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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffins Close out 2015 with Record 11th Straight Home Win

December 31, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Jared Coreau pitched a 23-save shutout before a sold-out Van Andel Arena on Thursday, as the Grand Rapids Griffins rang out 2015 with their franchise-record 11th consecutive home win, a 3-0 decision over the Central Division-leading Milwaukee Admirals.

The Griffins, who avenged Tuesday's loss in Milwaukee by an identical 3-0 score, have won 16 of their last 18 contests, a span during which they've ended both a 10-game and, now, a five-game winning streak by the Admirals.

Grand Rapids (18-10-0-1) will commence the 2016 portion of its schedule with a two-game visit to Winnipeg to face the Manitoba Moose, beginning with a 3 p.m. EDT start on Sunday at the MTS Centre.

After outshooting the Admirals by a 15-8 count during a scoreless opening period, the Griffins continued to pepper Milwaukee netminder Marek Mazanec and finally broke through on their 22nd shot just past the midpoint of the second frame.

Eric Tangradi, fresh off a brief stint with the Detroit Red Wings, took a drop pass from Mark Zengerle in the high slot and quickly put a shot past Mazanec's glove inside the left post. That goal at 11:33 increased Tangradi's team-leading total to 14, tying him for fourth in the AHL in that department.

For Mazanec, who blanked Grand Rapids on Tuesday, it was the first goal he surrendered to the Griffins following 51 consecutive saves. Coreau, meanwhile, continued to handle his business on the other end, shepherding Grand Rapids' 1-0 lead into the final 20 minutes behind 15 stops.

The margin remained the same until 5:51 showed on the third-period clock, when captain Jeff Hoggan doubled the Griffins' advantage. After Louis-Marc Aubry's try was stuffed at the left post, Hoggan flashed across the slot to pop the rebound into the top left corner, giving him goals in three of the last six games.

The Admirals (22-10-1-0) had their chances down the stretch, including during a power play in the final minutes when they pulled Mazanec for a 6-on-4 edge in skaters, but they could not net the equalizer, and Aubry scored into the empty net a moment before the final horn.

Three of Milwaukee's 10 losses this season have come at the hands of the Griffins, by a cumulative 13-1 score. Mazanec made 33 saves in the loss. Coreau, whose two shutouts this season have come against the Admirals, improved his numbers in the season series against the division leaders to 3-1 with a 0.75 goals against average and a 0.968 save percentage.

Notes: Grand Rapids' previous record of 10 consecutive home wins had been accomplished twice before, most recently from Jan. 23-Feb. 27, 2004...The Griffins' 11 straight home wins tie for the AHL's fifth-longest streak since 2007-08...The capacity crowd of 10,834 marked the Griffins' second sellout of the season, their third consecutive New Year's Eve sellout, and their sixth straight NYE crowd of 10,000-plus...Following the game, the Griffins released goalie Jeff Lerg and returned him to the ECHL's Toledo Walleye, while the Red Wings reassigned netminder Jake Paterson to Grand Rapids from Toledo.

Three Stars: 1. GR Coreau (W, 23 saves, SO); 2. GR Hoggan (goal); 3. GR Tangradi (game-winning goal)

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