AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Grand Rapids 5 at Manitoba 2

Published on April 7, 2002 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


WINNIPEG - Just 24 hours after winning the American Hockey League's Bud Poile Trophy as the 2001-02 champions of the West Division, Grand Rapids (42-27-11-0) silenced a record crowd of 13,985 at the Winnipeg Arena, as they knocked off Manitoba 5-2, foiling the Moose's chances at a Canadian Division title.

Grand Rapids enters the 2002 AHL Calder Cup playoffs as the Western Conference's number-two seed, and will face the higher-seed survivor of this week's best of three qualifying round that matches Chicago (7) versus Cincinnati (10) and Philadelphia (8) against Rochester (9). The best-of five Western Conference quarterfinal series will commence at Van Andel Arena no earlier than Friday, April 12.

In a wide open first period of play, Alexei Tezikov put the Moose on the scoreboard when he let a shot go that deflected off the stick of a Griffins defenseman and trickled into the back of the net just 1:41 into the contest. Tezikov's goal came just 1:07 into a seven minute Manitoba power play, that was awarded to the Moose, after Wade Brookbank hit Josh Holden with a left jab just :33 into the game. Holden who did not return to the game, stirred the Griffins' attention after a vicious hit on Chris Bala during their meeting on February 27 in Manitoba.

Grand Rapids answered with a pair of shorthanded tallies by Tim Skarperud and Jeff Ulmer, to take an early 2-1 lead. Skarperud notched his fifth of the year when he took a perfect feed from Colin Chaulk and slipped the puck just inside the left pipe at 5:19. Ulmer recorded his ninth of the season on a 55-foot slap shot that slipped past the Moose netminder. Late in first period, Manitoba knotted the game at two after Pat Kavanagh won a draw to Darrell Hay and he flipped a shot past the glove of Simon Lajeunesse at 17:05.

In the middle frame, the Griffins regained their lead when Skarperud notched a power play goal, as he tipped a Joel Kwiatkowski rebound past Alfie Michaud at 2:00. Less than five minutes later, Chaulk put the Griffins ahead by pair when he took a feed from Toni Dahlman and found an empty cage at 6:43.

Chris Kelly iced the victory for Grand Rapids late in the game when he ripped a bullet through the legs of Michaud at 16:36. Lajeunesse (13-7-5) turned away 31 of 33 for the win, while Michaud (16-10-1) suffers the loss. Grand Rapids converted on one of two power play opportunities, while Manitoba went one for six with the man advantage.

After losing four in a row, Grand Rapids completes the 2001-02 campaign with victories in their final three games, en route to their third consecutive 40-win season.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 7, 2002


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