Lake Erie Monsters 5 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 2

March 26, 2016

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Lake Erie Monsters built a 4-0 lead over the game’s first 23 minutes en route to a 5-2 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday at Van Andel Arena.

The fourth-place Monsters claimed their third win in as many nights against Central Division powers, having already earned consecutive home wins over third-place Rockford, while the second-place Griffins lost their third straight game on the heels of a 13-game winning streak.

After playing what will be their only home contest in a span of 26 days, the Griffins will head back on the road for four games next week, beginning with Tuesday’s last-ever regular season visit to Milwaukee’s BMO Harris Bradley Center, the opposing rink that has hosted the Griffins more times than any other. Faceoff against the Admirals is set for 8 p.m. EDT.

The Monsters (37-21-5-5) struck first during a power play 12:03 into the opening period, as Daniel Zaar blasted a one-timer past Jared Coreau from the top of the left circle. Lake Erie doubled its advantage just 1:01 later, when Sonny Milano deflected T.J. Tynan’s wrist shot over Coreau’s right pad.

Two more Monsters goals in the first 2:05 of the second period staked the visitors to a 4-0 cushion and marked the end of the night for Coreau, who was pulled in favor of Tom McCollum for just the second time this season. Lukas Selak pounded home a rebound from the doorstep 48 ticks into the frame before Milano tallied his second during a power play, whipping a shot from the left circle past a totally screened Coreau for the Monsters’ fourth goal on only 12 shots.

The Griffins, who to that point had been outscored 8-1 over their previous seven-plus periods of play, finally got on the board with their own power play goal at the 15:31 mark. Eric Tangradi slid across the goal mouth and deflected Ryan Sproul’s shot from the left side into the near corner of Brad Thiessen’s cage.

Grand Rapids (41-23-1-1) closed to within 4-2 with 3:46 remaining in the game, as Sproul connected on a slap shot during a 6-on-3 advantage brought about by two Lake Erie penalties and McCollum being pulled for an extra attacker. But Jaime Sifers scored into an empty net at 18:53 to put a dagger in the Griffins’ seven-game winning streak on home ice.

McCollum stopped all 15 shots he faced in the no-decision, while Thiessen denied 36 of 38 shots for the win.

Notes: The near-capacity crowd of 10,054 marked the Griffins’ fourth straight home game with an attendance of 9,000 or more and raised the team’s season average to 8,356…Grand Rapids wore jerseys that were designed through the collaboration of Griffins players.

Three Stars: 1. LE Milano (two goals); 2. LE Thiessen (W, 36 saves); 3. LE Tynan (two assists)

Lake Erie Monsters 5 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 2

March 26, 2016

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Lake Erie Monsters built a 4-0 lead over the game’s first 23 minutes en route to a 5-2 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday at Van Andel Arena.

The fourth-place Monsters claimed their third win in as many nights against Central Division powers, having already earned consecutive home wins over third-place Rockford, while the second-place Griffins lost their third straight game on the heels of a 13-game winning streak.

After playing what will be their only home contest in a span of 26 days, the Griffins will head back on the road for four games next week, beginning with Tuesday’s last-ever regular season visit to Milwaukee’s BMO Harris Bradley Center, the opposing rink that has hosted the Griffins more times than any other. Faceoff against the Admirals is set for 8 p.m. EDT.

The Monsters (37-21-5-5) struck first during a power play 12:03 into the opening period, as Daniel Zaar blasted a one-timer past Jared Coreau from the top of the left circle. Lake Erie doubled its advantage just 1:01 later, when Sonny Milano deflected T.J. Tynan’s wrist shot over Coreau’s right pad.

Two more Monsters goals in the first 2:05 of the second period staked the visitors to a 4-0 cushion and marked the end of the night for Coreau, who was pulled in favor of Tom McCollum for just the second time this season. Lukas Selak pounded home a rebound from the doorstep 48 ticks into the frame before Milano tallied his second during a power play, whipping a shot from the left circle past a totally screened Coreau for the Monsters’ fourth goal on only 12 shots.

The Griffins, who to that point had been outscored 8-1 over their previous seven-plus periods of play, finally got on the board with their own power play goal at the 15:31 mark. Eric Tangradi slid across the goal mouth and deflected Ryan Sproul’s shot from the left side into the near corner of Brad Thiessen’s cage.

Grand Rapids (41-23-1-1) closed to within 4-2 with 3:46 remaining in the game, as Sproul connected on a slap shot during a 6-on-3 advantage brought about by two Lake Erie penalties and McCollum being pulled for an extra attacker. But Jaime Sifers scored into an empty net at 18:53 to put a dagger in the Griffins’ seven-game winning streak on home ice.

McCollum stopped all 15 shots he faced in the no-decision, while Thiessen denied 36 of 38 shots for the win.

Notes: The near-capacity crowd of 10,054 marked the Griffins’ fourth straight home game with an attendance of 9,000 or more and raised the team’s season average to 8,356…Grand Rapids wore jerseys that were designed through the collaboration of Griffins players.

Three Stars: 1. LE Milano (two goals); 2. LE Thiessen (W, 36 saves); 3. LE Tynan (two assists)