GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Back-to-back goals scored in the third period by Shai Buium and Cameron Butler boosted the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 4-3 win over the Manitoba Moose on Wednesday at Van Andel Arena.

With 13 points (6-1-1-0) through their first eight games, the Griffins have tied the second-best start in the franchise’s 31 seasons, trailing only last year’s team (16 points, 8-0). Behind Buium’s and Butler’s goals, Grand Rapids benefited from a two-point game by Ondrej Becher, who added an assist to his first-period tally to extend his point streak to three games (1-4–5). William Lagesson picked up his fourth goal of the season to round out the Griffins’ scoring, and Trey Augustine made 30 saves to secure his second win of the campaign.

Grand Rapids kicked off a back-and-forth first period with a goal at 4:55. After Becher won a faceoff in the left circle and dished the puck back to Lagesson, the Swedish defenseman whistled a shot from near the blue line past Domenic DiVincentiis.

The Moose answered with a tally of their own with 11:35 left in the period. On the heels of an Augustine stop on a breakaway chance from Danny Zhilkin, the puck took an unlucky bounce off Justice Christensen‘s stick and past his own goaltender to knot the score. At 14:56, Manitoba took the lead when Chase Yoder cleaned up a rebound on the doorstep to make it 2-1.

Grand Rapids finished the scoring in the first frame on the power play. With 2:51 remaining in the period, Dominik Shine shot the puck at close range and Becher took advantage of the rebound to the left side of the net by tapping the puck across the line to send the game into the second tied at 2-2.

After a scoreless middle period, Buium struck first in the third by taking a centering pass from Dylan James and slicing a shot past DiVincentiis from the slot at 8:42. Nearly six minutes later, Grand Rapids doubled its cushion when Alex Kannok Leipert fired a shot from the blue line and Butler redirected it past the goaltender for a 4-2 lead with 5:21 remaining.

In the late stages, Henry Thrun rocketed a shot past Augustine while shorthanded to cut into the deficit. The Moose pulled their netminder with 1:14 to play, but the Griffins held on for the 4-3 victory.

Notes

• In his seventh professional season, John Leonard played in his 300th AHL game.
• Over the first eight games of each of the last three seasons, the Griffins are a combined 20-2-2-0 (.875).
• With an assist on Becher’s goal, Carter Bear has a point in each of his last five games (2-3–5).

Three Stars

1. GR Butler (game-winner); 2. GR Becher (power-play goal, assist); 3. GR Buium (goal)

Record / Next Game

Grand Rapids: 6-1-1-0 (13 pts.) / Fri., Oct. 23 vs. Cleveland 7 p.m.

Manitoba: 5-2-0-0 (10 pts.) / Fri., Oct. 23 at Iowa 7 p.m. CDT

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo