BLANK YOU VERY MUCH

ROCKFORD, Ill. – Eddie Pasquale turned away all 37 shots he faced as the Grand Rapids Griffins inched closer to clinching their fifth consecutive Calder Cup Playoff berth with a 4-0 victory over the Rockford IceHogs on Saturday at the BMO Harris Bank Center.

The Griffins (42-18-1-4) can punch their ticket to the Calder Cup Playoffs on Sunday with a win over the Milwaukee Admirals or a point against Milwaukee combined with an Iowa win at Cleveland. Grand Rapids concludes a three-in-three weekend on Sunday against the Admirals in a 4 p.m. EDT tilt at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

The IceHogs (22-33-9-3) thought they grabbed an early lead when Gustav Forsling worked his way in front and dropped a pass to Brandon Mashinter at the left circle for a shot into an open cage. However, in the process of driving the net, Forsling bowled over Pasquale and the alleged goal was immediately washed out at the 3:13 mark.

Ben Street responded just 23 seconds later to put the Griffins on the scoresheet. Joe Hicketts ripped a slapshot from the point that deflected off the skate of Jeremy Langlois in the slot and toward Street at the bottom of the right circle for a shot inside the right post.

On the heels of scoring two third-period tallies to seal a 5-3 victory over the IceHogs on Friday, Martin Frk gave Grand Rapids a two-goal cushion with 1:49 left in the middle period. Tyler Bertuzzi gained the zone and sent a diagonal pass to Dan Renouf, who gained control at the bottom of the right circle and centered the puck to Frk in close for a shot past the blocker of Jeff Glass and in for his team-leading 26th goal of the season.

Despite a 13-4 deficit in shots in the final frame, the Griffins put the game beyond any doubt with a pair of insurance tallies 1:43 apart. Mike Borkowski gave the visitors a three-goal cushion at the 6:18 mark when took a lead pass from Colin Campbell and raced past the Rockford defense before flipping a backhanded shot inside the right post past a visibly frustrated Glass. Kyle Criscuolo wrapped up the scoring when he deflected Brian Lashoff’s slapshot from the point out of mid-air and in as Grand Rapids increased its lead over Chicago in the Central Division standings to three points with two games in hand.

Both sides finished 0-for-2 on the man advantage. Glass stopped 16 shots in a losing cause.

Notes: With the secondary assist on Street’s goal, Eric Tangradi extended his point streak to six consecutive games, logging eight points (4-4–8) in that span…The Griffins have posted eight shutouts this campaign, marking the most in a single season since the 2008-09 edition blanked nine opponents.

Three Stars: 1. GR Pasquale (W, 37 saves, SO); 2. GR Bertuzzi (two assists); 3. Street (goal)