APRIL FOOLS FOILS GRIFFINS

WINNIPEG, Manitoba The Grand Rapids Griffins franchise-record win streak was snapped at 11 games as the Manitoba Moose handed out a 4-2 loss at the MTS Centre Saturday night. The Griffins closed out the regular season series against the Moose with a record of 4-3-0-1, and remain four wins shy of tying the league record (57, Binghamton, 92-93) with five games to play.

The Moose jumped to a 2-0 lead with goals less then three minutes apart as the Griffins remained scoreless during the first period. A flurry on the doorstep of the Griffins net provided an opportunity for Alexandre Bolduc to jam the puck under the glove of Jimmy Howard at 5:07. Shortly after, Maxime Fortunus fired a slapshot from the point and Lee Goren deflected the puck into the top corner during a Manitoba power play.

The Griffins found the back of the net at 14:33 of the second when Valtteri Filppula found Ryan Oulahen in the high slot, who then launched a wrister over the glove of Wade Flaherty. Kyle Quincey also drew and assist on the goal.

The Moose answered with a one-two punch late in the period, as Ryan Bayda snapped a shot upstairs on a power play at 17:28, and Goren added his second goal of the night at 18:42 as he slid the puck past Howard into the lower corner off a centering feed from Jason Jaffray.

Heading into third period down 4-1, the Griffins defense stepped it up by only allowing 4 shots. Oulahen scored his second goal of the game in the closing minutes as he redirected a rocket from Quinceys stick between the legs of Flaherty. Filppula also notched an assist to give him two on the evening and the goal stood as the only lamp-lighter of the period as the Moose went on to win, halting the Griffins franchise-record win streak at 11 games.

The Griffins remain one win short of breaking the franchise regular season win record (54, 2000-01) and tying for third in AHL history, while Howards franchise-record win streak ended at 12 games. The third stop of the Griffins five-game road trip rolls into Cleveland Wednesday for a battle against the Barons set for a face-off at 7:05 p.m.