A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A breathtaking battle between the last two Calder Cup champions went the way of the 2013 victors on Friday, as Teemu Pulkkinen’s rocket from the top of the left circle with 0.8 seconds remaining in overtime gave the Grand Rapids Griffins an incredible 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Texas Stars.

Down 2-1 late in regulation, Mitch Callahan scored the equalizer with 1:14 remaining, then Pulkkinen ignited the 8,183 partisans at Van Andel Arena with his team-leading sixth goal of the season a moment before the 3-on-3 session was set to expire, lifting Grand Rapids to its second home-ice win in three nights.

The Griffins (5-6-1-0) and the defending Calder Cup champs will stage an encore at 7 p.m. Saturday at Van Andel Arena.

The Stars struck first during a Griffins power play just 3:28 into the contest, as Travis Morin finished off a 2-on-1 by potting Justin Dowling’s centering pass for the first shorthanded goal scored by Texas or allowed by Grand Rapids this season.

Texas (6-3-3-0) nearly added to its lead in the final second of the period when Derek Hulak’s try from the slot sailed past Petr Mrazek, but the puck rang off the crossbar and fell harmlessly to the crease behind the netminder before being smothered.

Andy Miele pulled the Griffins even with a power play tally 2:30 into the second, darting across the top of the crease to deflect Mattias Backman’s shot behind Jack Campbell for his fifth goal of the campaign. But the Stars went back on top during their own power play at the 6:05 mark, as Greg Rallo drove down the left side before backhanding a pass through the crease to a waiting Brendan Ranford for a redirection.

It was Grand Rapids’ turn for a near-miss on the south goal with just over eight minutes left in the frame. Making his pro debut after recovering from a broken leg, top Detroit Red Wings prospect Anthony Mantha fired a shot from the right circle that clanged off the near post, and just before Pulkkinen could get to the loose puck behind Campbell for an easy tap-in, veteran Stars defenseman Maxime Fortunus swept it into the corner to end the threat.

Still down a goal in the waning minutes of regulation, the Griffins pulled Mrazek in favor of an extra attacker, a move that paid off when Callahan ripped a top-shelf wrister through traffic from the left faceoff dot to force overtime.

The Griffins had their first foray into the AHL’s new 3-on-3 format late in the seven-minute overtime period, but only because Campbell robbed a point-blank attempt by Mantha before Mrazek stoned a pair of scoring chances by the Stars during the breakneck 4-on-4. Grand Rapids maintained possession in the Texas zone as the seconds ticked away, and Pulkkinen himself kept the puck for 10 seconds until his maneuvering created an opening for him to launch his last-second blast past Campbell.

Mrazek logged his second straight win behind 26 saves, as his stellar play enabled Grand Rapids to earn that second point and move past Lake Erie into fourth place in the Midwest Division. Campbell denied 36-of-39 in the loss.

Notes: The Red Wings made three goalie moves after the game, recalling Mrazek to the parent club, assigning Tom McCollum to Grand Rapids, and reassigning Jared Coreau from the Griffins to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye…The 20th overall selection in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Mantha became the second-highest Detroit draft pick to play for the Griffins, behind only Jakub Kindl (19th overall in 2005)…Tonight marked the first clash between the two most recent AHL champs since the Norfolk Admirals (2012) defeated the visiting Binghamton Senators (2011) by a 3-0 count on April 6, 2013.

Three Stars: 1. GR Pulkkinen (game-winning goal, two assists); 2. GR Mrazek (OTW, 26 saves); 3. GR Miele (power play goal)