GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Lake Erie Monsters built a 4-0 lead over the game’s first 23 minutes en route to a 5-2 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday at Van Andel Arena.
The fourth-place Monsters claimed their third win in as many nights against Central Division powers, having already earned consecutive home wins over third-place Rockford, while the second-place Griffins lost their third straight game on the heels of a 13-game winning streak.
After playing what will be their only home contest in a span of 26 days, the Griffins will head back on the road for four games next week, beginning with Tuesday’s last-ever regular season visit to Milwaukee’s BMO Harris Bradley Center, the opposing rink that has hosted the Griffins more times than any other. Faceoff against the Admirals is set for 8 p.m. EDT.
The Monsters (37-21-5-5) struck first during a power play 12:03 into the opening period, as Daniel Zaar blasted a one-timer past Jared Coreau from the top of the left circle. Lake Erie doubled its advantage just 1:01 later, when Sonny Milano deflected T.J. Tynan’s wrist shot over Coreau’s right pad.
Two more Monsters goals in the first 2:05 of the second period staked the visitors to a 4-0 cushion and marked the end of the night for Coreau, who was pulled in favor of Tom McCollum for just the second time this season. Lukas Selak pounded home a rebound from the doorstep 48 ticks into the frame before Milano tallied his second during a power play, whipping a shot from the left circle past a totally screened Coreau for the Monsters’ fourth goal on only 12 shots.
The Griffins, who to that point had been outscored 8-1 over their previous seven-plus periods of play, finally got on the board with their own power play goal at the 15:31 mark. Eric Tangradi slid across the goal mouth and deflected Ryan Sproul’s shot from the left side into the near corner of Brad Thiessen’s cage.
Grand Rapids (41-23-1-1) closed to within 4-2 with 3:46 remaining in the game, as Sproul connected on a slap shot during a 6-on-3 advantage brought about by two Lake Erie penalties and McCollum being pulled for an extra attacker. But Jaime Sifers scored into an empty net at 18:53 to put a dagger in the Griffins’ seven-game winning streak on home ice.
McCollum stopped all 15 shots he faced in the no-decision, while Thiessen denied 36 of 38 shots for the win.
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