[dropcap]G[/dropcap]rand Rapids evened the Western Conference semifinals series with Texas to 2-2 after back-to-back victories at Van Andel Arena Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The Griffins lost the first two games of the series on the road over the weekend.
Griffins 5, Stars 2
The Griffins dominated the Stars in a 5-2 outing Tuesday night to cut the series deficit to 2-1. Photos/Grand Rapids Griffins
Tomas Jurco notched a hat trick to life the Griffins to a 5-2 victory over the 2013-14 regular season champions Texas Stars. Jurco’s hat trick is the sixth playoff hat trick in franchise history. Cory Emmerton and Teemu Pulkkinen each nabbed three-points each in the win.
Jurco opened scoring for the Griffins after a 102:46 scoreless streak early in the opening frame. After digging the puck out from around the net, Jurco wrapped around and jammed it inside the right poast at the 7:06 mark. Jurco scored his second goal less than seven minutes later after he took a backdoor pass from Riley Sheahan and beat Stars goalie Jack Campbell from the lower right circle.
Just 35 seconds into the second period, Grand Rapids struck again for a 3-0 lead. Andrej Nestrasil took a backwards centering pass from Pulkkinen and solved Campbell.
Pulkkinen dropped a pass to Emmerton, who took a blistering slap shot from the top of the right circle at the 8:23 mark. With the goal, Grand Rapids took a commanding 4-0 lead. Jurco finished the first Griffins hat trick in seven years with 3:53 left in the period. After Mitch Callahan and Sheahan took the puck deep into the Texas zone, Sheahan dropped a pass to Jurco, who was all alone on the right side of the net and buried it deep for a 5-0 lead.
Former Griffin Mike Hedden ruined Griffins’ goalie Petr Mrazek’s shutout bid on a partial breakaway 2:24 into the third period. Hedden lifted the puck over Mrazek’s blocker. Brendan Ranford tallied his fourth goal of the series at the 5:47 mark with a rocketing shot from home for the final score of 5-2.
With the win, the Griffins managed to maintain their record of not losing three-consecutive games in regulation all season.
Griffins even the series with a 3-2 victory
Petr Mrazek earned his 20th postseason win Wednesday night as the Griffins evened the series with the Stars.
Grand Rapids completed their climb out of a 0-2 series deficit Wednesday night when they managed to stifle the regular season champions in a 3-2 outing. The win marks Petr Mrazek’s 20th win in the playoffs spanning back to last season.
Jeff Hoggan, David McIntyre and Andrej Nestrasil each scored in the second period to give the Griffins all the scoring they would need.
After a scoreless first period, the Griffins and Stars traded power play tallies early in what became a five goal period. Dustin Jeffrey split defenders at the blue line and rushed in along to beat Mrzaek 13 seconds into the second frame. Hoggan evened the tally at the 3:48 mark, darting across the top of Christopher Nilstorp’s creases to redirect Cory Emmerton’s centering pass inside the left post.
A reversal of a referee’s call benefited the Griffins, allowing them to go on top 2-1 with under 10 minutes left in the period. Jordin Tootoo’s shot bounced off Nilstorp and went airborne in the slot, where McIntyre batted it home. The goal was immediately waived off on the presumption that McIntyre’s stick was above the cross bar, but officials overturned the call.
Nestrasil increased the lead to 3-1 3:22 later. Mitch Callahan got past two Stars in a battle for the puck along the end boards to quick push the puck out to Nestrasil, who jammed in a point-blank shot.
Derek Meech, a former Griffin, gave Texas momentum heading into the third by scoring with 44 seconds left in the second. From the right point, he carried the puck down low and circled around the net before he unleashed a backhand slot that got past Mrazek for the goal.
The Stars pressed hard for the tying tally, but were limited to 10 shots to improve Mrazek’s postseaon record to 20-12. Nilstrop suffered his first defeat of the playoffs with three wins.
Grand Rapids will host Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Friday at 7 p.m., before the series shifts back to the Cedar Park Center for Game 6 on Sunday and Game 7, if necessary, on Monday.
