GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Jimmy Howard stopped Toronto’s last six shootout attempts before Evan McGrath scored in the eighth round to give the Grand Rapids Griffins a 2-1 victory over the Marlies on Friday at Van Andel Arena.

After four of the first six shooters found the back of the net, Howard and Justin Pogge combined to thwart nine straight opportunities before McGrath sent the sellout crowd of 10,834 home happy.

The Griffins (39-18-6-6) and Marlies (35-26-2-6) will battle again at 7 p.m. Saturday at Van Andel Arena before Grand Rapids departs on a franchise-record eight-game road trip.

Following a scoreless and uneventful first period, Darren McCarty ignited the packed house by scoring his third goal of the campaign just 1:44 into the second frame. Collecting the puck to the left of the crease with his back to Pogge, he backhanded a shot into the far corner of the cage to give Grand Rapids a lead it would carry into the final 20 minutes.

Midway through the third period, the Marlies were awarded 1:42 of a 5-on-3 power play due to a controversial interference call against Darren Helm. The Griffins were 17 seconds from killing off the first penalty to Jakub Kindl when Toronto’s Jeremy Williams connected on a slap shot from the left circle to tie the score with 8:39 remaining.

In the shootout, Tim Stapleton and Jiri Tlusty beat Howard in the first two rounds before he slammed the door, and Ville Leino and Darren Haydar scored in rounds one and three, respectively, to set up the final drama.

Howard made 23 saves to earn his 87th career victory, one shy of Joey MacDonald’s franchise record, while Pogge countered with 35 in a stellar but fruitless performance.

The capacity crowd was the Griffins’ fourth of the season and their second straight, following Sunday’s sellout against Milwaukee.

Three Stars: 1. GR Howard (W, 23 saves); 2. TOR Pogge (SOL, 35 saves); 3. GR McCarty (goal)