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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffins Lead Central Division, Blank Chicago 4-0 to Win 11th Straight

March 13, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


ROSEMONT, Ill. - Martin Frk netted a pair of goals while Jared Coreau stopped all 45 shots he faced as the Grand Rapids Griffins rose to first place in the Central Division with their 11th straight win, blanking the Chicago Wolves 4-0 on Sunday at Allstate Arena.

Coreau earned his sixth shutout of the season, tying Yann Danis of the Albany Devils for second in the AHL. The 6-6 netminder has been in spectacular form recently, recording three shutouts in his last six outings with a 0.99 goals against average and .967 save percentage in that span.

Grand Rapids entered Sunday's contest one point ahead of the Rockford IceHogs in the Central Division standings following the IceHogs' 4-1 defeat in Charlotte earlier in the day. Following the Milwaukee Admirals' 5-1 win over the Iowa Wild, the Griffins, IceHogs, and Admirals are separated by .019 percentage points.

The Griffins have outscored their opponents 45-11 during their 11-game winning streak, including a remarkable 16-3 on the three-in-three weekend. The streak is tied for the second-longest in franchise history, matching a run lasting from March 5-31, 2006 under Greg Ireland.

Frk started the scoring on the power play for the Griffins (39-20-1-1) at the 8:56 mark of the opening period. Andy Miele's feed from the right half-boards found Anthony Mantha in front, who then sent a backhanded pass to Frk at the bottom of the left circle for a one-timer into an open net for his 11th power play goal of the campaign.

Frk's second of the night came 5:32 into the middle frame. Tomas Nosek's feed from the right half-boards reached Frk in the high slot for a slapshot that whistled past Pheonix Copley's blocker side for his team-high 25th of the season.

Miele scored the first of two third-period insurance tallies shorthanded at the 4:47 mark. With Joakim Andersson serving a tripping minor, Dan Cleary chipped the puck to Miele in the neutral zone. After escaping pressure from Jordan Schmaltz and driving the net, Miele's initial effort forced a pad save from Copley, but Miele collected his own rebound for a shot that went off Copley's right arm and in.

Anthony Mantha added a fourth goal 1:11 later. Ryan Sproul's 150-foot stretch pass from behind his own goal line reached Mantha for a breakaway, beating Copley to the glove side for his 21st of the campaign.

Grand Rapids finished 1-for-2 on the power play, while Chicago failed to score on six opportunities. Copley turned aside 23 of 27 shots for Chicago (26-28-5-3) in a losing effort.

The Griffins continue their road trip with a four-game swing through Texas, beginning on Wednesday as they take on the Texas Stars at Cedar Park Arena at 8:30 p.m. EDT.

Three Stars: 1. GR Coreau (W, 45 saves, SO); 2. GR Frk (two goals); 3. GR Miele (goal, assist)

Notes: Sproul and Andersson each played in their 200th game for Grand Rapids on Sunday. Robbie Russo registered a +2 to improve his plus/minus to a league-leading +47 rating. Frk is tied for third in the AHL with 25 goals on the season.

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