his size to push forwards out of his crease and track the puck over the top of players trying to screen him. Pulkkinen was on all night, credited with 10 shots on goal, and most of them were of the dangerous variety. With an AHL leading 18 in his first 31 games, he is knocking on the door for another NHL audition, he just finds a way to score. Mantha had another strong game, nice to see him stick up for a teammate when Ferraro got hit from behind. He also is showing some strong chemistry with Nosek and looks very confident, trying all sorts of little moves and is able to make plays in traffic. Marchenko really stepped up tonight, he was noticeable for the right reasons, and just looked at the top of his game. He played physical, and made a couple of game-changing saves/blocks to keep the puck out of harms way. His mobility also looks to have gotten better as he continues to recover from last years season ending ankle injury. Official Game Sheet
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Dec 20, 2014 12:43:40 GMT -5
Miele Manhandles Marlies in 7-1 Win Veteran center tallies 5 points in victory... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comDecember 19th, 2014 Veteran Andy Miele keyed a 7-1 win over the visiting Toronto Marlies Friday night by scoring a season high five points (1g 4a). The Griffins scored early and often in the rout, notching four powerplay goals in the process against a slumping and undisciplined Toronto team. Teemu Pulkkinen had a pair of goals in the win, while Mantha, Callahan, Sproul and Zengerle each had two points. Jared Coreau kept up his string of steady starts, turning aside 22 shots for the win to run his record to 5-0 with a 0.98 goals against average. The game had a physical tone right from the opening faceoff as Toronto tried to intimidate the Griffins. Mantha took a shot from Granberg in the corner and did not back down, giving him a couple of shots right back. Sproul put a shot on net from the circle, and Callahan picked up the rebound firing a bad angle shot at Bibeau. Miele corralled the rebound and ripped it into the net for a man-advantage marker. A little later, Porter made it 2-0 at the side of the net when he buried a back door pass from Marek Tvrdon. Shots on goal: GR 12 - Tor 7. Pulkkinen's powerplay bullet from the circle beat Bibeau with Callahan screening in front to extend the lead to three goals. Brutal non-call on the Marlies at center ice with the Griffins killing a penalty. MacWilliam and Nosek were scrapping and Mantha came right over to pull the Toronto player's helmet off and touch off a multi player scrum to the side of the Marlies net. Four on four play, Pulkkinen cut across the the slot and roofed a shot over Bibeau from in close. Rupert tried to bait Callahan into a fight, but Cally wasn't interested. Game getting more physical, with lots of chippy little hits and slashes. Frattin smoked Jensen along the boards and Paetsch went right over to express his displeasure. Miele with a behind the back pass to Mantha who pushed it over to Ferraro for the Griffins fifth goal, glove side. The Marlies finally got on the board, late in the period when the puck was turned over next to Coreau and Brown capitalized. Shots on goal: GR 11 - Tor 8. Early in the third Evans got boarded in the corner and was slow to get up. On the ensuing powerplay, Callahan took a Sproul centering pass in front and roofed the puck over Bibeau for a 6-1 lead. Frattin hit Bruton at the line so hard he lifted the physical winger right off his skates and knocked him through the air. Bruton got right back up and shook it off. Great shift by Aubry , who won a race to the puck, kept possession, winning a couple of battles in the corner, and then drew a penalty. Mantha walked in and hit Nosek with a back door pass. He ended up getting it back and went top shelf with a quick shot from the circle. All hell broke loose behind the Marlies net as frustrations bubbled over with Rupert attacking Porter and then Pulkkinen. Tvrdon with a nice scoring chance when he split the D and just had the puck roll away in the slot. Shots on Goal: GR 6 - Tor 8. For the Game: GR 29 - Tor 23. Lines: Hoggan - Aubry - Bruton Pulkkinen - Miele - Callahan/Mantha Zengerle - Porter - #13 Tvrdon Mantha - Nosek - Ferraro Pairings: Evans - Sproul Paetsch - Jensen Czarnowczan - Marchenko Starter: Coreau Backup: McCollum Scratches: Campbell Athanasiou - Broken Jaw Backman - Returned to Sweden PP: Callahan - Miele - Pulkkinen Paetsch - Sproul Zengerle - Nosek - Mantha Czarnowczan - Jensen PK: Porter - Callahan Paetsch - Jensen Nosek - Ferraro Evans - Marchenko Observations: The top line was dangerous all night and victimized a struggling Marlies team. Miele, Pulkkinen and Callahan had nine points on the night including 4 goals and 5 assists. Mantha saw a couple of shifts in Callahan's place. The losses of Athanasiou to a broken jaw for the next seven weeks and Backman back to Sweden weren't felt tonight, but will be serious blows to the team depth long term. Speaking of depth, Marek Tvrdon had a solid game for the Griffins playing on the third line, and getting some extra time late in the game. He was a different player than we saw last year prior to being returned to juniors. He was engaged, went to the net, and kept his feet moving. The rookie winger even used his size a couple of times to fight for position, showing off a drastically improved compete level. Mantha also looks to have regained another step and some confidence as he was much more fluid in both his skating and puck handling. Jared Coreau did not see a ton of rubber or quality shots, but he was solid, calm and confident between the pipes. His positioning was good, and what was truly impressive was his quickness for such a big goalie. Aubry really had some impressive shifts in the game, but continues to search for consistency. He shows off some surprising quickness, soft hands and good instincts to go with his size, he just needs to do it more often to take the next step. Czarnowczan had an impressive game on the blueline for Grand Rapids. Recently recalled from Toledo, he looked like an AHL regular. He even saw some powerplay time on the second unit and moved the puck well. Official Game Sheet
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Nov 15, 2014 23:39:11 GMT -5
Lightning Strikes Twice - Griffins Drop Texas 2-1 in OT Porter tallies game-winner in last minute... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comNovember 15th, 2014 The Grand Rapids Griffins defeated the defending Calder Cup champion Texas Stars in overtime for the second night in a row, taking a 2-1 victory. While the games were very different, the results were quite similar as the game-winners were scored in the final minute of play during a 3-on-3 overtime. Tonight Kevin Porter provided the fireworks, eclipsing the excitement of rookie Anthony Mantha's first career goal scored earlier in the game. Thomas McCollum, recently returned by Detroit, made 23 saves for the win and garnered the game's first star. Griffins on an early power play, and Pulkkinen ripped a shot that hit Faksa. Faksa drops down on the ice in obvious pain for a long time until play stops. He eventually had to be helped to the locker room favoring his leg. Zengerle stole the puck and set up a nice chance for Porter towards the end of the period. Shots on goal: GR 9 - Tex 6. Ferraro had a great chance and fanned on a shot in front of an open net. Sproul and Smith pushing and shoving in front as the game appears to be getting a little chippy. Pulkkinen gift wrapped a pass across the crease to Mantha at the side of the net for his first pro goal and a 1-0 Griffins lead. Mantha with another great chance on the power play. Ferraro grappling with Wrenn in front after the whistle touched off a scrum. Callahan had a great chance on the doorstep. Shots on goal: GR 13 - Tex 4. Mantha had a few bumps at Ranford after the whistle. Miele appeared to have jammed the puck in under Ryannas, but the play was already blown dead. Honka got the puck alone in the circle and fired a big shot off McCollum. Dalhuisen evened the score at one when his shot from the line got by McCollum who did not seem to see it. Athanasiou sprung Callahan for a nice chance, but he was hooked down, setting up a late Griffins power play. Callahan took a penalty, killing the same power play. Shots on goal: GR 10 - Tex 11. Overtime Turnover by Athanasiou as the last man back, but he recovered. Several great chances by Grand Rapids right in a row. Huge stop by McCollum on a quick redirect in front. The clock stopped with 1:15 left, setting up 3-on-3 overtime. Ferraro hit Porter with a pass, sending him in alone on net, and he chipped the puck over Rynnas for the game-winner with just under 40 seconds left to play. Shots on Goal: GR 4 - Tex 3. For the Game: GR 36 - Tex 24. Lines: Callahan - Athanasiou - Pulkkinen/Ferraro Ferraro/Pulkkinen/Callahan - Miele - Mantha Hoggan - Zengerle/Campbell - Porter Bruton - Aubry - Campbell Pairings: Ouellet - Marchenko Paetsch - Jensen Backman - Sproul Starter: Mrazek Backup: #35 Jeff Lerg Scratches: Evans - Suspended Nosek - Injured Hand Frk Nedomlel PP: Callahan - Miele - Mantha Marchenko/Pulkkinen - Backman