COOL MRAZEK CONQUERS HEAT

Abbotsford Heat 0 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 1

Feb. 2, 2013

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A week that began with Petr Mrazek claiming the win in his maiden AHL All-Star Game appearance concluded with him earning his first professional shutout, as the rookie made 32 saves to backstop the Grand Rapids Griffins’ 1-0 victory over the Abbotsford Heat on Saturday at Van Andel Arena.

Adam Almquist scored the game’s only goal late in the opening period, then he sacrificed his body by sliding to block Brett Carson’s slap shot as time expired to put an exclamation point on the Midwest Division leaders’ triumph over the Heat, the top team in the North Division.

Abbotsford (23-15-3-4) boasts the AHL’s top two goalies, both of whom Mrazek has now beaten on his home ice. Second-ranked Danny Taylor stopped 22 shots in tonight’s goaltending duel, after relieving No. 1-ranked Barry Brust in Grand Rapids’ 5-2 win on Dec. 21.

Almquist’s goal came with 38 seconds remaining in the opening period, six seconds after his own tripping penalty expired. Upon exiting the penalty box, he collected a clearing pass from Chad Billins along the right boards, sped into the Heat’s zone on a 2-on-1 with Francis Pare and patiently waited until the bottom of the circle before ripping a short-side shot past Taylor.

The Griffins were outshot 26-10 over the final 40 minutes, by margins of 13-4 in the second period and 13-6 in the third, but Mrazek held strong to record the first shutout by a Griffins rookie since Jordan Pearce’s 36-save effort in a 3-0 win at Peoria on March 8, 2011.

Grand Rapids (26-14-2-2), which increased its division lead to nine points over Chicago, will take aim at its third straight win when Houston pays a 7 p.m. visit on Wednesday.

Notes: The Griffins were awarded their first penalty shot of the season at 9:48 of the opening period, but Billins’ try was stopped by Taylor…Former Griffins captain Jamie Tardif made his NHL debut tonight with Boston, registering 5:03 of ice time in the Bruins’ 1-0 win at Toronto. He became Grand Rapids’ 128th NHL alumnus...Tonight's crowd of 8,899, on the heels of the Griffins' first back-to-back sellouts (10,834) in four seasons last weekend, gave Grand Rapids a total attendance of 30,567 (94% of capacity) over its last three home games.

Three Stars: 1. GR Mrazek (W, 32 saves, shutout); 2. GR Almquist (game-winning goal); 3. GR Billins (assist)