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San Antonio Rampage 3 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 0
Feb. 15, 2014
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The San Antonio Rampage extended their point streak to a franchise-record 10 games and finished a weekend sweep of the Midwest Division-leading Griffins with a 3-0 whitewash of Grand Rapids on Saturday at Van Andel Arena.
Jacob Markstrom made 28 saves to record San Antonio’s first shutout of the season while Petr Mrazek countered with 22 for the Griffins (30-16-2-3), whose five-game winless streak at home (0-4-0-1) is their longest since a seven-game drought that concluded in December 2010.
Personally, Mrazek has suffered three straight losses on the heels of a career-high 10-game winning streak. His teammates scored a total of one goal in those three games and have tallied only five goals during the Griffins’ current home skid.
Grand Rapids will try to break out of its recent doldrums next Friday through Sunday when it stages just the ninth three-in-three at home in franchise history, beginning with a visit by the Oklahoma City Barons on Friday at 7 p.m. It will mark the first meeting of the clubs since the Griffins defeated the Barons in seven games in the Western Conference Finals en route to their 2013 Calder Cup championship.
After the teams played a scoreless opening period for the second time in as many nights, a partial breakaway early in the second resulted in a 1-0 lead for the Rampage. John McFarland sped down the left side and took a shot from the doorstep that Mrazek denied, but two defenders were unable to clear the rebound from the slot, allowing Matt Gilroy to pop the puck home at the 1:46 mark.
San Antonio (21-21-3-5) pushed its advantage to two less than six minutes later. With the Griffins struggling to gain possession of the puck in their zone, Bobby Butler sent a feed into the slot to a wide-open Garrett Wilson, whose shot got a piece of Mrazek on the way into the net at 7:29.
Drew Shore made it a 3-0 game 3:49 into the third with his second goal in as many nights, standing uncontested in front of Mrazek to redirect Butler’s centering pass.
Notes: The Griffins continued to play without the services of Slovakian Olympian Tomas Jurco, Detroit Red Wings callup Luke Glendening, and injured forwards Triston Grant and Jordin Tootoo.
Three Stars: 1. SA Gilroy (game-winning goal, assist); 2. SA Markstrom (W, 28 saves, SO); 3. SA Butler (two assists)
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