GOAL RUSH

CLEVELAND – After having a two-goal lead slip away early in the second period, the Grand Rapids Griffins scored four unanswered tallies to rout the Cleveland Monsters 6-2 on Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena.

Matthew Ford’s shorthanded goal 13:03 into the middle frame proved to be the game-winner before Kyle Criscuolo, Dominic Turgeon and Matt Lorito provided the insurance to help the Griffins (11-6-0-0) improve to 4-0 this season against the Monsters and 6-1 dating back to the division finals series last spring. Grand Rapids and Cleveland return to Van Andel Arena for a rematch on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Martin Frk broke the scoreless tie on the man advantage for the Griffins 12:05 into the opening period. Lorito’s feed from the right circle reached Frk at the right point for a slapshot past the blocker of Joonas Korpisalo for his team-leading fifth power play goal of the campaign.

Grand Rapids added to its lead 1:48 later when Robbie Russo kept Cody Goloubef’s clearing attempt in at the right point and fired a wide slapshot that deflected off Tomas Nosek at the right side of the net to give the Griffins a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

The Monsters (6-10-1-1) got on the scoresheet on their first power play opportunity. Four seconds into a Dan Renouf interference minor, John Ramage set up Oliver Bjorkstrand at the left circle for a one-timer inside Eddie Pasquale’s left post with 31.1 seconds remaining in the first for his third goal in his last two games against the Griffins.

Brett Gallant evened the score for Cleveland 4:02 into the second. Daniel Zaar’s slapshot from the right circle forced a toe save from Pasquale, but the rebound ricocheted off both Gallant and Pasquale’s right skates before going in.

Ben Street thought he put the Griffins back in front with just over seven minutes to play in the middle frame when he raced down the right wing and drove the net only to be denied when Korpisalo was able to lean back and clear the puck off the goal line with his stick. Seconds later, the visitors grabbed the lead when Ford gained the zone and wired a shot past the Cleveland netminder’s catching glove.

Grand Rapids restored its two-goal cushion when Brian Lashoff’s effort from the left half-boards deflected off the stick of Criscuolo at the left circle and off the inside of the right post with 3:05 left in the second. That proved to be the end of the night for Korpisalo, who was replaced by Anton Forsberg.

The Griffins put the game beyond any doubt with a pair of insurance tallies in the final frame. After Criscuolo threw a backhanded shot on goal from a sharp angle, Ford’s rebound in the slot hit the mask of Forsberg before Turgeon lifted the loose puck past Forsberg’s blocker for his first professional goal with 5:16 remaining. Lorito added a sixth goal with 2:58 on the clock when he received Nosek’s pass in the high slot for a shot that found its way between Forsberg’s arm and body.

Grand Rapids finished 2-for-5 on the power play, scoring on the man advantage for the eighth consecutive game while Cleveland converted on 1-of-5 opportunities. Pasquale turned aside 29-of-31 shots for his second win in as many nights. Korpisalo stopped 13-of-17 shots in a losing effort, while Forsberg turned aside 14-of-16 shots following a 43-save performance in defeat on Friday.

Notes: The Griffins are 10-2 when registering a power play goal and 9-1 when scoring first...Grand Rapids scored two or more times on the man advantage for the seventh time this season...Lorito is third in the AHL with 18 points (7-11–18).

Three Stars: 1. GR Nosek (goal, two assists); 2. GR Ford (shorthanded goal, assist); 3. CLE Gallant (goal)