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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Askey, Amerks Blank Griffins Again

March 30, 2002 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, MI - If the Griffins never face Tom Askey again, it will be too soon.

Askey made 36 saves to record his third consecutive shutout of the Griffins, and Rochester became the first team to ever blank Grand Rapids in three straight meetings with a 3-0 victory before a sellout crowd of 10,834 at Van Andel Arena.

The Griffins, who scored just one goal while losing three games this week, have not scored in their last 182:18 versus the Americans, as Askey stopped all 83 shots Grand Rapids fired at him this season.

Despite a 12-4 advantage in shots during the opening 20 minutes, the Griffins went to the lockerroom staring at a 1-0 deficit. Rochester scored the first power play goal of the series at the 17:50 mark, when Chris Taylor got behind Grand Rapids' defense and slid his own rebound behind Martin Prusek.

Askey continued to frustrate the Griffins in the second frame, making a series of three acrobatic saves midway through the period to keep the home team off the scoreboard. The Amerks then added to their lead with 4:58 left in the period, when Kevin Colley bounced a shot off Prusek's right skate from behind the goal line.

The Griffins still couldn't light the lamp despite another 12 shots in the third period, and Henrik Tallinder scored into an empty net at 18:51 to finish off the win.

In Prusek's seven losses this season, he has allowed just 14 goals while receiving only five from his teammates. The numbers are even more bleak since he returned from injury in February, as the First Team AHL All-Star has surrendered only eight goals but has watched his teammates get shut-out in four of his five defeats.

The Griffins' inability to beat Askey is mind-boggling considering their success against him during the 1999-2000 season. In four games with Kansas City and Houston that year, Askey posted a 4.37 goals against average and a 0.846 save percentage versus the Griffins.

Grand Rapids, which was missing its top four goal scorers and five of its top six point producers to call-ups tonight, has been blanked a franchise-record 10 times this season, equaling the most shutouts of any team during the AHL's first 65 seasons. However, Wilkes-Barre sustained its league-record 12th shutout this evening.

The Griffins (39-26-11-0) will play their final four regular season games on the road, beginning with a pair in Utah this Wednesday and Friday.

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