GRAND RAPIDS, Mich – Using a breakdown in discipline by the Hamilton Bulldogs and a record-setting stingy defense the Grand Rapids Griffins became the first team in this series to win a home game. Grand Rapids scored three of their four goals on the power play and netminder Jimmy Howard held the net nearly shut for the Griffins as they held Hamilton to Griffins team-record low 15 shots on goal. Grand Rapids air-tight defense was particularly on display in the third period when they held Hamilton to only three shots on goal despite that team’s effort to get back into the game. The result was a marked departure from game four when the Griffins faded down the stretch to allow the Bulldogs to register a four-goal third period rally to win the contest.
Tom Galvin teamed up with Jakub Kindl to give the Griffins all the scoring they would need to win the contest in the first period. Galvin stuffed home a Kindl shot on a rebound while on the power play to start the scoring and then Galvin picked up the second assist on a goal by Kindl later in the frame. Kindl’s score came seconds after another Hamilton had expired when he flipped the puck on goal and it got by Hamilton netminder Marc Denis.
Hamilton had a chance to get back into the game when they were presented with a five-on-three situation thanks to a roughing call against Aaron Downey which was followed by a hooking call against Garrett Stafford. Hamilton used the extra ice to their advantage and the Bulldogs were within one when Mike Glumac smoked a shot past Howard after a feed from Ben Maxwell.
With the game now in doubt the Griffins turned to the AHL’s premier playoff scorer as Darren Haydar iced the contest with a pair of goals. Haydar who already holds the AHL records for career goals and points in the playoffs added to those records while icing the Bulldogs.
Haydar’s first goal came when he ripped a slap shot past Denis while Grand Rapids was on the power play midway through the second period. The seventh-year pro finished the game’s scoring off when he used teammate Justin Abdelkader as a decoy on a two-on-one while he converted by getting the puck past Denis.
While the scoring in the game might have been finished the action was not as Hamilton tried to send a message the series is not over yet. Over the last 19 seconds of the game there were three separate bouts. The first battle took place between Hamilton’s Greg Stewart and the Grffins Downey. That fight was followed in quick succession by fights between Hamilton’s Ryan White and Grand Rapid’s Segei Kolosov and the Griffins Jason Jozsa and the Bulldogs Brock Trotter. For Kolosov and Jozsa it was their first fighting penalties of the season.
With the win the Griffins became the first team in the series to win on home ice and set up a chance for the team to wrap-up the series in Canada on Sunday, April 26.
Notes
Stewart and defenseman Yannick Weber were assigned to Hamilton by the Montreal Canadiens after the Canadiens were swept by the Boston Bruins. For Stewart it was a tough outing as he was in the penalty box for two of Grand Rapids power play goals.
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