UP, UP AND AWAY

Manitoba Moose 2 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 5

Oct. 6, 2017

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Turner Elson posted a career-high four points, Colin Campbell had a goal and two assists, and Jared Coreau made 27 saves as the Grand Rapids Griffins commenced defense of their 2017 Calder Cup championship with a 5-2 triumph over the Manitoba Moose on Friday.

The victory was the Griffins’ 13th in a row within the friendly confines of Van Andel Arena, where they posted a perfect 10-0 playoff record after winning their final two home games of the 2016-17 regular season. They’ll aim for No. 14 on Saturday when they host a rematch with the Moose at 7 p.m.

The Griffins exhibited no hangover from a summer of celebration and an extended pre-game banner-raising ceremony, scoring twice in a span of 1:33 midway through what became a three-goal opening period.

Ryan Sproul, a mainstay on Grand Rapids’ blue line from 2013-16, made an immediate impact following his assignment from the Detroit Red Wings earlier this week, blasting a one-timer past Eric Comrie from the left circle off a feed from Ben Street for a power play goal at the 8:41 mark. Dominic Turgeon doubled the advantage at 10:14, potting a shot from the left side after Campbell’s wraparound attempt at the right post slid through the crease.

After coming up empty on that try, Campbell connected with 2:45 left in the frame. Elson fired a shot from the left point that ramped off Campbell’s stick blade and into the top of Comrie’s net for a 3-0 Griffins advantage.

The Moose capitalized on a shorthanded rush to notch their first goal of the season 3:22 into the second period. Cameron Schilling gobbled up a loose puck in his circle and burst up the right side, finally centering a pass to a crashing Cam Maclise for a redirection past Coreau.

Elson, who signed with the Red Wings in July, tallied his first goal as a Griffin and third point of the night at 17:05 to push the home team’s lead back to three, as he scooped a backhand between Comrie’s blocker and the right post. Campbell also earned his third point on the play, courtesy of his second assist.

Manitoba made it a 4-2 contest with 10:23 remaining in the third on a goal by Peter Stoykewych, who took advantage of some crease chaos to pop a rebound behind Coreau. Dylan McIlrath’s wrister from the slot with 1:35 left finished the scoring and secured the fourth point for Elson, who had never scored more than two points in 175 AHL games over the previous four seasons.

Comrie finished with 17 stops for the Moose.

Notes: Van Andel Arena welcomed an opening night sellout crowd of 10,834 for the 22nd consecutive season…With three points through the first two periods, Elson matched the scoring total from his injury-shortened 2016-17 campaign, when he recorded a goal and two assists in 13 games with San Antonio…Campbell equaled his career high for points in a game, set when he tallied a hat trick on Dec. 26, 2015 at Lake Erie…The Griffins’ lineup included 14 members of their 2017 Calder Cup championship squad.

Three Stars: 1. GR Elson (goal, three assists); 2. GR Campbell (goal, two assists); 3. GR Coreau (W, 27 saves)