Ferraro - Athanasiou - Porter Ouellet - Sproul PK: Porter - Ferraro Ouellet - Marchenko Callahan - Athanasiou Paetsch - Jensen Observations: Griffins played a much better game, carrying play for most of the first and second periods. The Stars showed some life in the third, but GR dominated possession overall. Great to see another exciting win, and I love the 3-on-3. Great to see Mantha get his first goal. He was more involved physically, and it was quite funny to watch the stars try to get in his way, and he just bulldozed through them like they weren't there. When he gets his timing back he could be scary as he gets a lot of chances, and dangerous ones at that. He led the team with 6 shots on goal. McCollum played a solid game and while he didn't see a ton of rubber, made the saves he had to. Official Game Sheet
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Nov 14, 2014 23:55:27 GMT -5
Griffins Surge Past Stars on Pulkkinen's Buzzer Beater Three-on-three overtime winner caps three point night... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comNovember 14th, 2014 There were many storylines tonight, including a meeting of the last two Calder Cup Champions, and the professional debut of super prospect Anthony Mantha. Teemu Pulkkinen stole the headlines however with the overtime game winner and two assists to lead the way over the Texas Stars with a 3-2 win. Grand Rapids fought back from deficits twice, rallying for overtime with just over a minute left in regulation on a goal by Mitch Callahan (5). Andy Miele (5) had the other Griffins goal and Petr Mrazek was stellar, especially in the latter stages of the game , recording 26 saves for the win. Texas got off to a quick start, capitalizing on a Griffins breakdown score a shorthanded goal just over three minutes into the first. Hoggan had a great chance in front but fanned on the shot. Pulkkinen had a rip from the side of the crease that hit Campbell and stayed out. Bruton and Trook squared off after a face-off for a short bout, with the Griffins winger taking the decision. Marchenko put a hip into a Stars forward that tried to get around him, knocking him hard into the end boards and he stayed down for quite awhile. Great stop by Mrazek on a point blank chance. Shots on goal: GR 11 - Tex 5. Big point shot by Backman tipped in front by Miele with Callahan screening for an early powerplay goal to tie the score at one. Bruton took a feed and walked in on net before firing a shot over the top of the net. Miele went to the box for high-sticking, setting up another Stars powerplay. Ranford beat Paetsch and flicked a shot past Mrazek to regain the lead. Mantha picked a corner and the puck just stayed out over the line. The goal light came on, but was reviewed and it was ruled no goal. Shots on goal: GR 12 - Tex 12. Great shift by Mantha, using his reach to keep possession and generate a couple of scoring chances. Backman pinched and got caught, allowing a shorthanded rush that was broken up by a diving Miele. Miele got dumped hard into the boards, but no call was made. Athanasiou picked off Campbell's clearing attempt and fed Callahan in the circle for a great chance. Late in the period, Callahan curled in from the circle and blistered a shot into the top corner to knot the score at 2. Shots on goal: GR 13 - Tex 6. Overtime Pulkkinen in alone ripped a shot from the circle that went wide. Miele fed Mantha in front and he rang another shot off the post. Mrazek stonewalled Ranford at the edge of the paint and then Honka all alone in the circle. Absolutely huge stop by Mrazek and then Ferraro and Porter were off on a 2-on-1. The pace of the 3-on-3 overtime is insane, so many quality scoring chances. Pulkkinen holding the puck for an eternity and then fires a rocket along the ice past Campbell with .8 seconds left on the clock for the overtime game winner. Shots on Goal: GR 3 - Tex 5. For the Game: GR 39 - Tex 28. Lines: Callahan - Athanasiou - Pulkkinen #8 Mantha - Miele - Ferraro Hoggan - Aubry - Porter Bruton - Zengerle - Campbell Pairings: Ouellet - Marchenko Paetsch - Jensen Backman - Sproul Starter: Mrazek Backup: #31 Coreau Scratches: Evans - Suspended Nosek - Injured Hand Frk Nedomlel PP: Pulkkinen - Miele - Callahan Mantha - Backman Porter - Athanasiou - Ferraro Ouellet - Sproul PK: Porter - Ferraro Ouellet - Marchenko Callahan - Athanasiou Paetsch - Jensen Observations: Great win, one of the most exciting regular season games I remember in quite awhile. I really loved the 3-on-3 overtime, both teams had several chances and it was very fast paced and exciting. Now on to what most people are probably most interested in: Anthony Mantha. The rookie right winger looked very much like someone who had missed the last couple of months with an injury. It took him awhile to get his feet under him, figuratively and literally. He was a -1 on his second shift and whether it was directly his fault, his man was the one who scored. His next saw him take his first penalty. He had his head down as he went up and down the ice and looked tired. However as the game went on he started to look a little better. He threw a hit in the corner and then started to use his size a bit more to protect the puck and open up room. He had a couple nice shots that went off the post and couple of other chances where he fanned on an open net. These are probably goals if he has his mid-season timing back. It will be interesting to see how he plays on Saturday. Backman looked very good quarterbacking the powerplay. Aside from getting caught pinching late in the game, he looked very solid. Callahan was easily one of the most impressive players again this game. He really was playing with fire, battling in front and in the corners and was rewarded with a goal. Louis-Marc Aubry stood out in the third period, finding some life centering Hoggan and Porter. He really showed off his size and soft hands, carrying the puck to the net and making plays. Official Game Sheet
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Oct 24, 2014 22:23:17 GMT -5
Griffins Rally Falls Short Against Lake Erie 4-5 Scoring surge can't overcome defensive lapses... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comOctober 24th, 2014 The Griffins battled back from deficits several times tonight, but fell just short, dropping a 4-5 decision to the visiting Lake Erie Monsters. The loss was the second on the season for Grand Rapids, both to Lake Erie on home ice. The ironic thing is that it was Lake Erie's second win of the season, both over the Griffins. Chris Bruton, Teemu Pulkkinen, Alexey Marchenko and Nathan Paetsch scored for the Griffins but it was not enough to overcome a rash of defensive lapses. Back and forth play the first five minutes. Lauridsen opened the scoring with a long point shot through traffic that found its way in along the ice. Sproul left his man in front allowing Schumacher an easy pop at Mrazek and he made it 2-0 Monsters. Hirschfeld got Grand Rapids on the board when he skated into the circle and used Bruton as a screen to snap a shot past Aittokallio low stick side. Bruton was credited with the goal. Hoggan had a great chance, cutting through the crease and using his body to protect the puck. Thundering hit by Ouellet in the corner got the crowd into it. Athanasiou turned on the jets for a dangerous shorthanded chance. Great save by Mrazek to slide over and take away a sure shot. The Griffins got a beauty of a chance on the power play, Athanasiou used his speed to bring the puck to the net and hit Pulkkinen with a pass in the slot. Pulkkinen was pulled down, setting up a 5-on-3 man advantage. Miele dug the puck out of the corner on his knees and centered to Pulkkinen for a beautiful goal. Shots on goal: GR 12 - LE 12. Maggio and Evans dropped the gloves behind the play, with the Griffins veteran taking the worst of it, a rarity in his time in GR. Hirschfeld was assessed a double minor for high-sticking, putting the Griffins in the hole for four minutes. Short handed 2-on-1 for Grand Rapids, and the puck just rolled wide of Aittokallio. Mrazek stoned Ryan on a point blank shot and then dove over to make a highlight reel save on the rebound. Lake Erie took advantage of a Paetsch gaffe in front to steal the puck and set up Rendulic next to the net for a back door goal and a 3-2 lead. Ferraro got a gift next to the net from Porter, but chipped it over the cage. Shots on goal: GR 8 - LE 11. Marchenko launched a rocket from that point that cleanly beat Aittokallio low, glove side. Agozzino won a battle in traffic to put the Monster's ahead again at the halfway point of the period. Hoggan got mugged in the slot with no call, then Athanasiou was pulled down, setting up a late powerplay. Porter was whistled off just 3 seconds in, evening things up at four aside. Paetsch and Sproul got crossed up again and Everberg banged home a goal from the edge of the paint. Coach Blashill summoned Mrazek to the bench with five and a half minutes left on the clock to try and get one back. Paetsch pulled the Griffins within one when he picked a corner and threaded a shot from the line over Aittokallio into the net. Mrazek back in the net again. Hoggan smoked the puck carrier behind the net creating a turnover. Mrazek back to the bench for the extra attacker with just over a minute to go. Break by Grand Rapids, but Ferraro couldn't handle it cleanly. Several good chances in the dying seconds for the home team, but it was to no avail as they fell 4-5 to the visiting Monsters. Shots on Goal: GR 9 - LE 4. For the Game: GR 29 - LE 27. Lines: Porter-#21 Miele/Athanasiou - Ferraro Pulkkinen - Athanasiou/Miele - Callahan Hoggan - #9 Zengerle - Frk Bruton - Hirschfeld - Campbell Pairings: Ouellet - Marchenko Evans - Sproul/Backman #4 Paetsch - Backman/Sproul Starter: Mrazek Backup: McCollum Scratches: Jensen Nosek - Injured Hand #22 Aubry #42 Nedomlel PP: Frk - Athanasiou - Callahan Pulkkinen - Ouellet Porter - Miele - Ferraro Paetsch - Sproul PK: Porter - Ferraro Ouellet - Marchenko Callahan - Athanasiou Evans/Paetsch - Sproul Observations: Sproul and Paetsch both had off nights, and Sproul in particular was brutal defensively. They were paired together a fair part of the game and both ended up tied at a team worst -3. Marchenko played a very strong game, and looked much more confident and mobile than two weeks ago in game one. He was much more involved in the play, and his size to manage the zone around the net. His defensive partner Xavier Ouellet also had a great game. If he continues to play like he has in the early going, Detroit is going to have to make a move to find him some playing time. Pulkkinen could have easily had 2 or 3 more goals tonight and really had a lot of room to get off his heavy shot. It is uncanny how much he looks like Brett Hull, going down on one knee to change the angle of the shot. Athanasiou was a difference make tonight and played a strong game all night. He had several good scoring chances, mainly by using his speed, but also made use of his linemates instead of trying to do it all himself. Chris Bruton also was impressive in limited minutes this game. The physical winger was defensively responsible and provided energy and some big hits along with being effective on the forecheck. Captain Jeff Hoggan showed why he wears the C with his effort and determination, especially in the third period where he was hitting and sacrificing the body to make plays in a losing effort. Landon Ferraro saw a ton of ice time with two of the main offensive catalysts on the Griffins in Miele and Porter and had nothing to show for it. While he was good on the PK, he did not look good at even strength. Much more is expected from him as he really just looked to be going through the motions. Another minus goes to Martin Frk who was almost unnoticeable tonight. After a summer of getting in top shape, he should be building on last seasons stronger finish, not making himself a candidate to be healthy scratch. No shots on goal despite seeing powerplay time and I don't recall that he even ever was in scoring position is not good. Official Game Sheet
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Oct 17, 2014 7:04:47 GMT -5
WINGS ASSIGN MIELE TO GRIFFINS
<image002.jpg>GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Thursday assigned center Andy Miele (MEE-lee) to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Miele, 26, had been on injured non-roster status with Detroit due to off-season surgery. A native of Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., Miele enjoyed a standout 2013-14 season with the Portland Pirates, ranking third in the AHL with 72 points (27-45—72) in 70 games and earning a spot on the AHL’s Second All-Star Team. The 5-foot-8, 175-pound center also played in seven games with the Phoenix Coyotes, picking up two assists and five penalty minutes.
In all, Miele accumulated 179 points (62-117—179) in 209 games with the Pirates and two points (0-2—2) in 15 games with the Coyotes from 2011-14, before signing a one-year contract with Detroit on July 2.
Prior to turning pro, Miele amassed 160 points (60-100—160) in 141 games with Miami University. After racking up 71 points (24-47—71) in 39 games during his senior campaign with the RedHawks, he earned the 2011 Hobey Baker Award as the top player in college hockey.
The Griffins will hit the road this weekend to take on the Charlotte Checkers on Friday and Saturday at Time Warner Cable Arena, with both games beginning at 7 p.m.
Fans can secure their full-season, select-season or group ticket packages by calling (616) 774-4585 ext. 2. Single-game tickets for all home games are available for purchase at all Star Tickets locations, including The Zone, online through griffinshockey.com, by phone through Star Tickets at (800) 585-3737 or by downloading the new Griffins app for iPhone or Android.
