HAPPY HOMECOMING

WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Darren Helm scored the game-winning goal in his home province of Manitoba, helping the Grand Rapids Griffins come from behind and defeat the Manitoba Moose 6-5 at the MTS Centre on Friday night. The Griffins scored twice in the third period to overcome a 5-3 deficit and jump to within two points of the division lead.

Six different Griffins scored goals, while defensemen Logan Pyett and Sergei Kolosov chipped in with two assists apiece. Daniel Larsson stopped 21 shots for the Griffins (13-6-3-3), while Karl Goehring allowed six goals on 31 shots for the Moose (17-7-0-0).

The Moose struck first when Jason Krog scored a power-play goal at the 4:17 mark on the team’s first shot on goal. The Griffins responded 20 seconds later with Corey Emmerton’s second goal of the season. Goehring made the initial save on Jakub Kindl’s shot from the slot, but Emmerton banged home the loose puck.

Aaron Gagnon gave the Griffins a 2-1 just 2:07 later when he lifted a wrist shot over Goehring’s shoulder from the high slot. Francis Lemieux took advantage of a turnover at center ice and fed Gagnon for the goal, which was his third of the season. Nolan Baumgartner kept things equal with the fourth goal in the first ¬¬¬7:42 of the game.

The flurry of first-period of scoring continued when Ryan Oulahen notched the fifth goal of the opening 8:26 of play. Jan Mursak took the puck behind the net and fed Oulahen for a one-timer from in close on the left side.

The sixth goal of the game came at the 13:54 mark of the first when Mursak accidentally put the puck in his own net, tying the game at 3-3. The final goal of the first period came courtesy of Mark Derlago, who put home the rebound of his own shot to make the Moose 2-for-2 on the power play with 3:30 remaining in the opening period.

Former Griffin Darryl Bootland gave the Moose a two-goal advantage 4:00 into the second period before Garret Stafford scored a power-play goal with 8:03 remaining in the stanza to bring the Griffins to within one at 5-4. Stafford went coast-to-coast and walked all the way into the right faceoff circle before lifting a wrist shot over Goehring’s shoulder.

In the third period, Jamie Tardif tied the game with his goal at the 13:34 mark and then, with just less than five minutes remaining in the game, Darren Helm knocked a puck out of midair and into the net to put Grand Rapids ahead 6-5.

Three Stars: 1. GR Helm (Game-winning goal); 2. MAN Baumgartner (Goal); 3. GR Emmerton (Goal)