A Taxing Night for the Griffins
April 16, 2002 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Steve Maltais' hat trick and a pair of goals from J.P. Vigier powered the Chicago Wolves to a five-goal lead and an eventual 5-1 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Monday night in game two of the AHL Western Conference quarterfinals.
The best-of-five series is now tied at one game apiece, entering games three and four at Chicago's Allstate Arena this Wednesday and Friday.
The Wolves rebounded from their 4-1 loss on Saturday by handing the Griffins their largest margin of defeat ever in a home playoff game and tying franchise playoff marks for largest margin of defeat and most goals against, both at home and overall. Maltais became just the second player to score three goals against the Griffins in a postseason contest, joining teammate and former Orlando Solar Bear Vigier, who accomplished the feat during game three of the 2001 IHL Eastern Conference finals.
As in game one, Chicago struck for the first goal of the contest. Just 58 seconds after the opening faceoff, the Wolves took advantage of a fallen Griffins defenseman to break in on a 2-on-1. Dan Snyder feathered a pass across the slot to Vigier, whose blast from the right side eluded Martin Prusek. The pair had re-joined the Wolves just today on assignment from the parent Atlanta Thrashers.
Maltais lit the lamp twice more before the period was out, marking the first time in exactly one month that the Griffins allowed as many as three goals in a single frame. The first goal came at 8:54 when he burst across the blueline with an open shooting lane, and the second on the power play at 15:53 as he redirected a pass from Rob Brown on the doorstep.
Maltais added another power play tally at 18:35 of the middle period, and Vigier's second pushed it to a 5-0 advantage just 4:47 into the third frame.
The Griffins' lone tally came off the stick of Josh Langfeld low in the left circle at 6:53, ending the shutout bid of Pasi Nurminen, who finished with 24 saves.
Prusek, 1-1 in the postseason, was lifted at the second intermission after stopping 11 of 15 shots. Simon Lajeunesse was 3-of-4 in relief over the final 20 minutes.
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