LUCKY SEVEN

Seven different players scored for the Grand Rapids Griffins, who downed the Toronto Marlies 7-3 at the Ricoh Center on Sunday afternoon. Francis Pare notched a goal and an assist in his professional debut and was one of five Griffins with two points in the game. Grand Rapids (2-0-1-0) will play their home opener next Saturday, Oct. 25 against the Hamilton Bulldogs at 7 p.m.

The win marks the fifth season in a row that the Griffins have played their first three games without suffering a regulation loss. Daniel Larsson stopped 35 shots for his first victory in a Griffins uniform.

The Marlies (1-2-0-1) were called for a high-sticking penalty just 11 seconds into the game and the Griffins made them pay 1:08 later. On the power play, Landon Wilson skated in on the left side and unleashed a hard wrist shot from the slot that beat Justin Pogge for the first goal of the match.

Pare made it 2-0 at the 5:59 mark when he hammered home a rebound from an Evan McGrath shot. McGrath unloaded from above the left circle and Pare jammed the rebound past Pogge for his first goal in his first professional game.

After Ben Ondrus scored at the 7:00 mark, Jakub Kindl concluded the first period scoring at with 6:56 remaining in the stanza. Tom Galvin feathered a pass from the high point to the right face-off circle and Kindl one-timed it off of the left goal post and into the net for a 3-1 Griffins lead.

Ville Leino made it a 4-1 game with his second goal of the season at 9:09 of the second period, chasing Pogge from the crease in exchange for Adam Munro. Pogge, who stopped 14 shots through 30:40 of action made a save on Logan Pyett, but Leino flew down the middle and swept the rebound past Pogge to give the Griffins the three goal lead.

With the puck in the Marlies’ zone, Jamie Tardif made a great defensive play to break up a Toronto rush and then made an even better play when he faked a forehand shot and went around Munro for his first goal of the season. The goal, which came at the 15:02 mark of the second period, made it a 5-1 game in favor of the Griffins.

Pare picked up his second point of the match by assisting on Darren Haydar’s goal at 16:28 of the second. Haydar corralled the puck behind the goal and tucked it in the left side of the net underneath Munro’s stick for a 6-1 lead.

Brent Aubin made it 6-2 by poking a rebound over a sprawling Larsson with 5:24 remaining, but Mattias Ritola reestablished the five goal lead 49 seconds later. Aubin added his second goal at the 17:18 mark to make it 7-3.

Munro made 16 saves through 29:20 for Toronto.