AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Larsson's Second Straight Shutout Puts Griffins in Tie for First

Published on December 27, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Daniel Larsson tied a franchise record with his second consecutive shutout on Saturday, making 23 saves to lead the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 2-0 victory over the Lake Erie Monsters at Van Andel Arena.

The win, coupled with Manitoba's 3-2 shootout loss at Toronto this evening, lifted the Griffins into a tie with the Moose atop the North Division at 43 points, marking the first time since Oct. 18, 2007 that Grand Rapids owns at least a share of first place.

Larsson, who stopped 38 shots in Sunday's 6-0 win at Rochester, became the sixth Griffins goalie to log back-to-back shutouts and the first since teammate Jimmy Howard did it during the 2006-07 campaign. His four shutouts tie for the AHL lead and put him within two of the team's single-season standard set by five other netminders.

Grand Rapids (18-7-4-3), which has blanked three of its last four opponents, will visit Peoria at 8 p.m. EST on Tuesday to begin a stretch of four games in five nights that will include the Griffins' 12th annual New Year's Eve game on Wednesday against Iowa.

Following a scoreless first period, the Griffins found all the offense they would need with a pair of power play markers early in the middle frame. Darren Haydar tallied his team-high 12th goal during a two-man advantage at 2:46, popping a shot high into the cage from the top of the right circle. Just 1:04 later, during the ensuing 5-on-4 power play, Haydar tried a shot from the left circle that Jason Bacashihua turned away, but Francis Lemieux found the rebound on the right side and deposited the puck into a yawning net.

Larsson's shutout streak now stands at 120:19, less than two periods shy of the team record (153:58) set by Marc Lamothe from Nov. 7-16, 2002. Over his last 12 outings (Nov. 11-Dec. 27), Larsson is 9-1-1 with four shutouts, a 1.85 GAA and a 0.935 save percentage.

Bacashihua made 31 saves in a solid effort for the Monsters (11-14-1-5), who have lost two straight since a five-game point streak.

Three Stars: 1. GR Larsson (shutout, 23 saves); 2. GR Haydar (game-winning/power play goal, assist); 3. GR Lemieux (power play goal)

Check out the Grand Rapids Griffins Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Hockey League Stories from December 27, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central