First Win Eludes Griffins
October 19, 2002 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release
Grand Rapids, Mich. - The Grand Rapids Griffins did not get the win they wanted on Saturday night, but they earned their first point of the season with a 3-3 tie against the defending Calder Cup champion Chicago Wolves at Van Andel Arena.
In yet another game dominated by penalties, the Griffins (0-2-1-0) took a 3-0 lead on a pair of power play goals plus a shorthanded tally, only to see the Wolves (1-1-1-0) rally with three straight power play tallies to force the tie. Of the last 15 goals scored either by or against the Griffins, 13 have been of the special teams variety.
The Griffins' power play, which had converted just one of 14 chances over its first two games, gave Grand Rapids a two-goal lead during the opening 20 minutes. During a 5-on-3 advantage, Michel Picard sent a pass from the right circle to Tim Skarperud, who beat Norm Maracle from the slot at 10:45.
Picard figured in the Griffins' second tally as well, earning an assist as Derek King circled to the right of the Chicago net and took a shot from the faceoff dot that snuck inside the left post at 18:33.
The Griffins' all-time leading scorer made it a three-point night while the Griffins were shorthanded early in the second frame. Mark Mowers burst into the Wolves' zone on a breakaway, and after Maracle denied Mowers' attempt, Picard cleaned up from the doorstep, lifting a shot over the fallen Chicago goalie.
Chicago finally answered with its own power play goal at 5:41, but an incident immediately after the play sent the Wolves' goal scorer to the showers. Brad Tapper beat Marc Lamothe from the right side, skated in front of the net and into the left circle to confront the Griffins' Sean Avery, who was standing next to linesman Matt Prozaki. Tapper approached Avery with an apparent intent to cross-check him up high, but the butt-end of Tapper's stick instead struck the linesman in the mouth. Tapper was ejected with a match penalty, while the bloodied linesman returned to action early in the final period.
Chicago's Andreas Karlsson pulled the visitors within one during a pinball sequence in front of the Griffins goal at 12:59 of the third period. With 43 seconds left in regulation, with Chicago on its tenth power play of the night and Maracle pulled in favor of an extra attacker, J.P. Vigier sent a floater past Lamothe to force overtime and the eventual tie.
The Griffins boarded a bus after the game for Hamilton, where they will face the Bulldogs in a 6:00 p.m. Sunday start, marking their first road game of the season.
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