Griffins shut out Moose, go to 5-and-0 for the first time in 21 years

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- For the first time since 2004 - and the second time in franchise history - the Grand Rapids Griffins have started a season 5-and-0, tagging the Manitoba Moose, 4-0, on Friday night at Van Andel Arena.

With Detroit Red Wings' executive vice president/general manager Steve Yzerman in the house, Griffins' goalie Sebastian Cossa pitched a shutout, easily turning aside 30 Moose shots. The Griffins only mustered 24 shots on goal, but four of them ended up in the Moose net.

The Griffins have yet to trail in a game this season, and they've led in a game for more than 182 minutes. The Griffins have started 3-and-0 at home for the third time. The franchise record for consecutive home wins to start a season is eight, set in 2009.

John Leonard had two goals and an assist to be named the game's second star. He made an absolutely dazzling move and backhanded pass on the Dominik Shine goal in the second period. But it was Cossa's flawless goaltending that may have most caught the attention of Yzerman.

It certainly caught the attention of the 5,210 fans who attended the game at Van Andel Arena.

The Griffins now head to Iowa to play the Wild on Tuesday night.

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3rd Period: [9:00pm] The final frame is underway, with the Griffins up 3-0 in the game and trying to go 5-and-0 on the young season. Moose defenseman Ville Heinola is called for interference 2:59 in, but nothing comes of it.

[9:17pm] The Griffins have pulled to within three shots on goal of the Moose (25-to-22), but are registering a shutout now halfway through the 3rd period. A timeout is called with 8:39 to go in the game after a holding penalty to Ondrej Becher. But with 7:57 left, Manitoba's Di Giuseppe is called for holding. That's a costly penalty for the Moose, who needed to take advantage of their man advantage. But now the teams are skating four-aside for the next minute or so, and the Griffins will go on the power play for about a minute after that.

Or so it seemed. But now, a moment later, Grand Rapids is penalized for having too many men on the ice with about 6:30 to go. Lombardi serves the bench minor penalty for Grand Rapids. And Manitoba has the man advantage again for about :50 seconds. But, lo and behold, the Griffins with a shorthanded goal. They get a 2-on-1 and Shine glides a nice pass over to Leonard who rushes the net and beats DiVicente easily. The Griffins go up 4-0 with 4:58 left in the game. It was Grand Rapids' second shorthanded goal of the season. The Griffins still trail in shots on goal, 29-24, but lead where it counts on the scoreboard.

Griffins' netminder Sebastian Cossa, who hit some rough patches last season, has looked very sharp so far in his three games in goal this season. He brought a .914 save percentage into the contest. The Griffins' other goaltender, Michael Postava, didn't play tonight but he has a sterling 2.01 GAA after two games and a .939 save percentage.

[9:23pm] With 3:27 to go, Tyson Empey and Grand Rapids' Alex Kannok Leipert drop the gloves at center ice, and the zerbra let them flail away in the center ice circle while everyone stands back and watches the heavyweight slugfest. Empey threw several hard right crosses, but Leipert doesn't have a glass jaw and threw some right fists himself, before landing a hard uppercut before the officials step in. The crowd cheers its approval.

Empey and Leipert both go off the ice (for good) for fighting with 3:27 remaining in regulation.

2nd Period: [8:08pm] Just :51 seconds in the second stanza, Nate Danielson - just back with the Griffins tonight after being assigned from the Red Wings - backhands a pass to John Leonard right out in front and he makes no mistake, going five-hole with his shot to beat DiVencittis clean. It's Leonard's fourth goal of the season. The Griffins draw the game's first blood, figuratively speaking. Linesman Devon Gale appears to be back in the game after taking a scrape to the face that drew some blood near the end of the opening period.

[8:15pm] The Griffins' William Lagesson takes exception to some extracurricular rough stuff 5:26 into the period from Moose instigator Mason Shaw. They both are given two-minute roughing penalties, so it will be two minutes of four-on-four hockey.

[8:25pm] Off a feed from William Wallinder, Amadeus Lombardi appears to score with 9:47 to go in the 2nd period, but the zebras say it was knocked into the net with a high stick, so no goal. It was the right call, unfortunately, for the Griffins.

[8:30pm] Sebastian Cossa with a quick slide across the crease to deny the Moose's David Gustafsson, who was cutting in quick with 6:50 to go in the second period. Gustafsson took a quick pass from the far corner.

[8:35pm] Dominik Shine lights the lamp for the Griffins with 5:31 to go. John Leonard with a magnificent move around the defense to backhand the puck to Shine, who knocks it out of the air to make it 2-0. Amadeus Lombardi with the assist. Just seconds later, William Lagesson walks in from the left-side boards and shoots a shot in a tiny corner over DiVincentiis's left shoulder from the far side, a real seeing-eye marksman's goal with 4:54 left in the 2nd period. It was his first goal of the season, assisted by Nate Danielson. The goals were notched just :37 seconds apart. And just like that, the Griffins' 1-0 lead becomes a 3-0 lead late in the second stanza. The shots on goal are tied at 16 apiece. A hooking penalty is called on the Griffins' Wallinder with 2:22 to go before the second period ends. The Moose can't convert, though, as Cossa makes another nice save on a short-side shot. Di Giuseppe parks outside of the Griffins' net and takes a couple of in-close shots but they hit Cossa in the chest and the Griffins kill the power play and skate off the ice with a 3-0 lead after two periods, despite being outshot, 23-16, in the game so far. Danielson with two assists. Leonard had a goal and an assist.

1st Period: A bit of a disjointed first five minutes of the game, the Griffins mustering the only shots on goal. Then, at the mark, Dominik Shine with a slick backhand pass to Amadeus Lombardi right out in front of Moose netminder Domenic DiVinctiis. But his shot hits a skate and goes wide. The Griffins have had a couple of good chances on goal and lead in shots on goal, 7-0, with 7:36 remaining in the first frame.

The Moose come back from the timeout and start waking up, with Samuel Fagemo - the left wing - shooting point blank at the Griffins' goal, but Sebastian Cossa was there to block the puck.

Manitoba gets a 2-on-1, but Janet Anderson-Dolan fans on a shot with an open net on the stick side of Cossa.

A two-minute delayed slashing penalty on Manitoba gives Grand Rapids a golden opportunity. The Griffins appeared to score with 7:29, but the ref ruled DiVincentiis had the puck in his grasp long enough and blew the whistle after the puck was in the back of the net. The Griffins will now go on the power play. Phillip Di Giuseppe was sent to the penalty box for two minutes with 12:31 expired in the opening period, but the Griffins can't capitalize on the first power-play chance.

A linesman, DeVon Gale, takes a skate or stick to his face and heads to the bench for treatment. A time out is called with 4:12 left in the 1st period. So, there will be two refs and one linesman left to regulate the action.

The period finishes with no score. The Griffins finish the opening period with 9 shots on goal to the Moose's 8. Manitoba trailed in shots, 7-0, at one point. The Griffins had the period's only power play opportunity.

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Game Notes: The Griffins' next home game is next Saturday, Nov. 1, vs. the Rockford Ice Hogs.

It was on Oct. 24 that the Griffins posted their win in franchise history - a 2-0 shutout, no - with Pokey Reddick making 20 saves in goal.

--The Griffins started the 2004-'05 season 5-and-0, a franchise record. Coming into the contest, the Griffins had not trailed in a game this season, and were averaging four goals per game.