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Oct 10, 2014 23:08:18 GMT -5
Monsters Maul Griffins 4-0 in Home Opener Pickard stonewalls home team with 37 saves... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comOctober 10th, 2014 The 2014-15 edition of the Grand Rapids Griffins have nowhere to go but up after dropping the home opener 4-0 to the visiting Lake Erie Monsters. The Griffins spent most of the game looking like a team that hasn't spent much time playing together, disjointed and tentative. They picked up the pace in the latter stages of the game but were unable to solve Monsters netminder Calvin Pickard. Ryan Sproul and Xavier Ouellet led the way with 4 shots on goal, while Mitch Callahan had some of the more dangerous looking chances in front of the net. Newcomer Chris Bruton got the crowd into the game early after dropping the gloves Maggio in a fight at the 2:19 mark. Hirschfeld had a great scoring chance when he walked out from behind the net and ripped a shot off the crossbar. Porter had a nice chance walking in alone from the circle and Berschbach just missed a wide open net in front with the rebound. Callahan causing havoc in front of Pickard, with several of the monsters paying more attention to him then the puck. Carey had a shot on Mrazek from the circle and Stollery followed him in and buried the rebound for a goal to draw first blood. Late in the period, Stollery scored his second of the game when a long shot from the line pinballed past Mrazek through traffic for a 2-0 deficit. Shots on Goal: GR 14 - LE 11. Hirschfeld had a great chance in the slot and put a shot on net that Pickard just got in front of. Bruton pounced on a loose puck in the circle and put a nice wrister on net. The Griffins got caught along the boards and Sgarbossa chipped the puck through to Ryan who went in on Mrazek, froze him and then slid the puck home for a 3-0 lead. Big hit along the boards by Evans to wake things up. Griffins starting to show some life midway through the second. Nosek stickhandled through a crowd to get in deep for chance. Callahan stole the puck and had two fabulous chances right on the doorstep. Late in the period Nosek and Sgarbossa ended up in the box setting up a 4-on-4. Shots on Goal: GR 15 - LE 8. The Griffins killed off a Lake Erie powerplay early in the third and looked to be finding their legs. It looked like they might have gotten one past Pickard in a goal mouth scramble, but it was called off. Intensity picking up as a scrum turned into a jampile behind the net with Bruton in the middle of it. Athanasiou turned on the burners and cut through the crease for a nice scoring chance. Evans blocked a shot in front of Mrazek and appeared to injure his hand. he left the ice, but was back out for his next shift. Mrazek came to the bench for the extra attacker with 2:35 left on the clock, but Noreau scored into the empty net to put the nail in the coffin on a 4-0 Griffins loss. Shots on Goal: GR 8 - LE 6. For the Game: GR 37 - LE 25. Lines: #15 Callahan - #19 Nosek - #6 Pulkkinen #12 Porter - #29 Ferraro - #26 Berschbach #10 Hoggan - #23 Athanasiou - #17 Campbell #55 Bruton - #32 Hirschfeld - #27 Frk Pairings: #16 Ouellet - #3 Marchenko #44 Evans - #7 Sproul #14 Jensen - # 5 Backman Starter: #34 Mrazek Backup: #30 McCollum Scratches: #4 Paetsch #9 Zengerle #22 Aubry #42 Nedomlel PP: No Griffins powerplays PK: Porter - Ferraro Ouellet - Marchenko Callahan - Nosek Backman - Jensen Observations: The Griffins looked very much like a group of guys that had only played together for a week or so, the passing was off, and people just looked like they were in the wrong place or were not anticipating what their linemates were going to do next. The defense did not look terrible, and the team did generate 37 shots on goal, but the problem was that very few of them dangerous. Athanasiou was invisible for most of the game, but he was far from alone as most of the Griffins offense was AWOL. Nosek stood out most of the game, showing off his size, speed and skill. His linemates. Mitch Callahan in particular, stood out as well. Rookie Shane Berschback had several good shifts, and showed off his soft hands in tight. Official Game Sheet
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Oct 3, 2014 16:06:04 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Sept 8, 2014 8:10:01 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Sept 8, 2014 7:25:40 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Sept 5, 2014 16:41:11 GMT -5
Congrats and good luck Trevor! Hopefully you can find your way in the Rangers farm system...
|
|
|
Post by Stripe on Aug 20, 2014 14:44:14 GMT -5
NOEL-BERNIER COMPLETES GRIFFINS' COACHING STAFF GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday announced the addition of Dave Noel-Bernier to their hockey operations staff as an assistant coach. Noel-Bernier, who joins head coach Jeff Blashill and new assistant Pat Ferschweiler behind the bench, replaces Spiros Anastas, who departed the Griffins after two seasons to become the head coach at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta.
A native of Montmagny, Quebec, Noel-Bernier has served as the director of hockey for the Eagles Ice Center and the Grand Rapids Blades youth program since 2013. He was also an assistant coach for the Grand Rapids Christian High School varsity team last season, when he was named Total Package Hockey’s Michigan High School Division III Assistant Coach of the Year after helping lead the Eagles to a 19-7-1 record. The 38-year-old will maintain each of those roles while working for the Griffins, continuing to develop the GRCHS and Blades players at the Eagles Ice Center.
