GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Griffins scored early in each of the three periods Friday night at Van Andel Arena and coasted to a 5-1 win - to the delight of most of the 8,055 fans (there were quite a few Wolves' fans in attendance).
The Griffins are off to their second-fastest start in franchise history, registering 21 standings points through their first 14 games, with a 10-3-1 record - good for a first place in the American Hockey League Central Division: two points ahead of the second-place Milwaukee Admirals. They have won four straight contests.
The Griffins and Admirals will square off Saturday at Panther Arena in Wisconsin at 7 p.m. The pre-game coverage will begin at 6:45 on WOOD Radio.
The Griffins had 31 shots on goal Friday and the Wolves had 22. The Griffins improve to 5-1 at home. It was only the second time this season that Grand Rapids was not outshot in a contest.
The Griffins' website says the 28 goals allowed by the team through 14 games are their fewest in franchise history, beating out their previous low of 29 in 2004-05.
Public address announcer Eric Zane told the departing crowd who the three stars of the game were. The first star went to right wing Austin Watson, who had a goal and an assist. The second star was Nate Danielson, who registered a goal and an assist. And the third star was William Lagesson, the defenseman who notched a goal and an assist.
Goaltender Sebastian Cossa probably deserved a star, too, turning away 21 of the 22 shots he faced.
---------------------Narration by James Gemmell; photos by Steve Katerberg.
1st Period: [7:36] Grand Rapids takes a 3-0 lead against the Wolves to the locker room after the first period of action. The Griffins pepper Wolves' goalie Ruslan Khazhayev with 2:20 left in the 1st period and Nate Danielson continues his torrid night, with a nifty pass from the far side to Austin Watson, who makes no mistake - his second goal in two games. Shai Buium with the other assist on the goal. GR with 11 shots in the first period, Chicago with 8.
[7:12] The Griffins in their sharp-looking gold uniforms with black pants and trim score just 1:19 into the game. Elmer Soderblom with a blast from the point blocked by the Wolves' goalie, but Nate Danielson is right there on the doorstep to tuck it home. Besides, Soderblom, Austin Watson also gets an assist. And no sooner do I type that then the Griffins light the lamp again at the 16:39 mark, less than 2 minutes later on a tally by Amadeus Lombardi, assisted by William Lagesson and Alex Doucat . A lot of fast, end-to-end action right out of the gate; good transition hockey by GR. A high-sticking penalty with 14:25 left in the 1st period, a 2-minute high-sticking penalty to the Wolves' Bradly Nadeus. Grand Rapids didn't score with the man advantage; only mustered one shot on goal. The Griffins came into the game with the worst power-play conversion rate in the AHL. Grand Rapids lead in shots on goal, 6-3 with 11 minutes to go.
There was a nice military-salute ceremony at intermission with Taps played on this Veterans Day week, with a huge flag held up by people center ice.
2nd Period: [8:25] Josiah Didier of the Griffins draws a 2-minute roughing penalty. The Wolves' left wing Bradly Nadeua scores with 1:33 left in the 2nd period, giving Chicago its first goal of the game to make it a 4-1 game now, with Grand Rapids leading. The Griffins have 20 shots on goal, and Chicago has 17 after 2 periods. William Lagesson scores at 1:14 in the second period, swatting a rebound off the goalie's pads into the net.
3rd Period: [9:17] The Griffins still lead, 5-1, and in shots on goal, 26-22, with 3:40 to go in the game.
[8:55] For the third straight time, the Griffins score early in a period. After a breakaway, Joe Snively lifted the puck over Wolves' goalie Ruslan Khazheyev as he was sprawled out on his belly, just 2:25 in the 3rd period. Dominik Shine got the assist. It was Snively's fourth goal of the season. Grand Rapids up, 5-1.
-------------------------------GAME NOTES:
--The game lasted only 2 hours and 12 minutes, as the Griffins dominated and there were relatively few penalties and no significant fights.
--Amadeus Lombardi has six goals in the Griffins' first 14 games, and 9 points in his last 9 games.
--The Griffins played well without the defense of the injured Carter Mazur.
Per Griffins' P.R.:
-- Josiah Didier skated in his 450th AHL game.
--The Griffins are now 8-0-1-0 when scoring the game’s first goal.
--Grand Rapids has scored 19 goals in its last four games (4.75 per game).
--In 29 seasons, this is the fourth Griffins team to win at least 10 of its first 14 games, and the first since 2009-10.
--Coming into Friday night's game, the Griffins had scored 14 goals in their previous three games. They had scored five goals in a game in two of their previous three contests.
--The Wolves came into the game with the lowest goal-per-game average, about 1.5 goals per contest and held true to form.
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A tally by Amadeus Lombardi, assisted by William Lagesson and Alex Doucat early in the 1st period, less than two minutes after the first goal. Bodies ended up in the net, and so did the puck.
On this Veterans Day week, the playing of Taps at Van Andel Arena after the first period of the Griffins/Wolves' game, Nov. 15, 2024.
Nate Danielson scores the first goal of the game in the Griffins' 5-1 win versus Chicago, at Van Andel Arena, Nov. 15, 2024.