Griffins maul Moose, 5-2, to win home opener and improve to 3-0 on season

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Rapids Griffins have improved to 3-and-0 for the first time since their Calder Cup-winning season of 2016-2017 - they bagged the Manitoba Moose Friday night, 5-2, in the Griffins' home opener.

A crowd of 9,511 at Van Andel Arena cheered wildly, as the Griffins pulled away late in the third period. But Grand Rapids won't have long to celebrate: they host the Moose (now 1-2 on the season) again Saturday night in a game that will be broadcast once again on WOOD Radio at 6:45 p.m. (pre-game) and on WXSP-TV.

Dominik Shine had a goal and an assist to be named the number one star of the game. Sheldon Dries had a goal and was the second star. Jackson native Carter Mazur, just 23 years old, had a goal and an assist to be labeled the third star of the game. It was a pretty goal with a little over 4 minutes left, with a sweet short-side snap shot. Mazur has five points on the season, so far.

The Griffins finished with 41 shots on goal to the Moose's 23. It broke down as 17 shots for the Griffins in the 1st period, 10 in the second and 14 in the third. The Griffins have only allowed one power play goal in 10 opponent attempts three games into the season. The Griffins have converted on 2 of their 9 man-advantage opportunities.

Austin Watson, Sheldon Dries and Dominik Shine lit the lamp for GR in the first period and Samuel Fagemo scored for the Moose.

Manitoba scored the only goal in the second period, as Danny Zhilkin registered his second of the season. And Grand Rapids scored the only two goals in the 3rd period, by Alex Doucet and Carter Mazur.

1st Period: A raucous home-opening crowd at Van Andel Arena, and Ondrej got them excited with a couple of whacks at the puck in the paint in front of Moose goalie Domenic DiVentiis, but the puck did not get behind him for a goal.

A Griffins' player was upended at the Moose blue line and then laid on by a Moose player, but the zebras look the other way, to the displeasure of the partisan crowd.

A two-on-one opportunity with 7:14 left in the first frame and Austin Watson one-times it past the Moose goaltender. Tyler Angle and William Lagesson with the assists.

The Moose respond just :45 seconds later, beating Griffins' goalie Sebastian Cossa, who appeared screened on the shot by left wing Samuel Fagemo. Brayden Yager and Phillip Di Giuseppe had the assists.

With 8:50 left in the first period, the Griffins' Ian Mitchell was sent to the sin bin for high sticking.

But the Griffins got a shorthanded marker a moment later on a breakaway by Sheldon Dries off a pass from Watson. Dries pulled the puck across the goal crease and beat the sprawling DiVentiis with a nifty backhand shot. Dries' tally came with 9:14 left in the first period, with an assist from captain Dominik Shine, who had another fine game.

A Moose power play was killed a moment later and, that point, the Griffins were 8-for-8 on the penalty kill this season.

With 7:54 to go, the Moose and Griffins were tied at 10 shots on goal apiece.

Tempers are beginning to flare. With 6:51, some players' gloves doing some opponent face-washing in front of the Moose net. A time out is called.

With 6:06 to go in the open stanza, Dominik Shine with a wrist shot from the right circle perfectly placed over the shoulder of DiVincentiis and the Griffins expand their lead to 3-1. Carter Mazur and Alex Leipert with the assists.

The shots on goal are now in favor of Grand Rapids, 13-11, as time is called at the 5:38 mark.

The Griffins finish the period with a 3-1 lead on the scoreboard and a 17-13 edge in shots on goal.

2nd Period: The second period is underway and Jakub Rychlovsy walks right in on goal with another Griffins' breakaway just 1:59 in, but goalie Domenic DiVincentiis blocks the shot in close, cleaning up after the sloppy Moose defense almost gets burned again.

2nd Period: 4:36 into the period, the Griffins' Ondrej Becher is called for a two-minute tripping penalty. Manitoba takes advantage :20 seconds later as Moose center Danny Zhilkin is left all alone in the right circle in front of goalie Sebastian Cossa. He blasts it high into the Griffins' net, pulling Manitoba within a goal, 3-2. He was assisted on the goal by Kale Clague and Daivd Gustafsson. It's of little consolation, but the Griffins still lead in shots on goal, 21-16.

A hooking penalty assessed to the Moose's Phillip Di Giuseppe at the 9:02 mark of the 2nd period.

At one point, Amadeus Lombardi fed a blindside backhand pass to Ian Mitchell, who should've one-timed it from just inside the blue line. Instead, he took a few seconds trying to tee it up and that delay cost him a great chance to score.

After 2 periods, the Griffins hang onto a one-goal lead, 3-2, and are up 27-19 in shots on goal for the game. However, Ian Mitchell was called for a tripping penalty at 19:26, meaning Manitoba will continue their power play for another 1:34 into the 3rd period. The Moose are 1-for-2 on the power play tonight.

3rd Period: At 1:42 of the final frame, the Griffins' right wing gets an up-close chance on goal but Moose netminder DiVincentiis with a quick toe save to prevent the lamp from lighting. A moment later, the Moose turn the puck over yet again and Alex Doucet just misses a chance to expand the Griffins' lead as he missed with a quick shot. Grand Rapids leads in shots on goal, 30-19, now 4:16 into the 3rd period.

Carson Bantle gets a chance but misses a wide-open side of the Moose goal, instead shooting the puck into the goalie, DiVincentiis, with 11 minutes to go. The Moose finally get their first shot on goal of the 3rd period with 10:30 left. They turn the puck over again inside their own blue line. The Griffins lead in shots on goal 34-20, at the halfway mark of the final period.

With 6:04 to go in the 3rd, Alex Doucet drops the puck back to Ian Angle, who shoots, and Doucet gets the golden rebound and makes no mistake, putting the biscuit in the basket and making it 4-2, Grand Rapids. It was Doucet's first tally of the season. Angle having a good night, gets the assist.

A moment later, at 4:59, the Moose's Brad Lambert skates in on goal and, although Cossa grabs the puck, Lambert waits until the last second to put on the brake and showers him with snow. That leads to a scuffle in the goal mouth, but surprisingly, the linesmen call no penalty. The Griffins leads in shots on goal, 37-23. Very few fans have left the arena on opening night, as the party seems to be just getting underway at The Van.

With 13:56 left in the final period, Carter Mazur scores a goal assisted on by Antti Tuomisto, to make it 5-2, Grand Rapids. It was Mazur's fourth goal of the young season.

The Moose are mad and try some rough stuff in the late going. Five penalties are called, three against the Griffins: William Wallinder gets two, two-minute roughing penalties, the Griffins' Austin Watson is sent to the showers with a 10-minute misconduct call. And being naughty for the Moose were Tyrel Bauer and Brad Lambert - the main instigator most of the night - both with two-minute roughing calls of their own.

The Griffins skate away with a 5-2 win and it could've/should've been a bigger margin. The Griffins racked up 41 shots on goal and the Moose mustered 23 while turning the puck over on defense repeatedly. The Griffins move to 3-and-0 on the season. The fans are chuffed, to say the least, walking away to the Journey song-turned-Red Wings/Griffins theme song, "Don't Stop Believin."

After starting the season 3-0, the Griffins may have begun believing this could become a special season.

###