Griffins Earn 2-2 Tie with Hamilton
November 8, 2003 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release
Grand Rapids, Mich. - Hugo Boisvert's goal midway through the third period on Saturday enabled the Grand Rapids Griffins to forge a 2-2 tie against the Hamilton Bulldogs at Van Andel Arena.
While the Griffins (6-4-2-0) were unable to snap a two-game winless skid, they earned a crucial point and improved to 2-0-1-0 this season against the Bulldogs (6-5-1-1), last season's Calder Cup runner-up.
Hamilton took the play to the Griffins early on and built a quick 7-0 margin in shots, but Grand Rapids grabbed a 1-0 lead during its first power play opportunity. Pinball action around the Hamilton net resulted in a goal by Travis Richards at the 7:27 mark, off assists from Niklas Kronwall and Mark Mowers.
The Bulldogs knotted the score seven minutes later. Francois Beauchemin streaked down the right side and sent a pass into the slot to Sylvain Blouin, who redirected the puck past Joey MacDonald at 14:44.
At 6:01 of the second period, Hamilton's Jozef Balej made it a 2-1 affair, taking a centering pass from Benoit Gratton and one-timing a shot into the upper right corner of the net.
The Griffins came out with energy in the third period, eventually finishing with a 12-1 shot advantage during the frame. Boisvert's tying goal was made possible by a brilliant play by Nathan Robinson, who drove the net and used his speed and stickhandling to draw the defense before dishing a pass across the slot. Boisvert finished off the effort by slamming the puck past Jean-Francois Damphousse from the left side at 10:53.
MacDonald stayed undefeated (3-0-1) lifetime against the Bulldogs by making 25 saves, while Damphousse ended the night with 27 stops.
The Griffins celebrated "Parent Club Night" by wearing authentic Detroit Red Wings jerseys that were auctioned to fans after the game. Bidding raised $11,075 for charity, including a high of $825 for Darryl Bootland's sweater.
Grand Rapids will be back in action at Van Andel Arena on Tuesday, when it hosts its third annual noon game against the Houston Aeros.
View this game's official box score on-line at griffinshockey.com.
American Hockey League Stories from November 8, 2003
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