BREAK THE ICE

Charlotte Checkers 3 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 4

Oct. 21, 2015

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Martin Frk’s first two-goal game in the AHL powered the Grand Rapids Griffins to their first win of the season under new head coach Todd Nelson, a 4-3 decision over the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday at Van Andel Arena.

Jared Coreau authored a strong performance between the home team’s pipes, making 37 stops including a brilliant toe save on Zach Boychuk while the Griffins were protecting a two-goal lead in the final minutes. Charlotte eventually lit the lamp a third time on David Wohlberg’s goal during a scrum with seven seconds left but it was too late for the visitors, who dropped their second straight contest following a 3-0 start to the campaign.

The Checkers and Griffins (1-4-0-0) will stage a rematch at Van Andel Arena on Friday at 7 p.m.

Coreau guided Grand Rapids through some early sluggishness, including a turnover at the Griffins’ blue line that resulted in a 2-on-0 shorthanded break for Charlotte and an unsuccessful backhand try by Brody Sutter 9:15 into the game.

With less than three minutes left in the frame, it was ex-Griffin Drew MacIntyre who kept the game scoreless by stopping Tomas Nosek’s initial shot from the slot then denying Mark Zengerle’s and Mitch Callahan’s attempts to stuff the rebound past his right pad.

The Checkers finally broke through with a power play goal at the 18:38 mark thanks to a pair of former Michigan Wolverines, as T.J. Hensick found Phil Di Giuseppe alone in front of Coreau.

The Griffins answered with their own power play tally just 32 seconds later. After having drawn a holding penalty on Trevor Carrick, Anthony Mantha whipped Callahan’s feed past MacIntyre from the left hashmarks to even the score heading into period two.

Grand Rapids used another man-advantage to grab a 2-1 lead 8:43 into the second. Zengerle hit Frk with a stretch pass at the Charlotte line, and he sped in before ripping a shot past MacIntyre’s glove.

Jeff Hoggan staked the Griffins to their first two-goal cushion of the season early in the third, redirecting Louis-Marc Aubry’s deflection of Nick Jensen’s point shot into the top of the net at 2:27. But after Coreau stoned Di Giuseppe’s point-blank bid for his second goal of the night, the Checkers pulled within one off a faceoff win in the Griffins’ zone, when Brendan Woods tipped a centering pass beneath Coreau’s right pad at 4:36.

The Griffins responded with their fourth goal – matching their combined output from this season’s first four games – at the 7:29 mark, when Frk sped around his defender down the left side and slipped home his second of the night.

MacIntyre, who posted a 0.936 save percentage in eight games against Grand Rapids last season, finished with 31 saves.

Three Stars: 1. GR Frk (two goals); 2. GR Miele (two assists); 3. GR Coreau (W, 37 saves)

Charlotte Checkers 3 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 4

Oct. 21, 2015

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Martin Frk’s first two-goal game in the AHL powered the Grand Rapids Griffins to their first win of the season under new head coach Todd Nelson, a 4-3 decision over the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday at Van Andel Arena.

Jared Coreau authored a strong performance between the home team’s pipes, making 37 stops including a brilliant toe save on Zach Boychuk while the Griffins were protecting a two-goal lead in the final minutes. Charlotte eventually lit the lamp a third time on David Wohlberg’s goal during a scrum with seven seconds left but it was too late for the visitors, who dropped their second straight contest following a 3-0 start to the campaign.

The Checkers and Griffins (1-4-0-0) will stage a rematch at Van Andel Arena on Friday at 7 p.m.

Coreau guided Grand Rapids through some early sluggishness, including a turnover at the Griffins’ blue line that resulted in a 2-on-0 shorthanded break for Charlotte and an unsuccessful backhand try by Brody Sutter 9:15 into the game.

With less than three minutes left in the frame, it was ex-Griffin Drew MacIntyre who kept the game scoreless by stopping Tomas Nosek’s initial shot from the slot then denying Mark Zengerle’s and Mitch Callahan’s attempts to stuff the rebound past his right pad.

The Checkers finally broke through with a power play goal at the 18:38 mark thanks to a pair of former Michigan Wolverines, as T.J. Hensick found Phil Di Giuseppe alone in front of Coreau.

The Griffins answered with their own power play tally just 32 seconds later. After having drawn a holding penalty on Trevor Carrick, Anthony Mantha whipped Callahan’s feed past MacIntyre from the left hashmarks to even the score heading into period two.

Grand Rapids used another man-advantage to grab a 2-1 lead 8:43 into the second. Zengerle hit Frk with a stretch pass at the Charlotte line, and he sped in before ripping a shot past MacIntyre’s glove.

Jeff Hoggan staked the Griffins to their first two-goal cushion of the season early in the third, redirecting Louis-Marc Aubry’s deflection of Nick Jensen’s point shot into the top of the net at 2:27. But after Coreau stoned Di Giuseppe’s point-blank bid for his second goal of the night, the Checkers pulled within one off a faceoff win in the Griffins’ zone, when Brendan Woods tipped a centering pass beneath Coreau’s right pad at 4:36.

The Griffins responded with their fourth goal – matching their combined output from this season’s first four games – at the 7:29 mark, when Frk sped around his defender down the left side and slipped home his second of the night.

MacIntyre, who posted a 0.936 save percentage in eight games against Grand Rapids last season, finished with 31 saves.

Three Stars: 1. GR Frk (two goals); 2. GR Miele (two assists); 3. GR Coreau (W, 37 saves)