BETTER LEIGHTON THAN NEVER

CHARLOTTE, N.C – Michael Leighton stopped all 30 shots he faced for his AHL-record 47th career shutout as the Grand Rapids Griffins fell to the Charlotte Checkers 3-0 on Saturday at Bojangles’ Coliseum.

Aided by four power play opportunities, Charlotte (3-3-0-0) controlled the play for most of the opening period, at one stage outshooting the Griffins 11-3. However, the Griffins (4-3-0-0) responded by taking 13 of the next 14 shots and denying the Checkers a shot on goal for the first 7:26 mark of the middle frame, yet were unable to put anything past Leighton.

Valentin Zykov drew first blood for the Checkers on the man advantage 2:32 into the hockey game. Matt Tennyson’s wrist shot from the right circle forced a pad save from Eddie Pasquale before Zykov chipped the rebound over the Grand Rapids netminder and in.

Derek Ryan added to Charlotte’s lead 7:45 into the first. Just as a Colin Campbell boarding minor expired, the Checkers’ captain redirected Brock McGinn’s wrist shot from the right point inside the right post.

Pasquale made his best save of the night on a shorthanded 2-on-1 near the halfway point of the second. Brendan Woods sent a pass through the slot to Patrick Brown at the right circle, but Pasquale slid across with his pads stacked to keep the Griffins’ deficit at 2-0 heading into the second intermission.

Grand Rapids pulled Pasquale for the extra attacker with 2:30 left in the third, but Ryan intercepted Anthony Mantha’s backhanded pass intended for Nathan Paetsch at the point before going on a breakaway and guiding the puck into the open net for his fifth goal of the campaign with 1:29 remaining.

Charlotte finished 1-for-5 on the power play while the Griffins were unable to score on three opportunities. Pasquale turned aside 28 of 30 shots in his first start in a Grand Rapids uniform.

Grand Rapids begins a four-game home stand on Friday against the Iowa Wild, with former Griffins and 2013 Calder Cup champions Jeff Hoggan and Teemu Pulkkinen expected to return to Van Andel Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

Notes: Leighton owns a 115:29 shutout streak against Grand Rapids dating back to the 4:31 mark of the opening period in the Griffins’ 4-2 defeat to Charlotte on Friday.

Three Stars: 1. CHA Leighton (W, 30 saves, SO); 2. CHA Zykov (goal, assist); 3. CHA Ryan (two goals)