May 15, 2021

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Riley Barber’s 20th goal of this shortened 32-game season, scored with 5:37 remaining on Saturday, broke a 1-1 tie and propelled the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 4-1 victory over the Cleveland Monsters in their 2020-21 finale at Van Andel Arena.

Grand Rapids’ fifth power play chance of the night proved decisive, as Barber found time and space in the right circle to rip a shot into the far corner of the net. Dominic Turgeon and Givani Smith then added empty-netters in the final two minutes to salt the game away for a steel-forged Griffins team that played its fourth game in five days, sixth game in nine days, 12^th game in 20 days, and 16^th game in 30 days.

The Griffins needed just 46 seconds to light the first lamp of the night. Off a Chase Pearson faceoff win in the left circle, Kyle Criscuolo grabbed the puck and fired it past Daniil Tarasov’s glove for his 11th goal of the campaign.

The score remained 1-0 into the third period despite the Griffins outshooting Cleveland 20-5 in the second and 33-16 through 40 minutes, as Tarasov endured the workload and absorbed shot after Grand Rapids shot.

Tarasov’s impenetrability paid dividends 4:01 into the third when Cleveland capitalized on its third power play opportunity to knot the score, with Gavin Bayreuther blasting a one-timer from the point that eluded Calvin Pickard.

Barber was the appropriate Griffin to provide the game-winner. His team-leading 20 goals and 34 points, projected over a normal 76-game season, would amount to 47 goals and 80 points; in franchise history, only Donald MacLean (56 during his MVP 2005-06 season) has scored that many goals while only nine players have registered as many points, the most recent being Darren Haydar (80) in 2008-09.

Notes

• The Griffins’ 0.563 points percentage gave them a third-place finish in the six-team Central Division, as they leap-frogged Iowa tonight.
• Despite having six games postponed and subsequently rescheduled due to COVID protocols between March 19 and April 15 — including four straight from April 9-15 — the Griffins were able to play all 30 games on their original 2020-21 schedule along with an extra pair of contests against Cleveland that were added mid-season. Grand Rapids’ last 16 games, constituting half of its season, were played without any COVID interruptions.

Box Score
Cleveland 0 0 1 - 1
Grand Rapids 1 0 3 - 4

1st Period-1, Grand Rapids, Criscuolo 11 (Pearson), 0:46. Penalties-Crawley Cle (cross-checking), 7:03; Struthers Cle (slashing), 14:42; Turgeon Gr (slashing), 17:36.

2nd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Dunne Cle (roughing), 7:32; Spezia Gr (roughing), 7:32; Crawley Cle (slashing), 11:10; Loggins Gr (slashing), 14:33; Newpower Cle (roughing, cross-checking), 16:56; Veleno Gr (roughing), 16:56.

3rd Period-2, Cleveland, Bayreuther 3 (Simpson), 4:01 (PP). 3, Grand Rapids, Barber 20 (Hicketts, Hirose), 14:23 (PP). 4, Grand Rapids, Turgeon 6 (Veleno, Hicketts), 18:31 (EN). 5, Grand Rapids, Smith 9 (Veleno), 19:43 (EN). Penalties-Veleno Gr (tripping), 3:52; Smith Gr (high-sticking), 5:24; Sikura Cle (slashing), 12:44; Dunne Cle (holding), 18:20; Criscuolo Gr (holding), 18:20.

Shots on Goal-Cleveland 11-5-15-31. Grand Rapids 13-20-12-45.

Power Play Opportunities-Cleveland 1 / 4; Grand Rapids 1 / 5.

Goalies-Cleveland, Tarasov 4-2-0 (43 shots-41 saves). Grand Rapids, Pickard 1-1-1 (31 shots-30 saves).

A-750

Three Stars
1. GR Barber (game-winning goal); 2. GR Criscuolo (goal); 3. GR Pickard (W, 30 saves)

Final Record
Grand Rapids: 16-12-3-1
Cleveland: 16-10-1-2

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins