ROUND 1 GOES TO LAKE ERIE

Lake Erie Monsters 4 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 0

Oct. 10, 2014

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Calvin Pickard turned away all 37 Grand Rapids shots on Friday to backstop the Lake Erie Monsters to a 4-0 victory over the Griffins in the season opener for both teams at Van Andel Arena.

Coming off a season in which they ranked second of 30 AHL teams in attendance, the Griffins extended a remarkable streak with their 19th consecutive home-opening sellout. But the crowd of 10,834 witnessed Grand Rapids drop its third straight home debut for the first time in franchise history and get shut out in a season or home opener for just the second time ever.

The Griffins and Monsters will square off once again on Saturday – their fourth straight meeting, including a pair of preseason games last weekend – in Lake Erie’s home opener at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Game time is 7 p.m.

After Pickard snuffed out two early scoring chances for the Griffins, including Colin Campbell’s attempt to cash in on a 2-on-1 with Andreas Athanasiou less than five minutes in, Karl Stollery made the home team pay for a turnover in its own zone by snapping a shot past Petr Mrazek from the slot at 12:08.

Stollery, who tallied only seven goals in 68 games with Lake Erie last season, struck again with 2:50 remaining in the period, firing a shot from the left point that appeared to change direction off the stick of Alden Hirschfeld on its way past Mrazek.

Kenny Ryan extended the visitors’ advantage to 3-0 at the 8:06 mark of the second. Taking possession along the boards at his blue line, Ryan skated up the left side and patiently waited until the faceoff dot before sending the puck just inside the far post.

Despite outshooting the Monsters in every period, including by a 15-8 count in the second, the Griffins remained unable to dent Pickard. Maxim Noreau rounded out the scoring on an empty-netter with 2:19 left in the third.

Mrazek stopped 21 of 24 shots for the Griffins, who denied Lake Erie on three power play chances while never receiving an opportunity of their own.

Notes: The Griffins’ previous season-opening shutout occurred on Oct. 5, 2001, when they lost 3-0 at home to Utah in their first game as members of the American Hockey League…All time, the Griffins fell to 11-5-2-1 in season openers and 10-8-0-1 in home openers…Grand Rapids has surrendered exactly four goals in each of its last five meetings with Lake Erie, dating back to the start of the 2013-14 campaign. The Griffins are 1-3-0-1 in those games.

Three Stars: 1. LE Pickard (W, 37 saves, SO); 2. LE Stollery (two goals); 3. LE Sgarbossa (two assists)

Lake Erie Monsters 4 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 0

Oct. 10, 2014

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Calvin Pickard turned away all 37 Grand Rapids shots on Friday to backstop the Lake Erie Monsters to a 4-0 victory over the Griffins in the season opener for both teams at Van Andel Arena.

Coming off a season in which they ranked second of 30 AHL teams in attendance, the Griffins extended a remarkable streak with their 19th consecutive home-opening sellout. But the crowd of 10,834 witnessed Grand Rapids drop its third straight home debut for the first time in franchise history and get shut out in a season or home opener for just the second time ever.

The Griffins and Monsters will square off once again on Saturday – their fourth straight meeting, including a pair of preseason games last weekend – in Lake Erie’s home opener at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Game time is 7 p.m.

After Pickard snuffed out two early scoring chances for the Griffins, including Colin Campbell’s attempt to cash in on a 2-on-1 with Andreas Athanasiou less than five minutes in, Karl Stollery made the home team pay for a turnover in its own zone by snapping a shot past Petr Mrazek from the slot at 12:08.

Stollery, who tallied only seven goals in 68 games with Lake Erie last season, struck again with 2:50 remaining in the period, firing a shot from the left point that appeared to change direction off the stick of Alden Hirschfeld on its way past Mrazek.

Kenny Ryan extended the visitors’ advantage to 3-0 at the 8:06 mark of the second. Taking possession along the boards at his blue line, Ryan skated up the left side and patiently waited until the faceoff dot before sending the puck just inside the far post.

Despite outshooting the Monsters in every period, including by a 15-8 count in the second, the Griffins remained unable to dent Pickard. Maxim Noreau rounded out the scoring on an empty-netter with 2:19 left in the third.

Mrazek stopped 21 of 24 shots for the Griffins, who denied Lake Erie on three power play chances while never receiving an opportunity of their own.

Notes: The Griffins’ previous season-opening shutout occurred on Oct. 5, 2001, when they lost 3-0 at home to Utah in their first game as members of the American Hockey League…All time, the Griffins fell to 11-5-2-1 in season openers and 10-8-0-1 in home openers…Grand Rapids has surrendered exactly four goals in each of its last five meetings with Lake Erie, dating back to the start of the 2013-14 campaign. The Griffins are 1-3-0-1 in those games.

Three Stars: 1. LE Pickard (W, 37 saves, SO); 2. LE Stollery (two goals); 3. LE Sgarbossa (two assists)