NO OFFENSIVE SPARKS

Toronto Marlies 4 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 0

Jan. 27, 2016

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The AHL-leading Toronto Marlies made it a long afternoon for the Grand Rapids Griffins in their annual matinee game on Wednesday, using 39 saves by Garret Sparks to push their winning percentage to an even .800 with a 4-0 victory at Van Andel Arena.

The Griffins, who lost 2-0 to Rochester on Saturday, have been shut out in consecutive home games for just the second time in their 20-year history, the first coming on Nov. 10-19, 2010. It also marks the fourth time Grand Rapids has failed to score in back-to-back games overall, with the most recent occasion happening on Dec. 14-16, 2012.

Grand Rapids, which has gone without a goal over the last 122:07 of its current three-game home stand, will get another shot at the Marlies on Friday in a 7 p.m. rematch at Van Andel Arena.

The Marlies (35-8-2-0) took advantage of a giveaway inside the Griffins’ blue line to strike first. Mark Arcobello took a pass from Casey Bailey and skated into the left circle before scooping a backhand past Jared Coreau’s glove at 12:45 of the opening period.

Toronto pushed its advantage to two exactly 95 seconds later off a faceoff in the left circle, as Arcobello won the draw over to Matt Frattin, whose wrister from between the circles cleanly beat Coreau on his blocker side.

The beat rolled on for the visitors 6:25 into the second period, when Connor Brown finished off a Toronto rush by connecting on a short-side shot from the right circle.

With 6:02 remaining in the game, Toronto was called for too many men and the Griffins pulled Coreau to give themselves a 6-4 edge in skaters. Grand Rapids couldn’t capitalize during the two-minute power play, and Frattin scored his second of the game into an empty net at 16:22 to seal it.

The Griffins (24-15-1-1) failed to take advantage of a significant 39-23 advantage in shots, as Coreau stopped 19 of 22 while his teammates were unable to solve Sparks. Coupled with his 38-save effort in a 6-1 win over the visiting Griffins on Oct. 30, Sparks has turned aside 77 of the 78 shots he’s faced from Grand Rapids this season.

Notes: In four seasons (2010-14) playing for Griffins head coach Todd Nelson as a member of the Oklahoma City Barons, Arcobello tallied 161 points (60-101—161) in 188 games…Only 10 current Marlies participated in last spring’s historic playoff series against the Griffins, when Grand Rapids became the 11th team in AHL history to win a best-of-five series after trailing 0-2. For the Griffins, 17 players are back.

Three Stars: 1. TOR Sparks (W, 39 saves, SO); 2. TOR Arcobello (goal, assist); 3. TOR Frattin (two goals)

Toronto Marlies 4 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 0

Jan. 27, 2016

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The AHL-leading Toronto Marlies made it a long afternoon for the Grand Rapids Griffins in their annual matinee game on Wednesday, using 39 saves by Garret Sparks to push their winning percentage to an even .800 with a 4-0 victory at Van Andel Arena.

The Griffins, who lost 2-0 to Rochester on Saturday, have been shut out in consecutive home games for just the second time in their 20-year history, the first coming on Nov. 10-19, 2010. It also marks the fourth time Grand Rapids has failed to score in back-to-back games overall, with the most recent occasion happening on Dec. 14-16, 2012.

Grand Rapids, which has gone without a goal over the last 122:07 of its current three-game home stand, will get another shot at the Marlies on Friday in a 7 p.m. rematch at Van Andel Arena.

The Marlies (35-8-2-0) took advantage of a giveaway inside the Griffins’ blue line to strike first. Mark Arcobello took a pass from Casey Bailey and skated into the left circle before scooping a backhand past Jared Coreau’s glove at 12:45 of the opening period.

Toronto pushed its advantage to two exactly 95 seconds later off a faceoff in the left circle, as Arcobello won the draw over to Matt Frattin, whose wrister from between the circles cleanly beat Coreau on his blocker side.

The beat rolled on for the visitors 6:25 into the second period, when Connor Brown finished off a Toronto rush by connecting on a short-side shot from the right circle.

With 6:02 remaining in the game, Toronto was called for too many men and the Griffins pulled Coreau to give themselves a 6-4 edge in skaters. Grand Rapids couldn’t capitalize during the two-minute power play, and Frattin scored his second of the game into an empty net at 16:22 to seal it.

The Griffins (24-15-1-1) failed to take advantage of a significant 39-23 advantage in shots, as Coreau stopped 19 of 22 while his teammates were unable to solve Sparks. Coupled with his 38-save effort in a 6-1 win over the visiting Griffins on Oct. 30, Sparks has turned aside 77 of the 78 shots he’s faced from Grand Rapids this season.

Notes: In four seasons (2010-14) playing for Griffins head coach Todd Nelson as a member of the Oklahoma City Barons, Arcobello tallied 161 points (60-101—161) in 188 games…Only 10 current Marlies participated in last spring’s historic playoff series against the Griffins, when Grand Rapids became the 11th team in AHL history to win a best-of-five series after trailing 0-2. For the Griffins, 17 players are back.

Three Stars: 1. TOR Sparks (W, 39 saves, SO); 2. TOR Arcobello (goal, assist); 3. TOR Frattin (two goals)