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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffins' Preseason Concludes with 6-3 Loss

October 4, 2014 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Lake Erie's Michael Sgarbossa scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner late in the second period, to lead the Monsters to a 6-3 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, concluding the two-game preseason set between the Midwest Division rivals.

The Monsters, who beat the Griffins 5-2 in Windsor, Ontario, on Friday, were outshot by a hefty 38-18 margin on this night, but goalie Calvin Pickard turned in a 35-save performance - highlighted by a half-dozen stellar glove saves - to earn the win.

The Griffins and Monsters will play for keeps this Friday, Oct. 10, when Grand Rapids opens its 19th season at home by hosting Lake Erie in a 7 p.m. start at Van Andel Arena.

A power play goal by Lake Erie's Kenny Ryan 6:31 into the first was answered with one by Marek Tvrdon just 2:07 later, but the Monsters took a 3-1 advantage to the locker room thanks to tallies by James Martin at 15:47 and Paul Carey shorthanded at 19:06.

Grand Rapids outgunned the Monsters by a 16-4 count in the second period but had only the same two-goal deficit to show for it, as Martin Frk's power play goal at 12:33 was followed by Sgarbossa's 5-on-4 marker with just 26 ticks left in the frame.

Down 4-2 entering the third, the Griffins cut the margin to one thanks to Shane Berschbach's goal 4:36 in, before Jared Coreau was again touched up by Sgarbossa at 7:22 and Cody Sol at 8:16 to account for the final score. Lake Erie scored three times on just seven shots over the final two periods while Pickard limited Grand Rapids to two goals on 28 tries during that same span.

Frk, who set up Tvrdon's first-period goal, matched the two-point effort of teammate Mark Zengerle (two assists), as the pair tied for the Griffins' preseason scoring lead.

Coreau made 12 saves while going the distance in net for the Griffins, who finished 2-for-10 on the power play and surrendered two goals on Lake Erie's five opportunities.

Notes: The game was held at the home of the ECHL's Komets and marked the Griffins' first appearance in Fort Wayne since March 3, 1999, when they earned a 4-2 win over their then-International Hockey League rival. From 1996-99, Grand Rapids posted a 5-3-2 record in the Summit City and an overall mark of 11-7-3 versus the Komets.

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