Noel-Bernier, a member of the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s inaugural Division I team in 1997 and the Mavericks’ first CCHA squad in 1999, compiled 50 points (24-26—50) in 138 career games from 1997-2001, spending the final three seasons as a teammate of current Griffins captain Jeff Hoggan. He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in exercise science in 2001, earning UNO Male Scholar Athlete of the Year and CCHA All-Academic Team honors to go with his third selection as UNO’s Student Athlete of the Year.
Following graduation, Noel-Bernier played six seasons at the minor professional level, including two stints with the United Hockey League’s Muskegon Fury in 2003-04 and 2006-07. In 2003-04, as a linemate of former Griffins Jeff Nelson and Kory Karlander, he picked up 53 points (21-32—53) in 72 regular season games before helping the Fury win the Colonial Cup.
Upon retiring as a player, Noel-Bernier returned to UNO and served as director of hockey operations from 2007-10, while also acting as the Mavericks’ video coordinator and assistant strength and conditioning coach. After three seasons coaching in Omaha, he accepted a position as an assistant coach with the Muskegon Lumberjacks, who had recently shifted from the International Hockey League to the United States Hockey League, the country’s premier junior league.
Noel-Bernier, who spent parts of three seasons (2010-13) with the Lumberjacks before joining Grand Rapids Christian and the Blades, has helped to produce more than 15 NHL draft picks and 50 Division I players since 2007.
“Dave comes to the Griffins highly recommend by a number of people I trust,” said Blashill. “He has a great work ethic, is very intelligent and is detail oriented, and his experience at Nebraska-Omaha and with the Muskegon Lumberjacks will be a great asset for our staff. Dave is a driven coach and I believe his addition will help us all grow. We are excited to add him to our coaching staff.” Noel-Bernier's Coaching Record
Regular Season Playoffs Season Team League Position GP W L T OTL SOL PCT GP W L PCT 2007-08 Nebraska-Omaha CCHA Asst. Strength & Conditioning Coach 40 17 19 4 -- -- 0.475 -- -- -- -- 2008-09 Nebraska-Omaha CCHA Asst. Strength & Conditioning Coach 40 15 17 8 -- -- 0.475 -- -- -- -- 2009-10 Nebraska-Omaha CCHA Asst. Strength & Conditioning Coach 42 20 16 6 -- -- 0.548 -- -- -- -- 2010-11 Muskegon USHL Assistant Coach 60 24 28 -- 8 -- 0.467 6 3 3 6 2011-12 Muskegon USHL Assistant Coach 60 17 35 -- 8 -- 0.350 -- -- -- -- 2012-13 Muskegon USHL Assistant Coach 64 31 23 -- 10 -- 0.563 3 0 3 0 2013-14 Grand Rapids Christian MHSAA Assistant Coach 27 19 7 1 -- -- 0.722 -- -- -- -- Noel-Bernier's Playing Record
Regular Season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A PTS PIM GP G A PTS PIM 1994-95 Yorkton SJHL 65 28 37 65 0 -- -- -- -- -- 1997-98 Nebraska-Omaha IND 33 5 8 13 33 -- -- -- -- -- 1998-99 Nebraska-Omaha IND 27 7 3 10 33 -- -- -- -- -- 1999-00 Nebraska-Omaha CCHA 40 9 4 13 28 -- -- -- -- -- 2000-01 Nebraska-Omaha CCHA 40 5 11 16 32 -- -- -- -- -- 2001-02 Montmagny QSCHL 11 12 13 25 15 -- -- -- -- -- Thetford QSPHL 2 0 3 3 4 10 3 1 4 0 2002-03 Kempten Germany3 48 39 45 84 74 -- -- -- -- -- 2003-04 Muskegon UHL 72 21 32 53 50 5 0 1 1 18 2004-05 Riessersee Germany3 39 35 20 55 98 8 4 11 15 2 2005-06 Riessersee Germany3 27 12 26 38 30 -- -- -- -- -- München Germany2 15 5 1 6 16 3 0 2 2 4 2006-07 Muskegon UHL 55 20 21 41 45 9 1 2 3 2 PRO TOTALS 241 127 144 271 297 22 5 14 19 22
|
|