ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Securing a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Wolves at Allstate Arena on Saturday, the Grand Rapids Griffins extended their point streak to 18 games (17-0-1-0) to tie the second-longest run in franchise history.

Michal Postava made his first start since Nov. 9, where he was sidelined by injury, and recorded 21 saves to improve to 5-0 on the season, while Chad Hillebrand tied his career high in AHL goals (2) by notching the game winner. The Griffins continued their best start in the league’s 90-year history and improved to 28-1-1-1 with 58 points in 31 games. John Leonard potted his 100th AHL assist, and Sheldon Dries bagged a helper for his ninth point in six games.

The Griffins jumped ahead 5:38 into the opening frame, when Alex Kannok Leipert flew in across the right circle and sent a centering pass to Eduards Tralmaks on the doorstep, and he punched it in. Grand Rapids nearly grabbed a two-goal lead when Alex Doucet attempted to snap one in from the slot, but Cayden Primeau robbed him with a glove save at 11:32. 

Just 2:18 into the second period, Grand Rapids claimed a 2-0 lead. Justin Holl skated down the left wing and tapped one to Dries in the paint, and he shoveled it past Primeau’s right side. The Wolves cut their deficit to one when Domenick Fensore sent a slap shot from the blue line through traffic at 9:59. The Griffins reclaimed their two-goal lead with 5:39 left, when Tyler Angle sent a pass from below the goal line to Hillebrand, and he knocked it in while soaring across the hashmarks.

Dries had a near opportunity in the final slate while on the power play, when Michael Brandsegg-Nygard sent a pass to the Macomb, Michigan native in the slot and he attempted to rip it in, but Primeau made a pad save at 7:23. With 4:11 remaining in the contest the Wolves pulled Primeau for an extra attacker, and with 2:15 on the clock, Austin Watson threw one down the ice and into the net to seal the Griffins’ 4-1 win.

Notes

• The Griffins improved to 21-0 when scoring the first goal of the game.
• Grand Rapids’ 14-0-0-1 record on the road became the longest-road point streak in franchise history during the overall regular season and single season (9-0-1-2, April 5-Nov. 30, 2002).
• The Griffins went 2-for-2 on the penalty kill, and remained first in the league standings at 87.2%.

Box Score

Grand Rapids 1 2 1 - 4

Chicago 0 1 0 - 1

1st Period-1, Grand Rapids, Tralmaks 14 (Kannok Leipert, Rychlovský), 5:38. Penalties-Hillebrand Gr (holding), 18:41.

2nd Period-2, Grand Rapids, Dries 11 (Holl, Leonard), 2:18. 3, Chicago, Fensore 5 (Heimosalmi, Vierling), 9:59. 4, Grand Rapids, Hillebrand 2 (Angle, Doucet), 14:21. Penalties-Ryabkin Chi (high-sticking), 12:12.

3rd Period-5, Grand Rapids, Watson 7   17:45 (EN). Penalties-Heimosalmi Chi (boarding), 6:48; Watson Gr (slashing), 10:45; Bayreuther Chi (interference), 13:11.

Shots on Goal-Grand Rapids 14-9-7-30. Chicago 11-9-2-22.

Power Play Opportunities-Grand Rapids 0 / 3; Chicago 0 / 2.

Goalies-Grand Rapids, Postava 5-0-0 (22 shots-21 saves). Chicago, Primeau 4-4-5 (29 shots-26 saves).

A-13,430

Three Stars

1. GR Hillebrand (game winner) 2. GR Dries (goal) 3. CHI Fensore (goal)

Record/Next Game

Grand Rapids: 28-1-1-1 (58 pts.) / Wed., Jan. 7 vs. Texas 7 p.m.

Chicago: 14-8-4-4 (36 pts.) / Fri., Jan. 9 at Rockford 7 p.m. CST

Photo by Ross Dettman/Chicago Wolves