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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Howard Spectacular in 1-0 Shootout Win Over Flames

January 24, 2009 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Jimmy Howard faced 48 pieces of rubber on Saturday at Van Andel Arena and turned aside each to record his 13th career shutout, a 1-0 shootout win for the Grand Rapids Griffins over the Quad City Flames.

Howard made a personal-best 43 saves during regulation and overtime and stopped all five Flames attempts in the shootout to out-duel Quad City netminder Matt Keetley, who allowed only Cory Emmerton's decisive shootout tally in round four after denying 35 shots during play. In the process, Howard became the Grand Rapids' career leader with 4,275 saves.

After besting the Flames (16-19-5-5) in a shootout for the second straight night, the Griffins (28-9-6-3) enter the AHL All-Star break with a 17-3-3-3 mark at home and a sparkling 15-2-3-0 record in their last 20 games overall, keeping them one point behind first-place Manitoba in the North Division race. Grand Rapids will conclude its five-game homestand by entertaining the Rochester Americans next Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. each night.

A weary and injury-riddled Griffins team, playing for the seventh time in 11 days and without the services of Jonathan Ericsson, Darren Helm and Francis Pare, saw the Flames carry the play during the opening period, out-shooting Grand Rapids to the tune of 17-9. But Howard held his ground to establish his season high for saves in a period and keep the game scoreless through 20 minutes.

Play evened out in the middle frame but Howard - as well as his counterpart - remained impenetrable, with Howard needing only those first two periods to set his season high for saves in an entire game at 33. He was particularly stellar on the penalty kill, thwarting Quad City during its four consecutive power play chances over the final 30 minutes of regulation.

Overtime eventually beckoned for the fourth straight game, a first for the Griffins since Jan. 14-21, 2004, and the 0-0 score was the team's first at the end of regulation since Howard's 1-0 shootout win over Hamilton on Feb. 24, 2007.

In the shootout, Emmerton went top-shelf in the fourth round to break the two goalies' combined run of 84 shots stopped during regulation, overtime and the shootout, then Howard stoned Jamie Lundmark to set off a celebration for the crowd of 9,370.

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