[dropcap]D[/dropcap]espite hosting a sellout crowd at Van Andel Arena for the 2014-15 AHL season opener, the Grand Rapids Griffins failed to take the fight to Lake Erie, falling easily to the Monsters, 4-0. The loss marks the third-straight loss to the Monsters when including the preseason exhibitions.
Monsters’ goaltender Calvin Pickard turned away 37 griffins shots Friday to keep his team ahead to start the year.
Pickard snuffed out two early scoring chances for Grand Rapids, including Colin Campbell’s attempt on a 2-on-1 situation with Andreas Athanasiou just minutes into the opening frame. Karl Stollery capitalized on a Griffins’ turnover in its own zone by sniping a shot past Petr Mrazek from the slot at 12:08.
Stollery would strike again with 2:50 remaining in the first, firing a shot from the left point that changed direction off the stick of Alden Hirschfeld to slip past Mrazek. In 68 games with Lake Erie last year, Stollery tallied just seven goals.
The Monsters would extend their lead to 3-0 at the 8:06 mark of the second. Kenny Ryan took possession of the puck along the boards at his blue line, skated up the left side and waited patiently until the faceoff dot before landing the puck just inside the far post.
Maxim Noreau rounded out the scoring on an empty-netter with 2:19 left in the game for the final of 4-0.
The Griffins outshot the Monsters in every period, including a 15-8 advantage in the second. Mrazek stopped 21 of 24 shots for the Griffins, denying the Monsters chances on three power plays. They never received an opportunity of their own.
Dating back to the start of the 2013-14 campaign, the Griffins have surrendered exactly four goals in each of it’s last five meetings with the Monsters. The team’s record in those games is 1-3-0-1.
Grand Rapids last season-opening shutout occurred on Oct. 5, 2001 when they lost 3-0 at home to Utah. It was the Griffins first game as members of the AHL. All time, the Griffins are 11-5-2-1 in season openers and 10-8-0-1 in home openers.
The Monsters and Griffins will square off tonight in Lake Erie’s home opener at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
