Nov. 17, 2018

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After the Manitoba Moose had forced overtime on Saturday by scoring with 35 seconds left in regulation, Carter Camper mirrored the feat by scoring 35 seconds into the extra session to give the Grand Rapids Griffins a 3-2 victory at Van Andel Arena.

Off a turnover at center ice, Chris Terry led a 2-on-1 into the Manitoba zone and feathered a pass across to Camper, who went forehand-backhand to undress Moose netminder Eric Comrie and pot the puck into a yawning net.

The Griffins, now 5-2-0-1 at home and 8-7-0-1 overall, will enjoy a restful Thanksgiving week before returning to action on Friday to host the Milwaukee Admirals at 7 p.m. for the team’s annual Teddy Bear Toss for charity.

The Moose and Griffins traded goals less than a minute apart during the opening period. JC Lipon got things started for Manitoba at the 11:27 mark, pouncing on a puck that had deflected off Libor Sulak’s skate and behind Harri Sateri for an uncontested tap-in at the left post. Just 49 seconds later, Terry tied it by charging down the slot and extending his stick to redirect Turner Elson’s centering pass through Comrie’s five-hole for his 11th goal of the campaign and his seventh in the last six games.

Over the next period and a half, four consecutive fruitless power plays for the Griffins were followed by two straight unsuccessful tries for the Moose, maintaining that 1-1 deadlock into the final 20 minutes.

Dominic Turgeon put the Griffins back on top 33 seconds into the third period. He picked off Lipon’s pass into the Moose slot, then turned and fired a shot past Comrie while falling to the ice for an unassisted goal.

Grand Rapids held that advantage until the finish line was in view. The Griffins denied the Moose any prime scoring chances for the first 90 seconds after Comrie was pulled for an extra attacker, blocking several shots along the way, but Tye McGinn camped out in front of Sateri to redirect Michael Spacek’s wrister from the point to force overtime.

Camper continues an offensive surge that has seen him record a pair of points in four of the last six games (3-5—8) and Terry has multiple points in four of his last six outings as well (7-3—10). Elson extended his point streak to four games (2-4—6).

Sateri had to make just 14 saves to earn his third win in the last four tries, while Comrie countered with 22 for the Moose (8-7-1-0). Both backed strong penalty kills, as the Griffins (0-for-5) and Moose (0-for-3) failed on a combined eight power play opportunities.

Three Stars: 1. GR Camper (overtime goal, assist); 2. GR Turgeon (goal); 3. MB McGinn (game-tying goal)

Photo by Mark Newman/Griffins