AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffins Top Checkers 2-1

Published on October 17, 2014 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Teemu Pulkkinen scored his second goal of the season 46 seconds into the third period and Petr Mrazek made 18 saves as the Grand Rapids Griffins (2-1-0-0) defeated the Charlotte Checkers (1-3-0-0) Friday at Time Warner Cable Arena.

In the Checkers' home opener, it was the Griffins who controlled the flow of the game as 10 penalties were called against Charlotte, which led to nine power play opportunities for Grand Rapids.

The first goal of the game occurred at 7:17 of the opening period when Xavier Ouellet scored his first of the season. Streaking down the left side of the ice, he received a pass from Mark Zengerle and netted a wrister over the glove of former Griffins goalie Drew MacIntyre.

The Griffins totaled more than twice as many shots on goal (15) as the Checkers (7) in the opening period. The shooting discrepancy continued into the second period as the Griffins outshot the Checkers 12-4.

The Checkers evened the game at one apiece 23 seconds into the second period, three seconds after Brennan Evans' first-period tripping penalty expired. Charlotte's Beau Schmitz fired a shot from the point on Mrazek, to which Brody Sutter took the rebound from Mrazek's stick and poked it into the net.

The first of four Griffins power play opportunities in the third period led to the game-winning goal, as Pulkkinen took advantage 11 seconds after Patrick Brown was sent off for hooking just 35 seconds in. Pulkkinen took a pass from defenseman Nathan Paetsch and, without pressure from the opposition, fired a slap shot over the glove of MacIntyre for his second game-winning tally of the season.

MacIntyre made 41 saves in the losing effort, while Mrazek made 18 saves in his second start and first win of the season. Pulkkinen's goal was the only power play goal in nine opportunities for the Griffins, while the Checkers failed to score in six power plays.

The Griffins and Checkers will meet for a rematch Saturday at 7 p.m. in Charlotte.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 17, 2014


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