HAPPINESS BEGINS AT HOME

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Mitch Callahan and Andreas Athanasiou each tallied three points to pace the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 5-3 win over the Lake Erie Monsters on Wednesday at Van Andel Arena.

Behind a 25-save effort by Petr Mrazek, the Griffins jumped out to a 4-0 lead through 40 minutes before holding on to capture their first home victory of the season and snap an overall six-game winless streak.

The Griffins (4-6-1-0) will continue their home stand by hosting the Texas Stars on Friday and Saturday for a matchup between the two most recent Calder Cup champions. Top prospect Anthony Mantha, assigned by the Detroit Red Wings today, will make his professional debut for Grand Rapids on Friday after recovering from a broken leg suffered during training camp in September.

Grand Rapids scored the only two goals of the opening period. Teemu Pulkkinen sped down the left side and tried a centering pass that was blocked in the slot by a Monster’s stick, but Callahan crashed the net to pop the loose puck past Calvin Pickard at 15:09. Exactly three minutes later, Athanasiou fed Pulkkinen at the top of the right circle, and the Griffins’ leading scorer blistered a one-timer into the far corner to give the home team a 2-0 lead heading into intermission.

Callahan pushed the advantage to three 4:40 into the middle period, stealing the puck behind the net and banking it off Pickard’s skate for his second goal of the night. Another fortunate bounce gave the Griffins a four-goal cushion at the 7:37 mark, as a Ryan Sproul cannon from the high slot during a 3-on-2 rush sailed over the net, caromed hard off the glass, hit the back of Pickard’s right leg and trickled across the goal line. That goal sent Pickard to the bench in favor of Roman Will.

The Monsters (4-6-1-1) made things much too interesting in the third, with Troy Bourke slipping a shot behind a wandering Mrazek from the right side at 3:16 before feeding Sam Henley for a point-blank tap-in at 12:55. Andrew Agozzino then scored from the slot on a rebound with two minutes remaining to bring Lake Erie within a goal, and a subsequent double-minor for high-sticking was assessed to Griffins captain Jeff Hoggan at 18:59, giving the Monsters a power play to end the game. The visitors pulled Will to create a 6-on-4 advantage in skaters, but Athanasiou tossed the puck into the empty net with 10 seconds left to salt the game away.

Pickard stopped nine of 13 shots in the loss while Will denied all eight attempts he faced in relief.

Notes: Callahan and Athanasiou each posted a plus-four rating on the night…The Griffins’ AHL-leading penalty killing unit held the Monsters scoreless in two opportunities, improving its season percentage to 93.0 (40-for-44).

Three Stars: 1. GR Callahan (two goals, assist); 2. GR Pulkkinen (goal, assist); 3. GR Sproul (goal)