AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffin's dazzling debut nets 6-3 win

Published on October 8, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Four-point efforts by Jiri Hudler and Kent McDonell on Saturday sparked a record-setting offensive explosion for the Griffins, who opened their 10th anniversary season with a 6-3 win over the Milwaukee Admirals at Van Andel Arena.

The Griffins' six goals marked their most ever for both a season opener and a home opener, eclipsing the production of their 5-3 win over the Michigan K-Wings on Oct. 3, 1997. Four power play goals also tied a franchise record set twice before, as five different Griffins - Hudler (2-2-4), McDonell (0-4-4), Eric Manlow (1-1-2), Valtteri Filppula (1-1-2) and Kyle Quincey (0-2-2) - logged multi-point nights.

Grand Rapids (1-0-0-0) will try to extend its winning streak in road openers to seven on Wednesday, in a 7:05 p.m. start against Cleveland at the Quicken Loans Arena.

After Brandon Segal scored just 3:28 into the game to give Milwaukee the early lead, Hudler beat Brian Finley on a snap-shot from the slot at 5:14 and off a give-and-go with McDonell at 12:14 to put Grand Rapids ahead after one period.

Less than two minutes into the second, former AHL scoring champ Donald MacLean blistered a shot from the top of the right circle to chase Finley from the pipes. Milwaukee's Libor Pivko got the Admirals within one by solving Drew MacIntyre at 6:44, but Filppula answered with his first North American goal only 22 seconds later to make it a 4-2 game.

Manlow undressed Pekka Rinne with four minutes left in the frame to restore the rout, and Milwaukee's Kris Beech and Grand Rapids' Eric Himelfarb traded goals in the third to account for the final score.

MacIntyre was solid in net for the Griffins, stopping 33 of 36 attempts and helping deny the Admirals on eight of their 10 power play chances. Grand Rapids, meanwhile, enjoyed a 4-for-6 conversion rate with the advantage.

With a crowd of 10,834 in attendance, the Griffins sold out their season opener for the 10th consecutive season. Grand Rapids improved to 8-2 all-time in season openers and 7-3 in home openers, winning their Van Andel Arena debut for the third straight year.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 8, 2005


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