The Grand Rapids Griffins had a rough weekend in Manitoba. On Friday, they were shut out 1-0 by the Manitoba Moose, and on Sunday, the Griffins rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game on goals by Dennis Yan and Ryan Murphy, but they were ultimately defeated in a shootout 3-2.
Victor Brattstrom stopped 28 of 30 shots for the Griffins, but the Moose’s final shootout shooter scored, and, as a result, the Griffins headed home from Winnipeg with no points in 2 outings.
The Grand Rapids Griffins’ website posted a recap:
GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 2 at Manitoba Moose 3 (SO)
Oct. 24, 2021
WINNIPEG, Manitoba – The Grand Rapids Griffins dropped their third consecutive road game on Sunday when they were upended 2-3 in a shootout against the Manitoba Moose at Canada Life Centre. This shootout loss halted the Griffins’ 34-game streak of road contests ending in regulation that dated back to Dec. 21, 2019 when Iowa defeated Grand Rapids 3-4 in overtime.
The first period started out fairly slow as Grand Rapids found itself down seven to one in shots through 9:47 of play. With 11:58 remaining, Manitoba got a power play chance and looked to capitalize on the opportunity. Declan Chisholm was on the right side of the ice when he made a pass to Cole Perfetti at the blueline. Perfetti skated to the left circle and sent a wrister over the right shoulder of Victor Brattstrom that kissed off the crossbar into the net at 9:01. The tally marked just the second power-play goal the Griffins have allowed this season in 11 tries.
Down one heading into the second period, Grand Rapids took control on offense as the team matched its first-period shot total with six attempts in the opening 3:34 of play but failed to convert.
As Manitoba’s third power play ended, the team had numbers entering the Griffins’ zone. Mikey Eyssimont skated to the left circle and angled a shot toward goal that sailed over the stick of Brattstrom to give the Moose a 2-0 lead with 6:18 remaining in the middle frame.It was only a matter of 1:08 after the score for the Griffins to find the net. A tussle for possession behind the Moose net was won by Dominik Shine who sent a backhander to Dennis Yan near the right post. Yan sent a one-timer on a sharp angle under the right armpit of Arvid Holm at 14:50, cutting Manitoba’s advantage to one. Shine’s helper was his 50th point of his Griffins career.
Coming out after the second intermission Grand Rapids converted on a power play opportunity at the 3:01 mark. The reigning AHL Defenseman of the Year Ryan Murphy netted a 50-foot laser from the blueline after a give-and-go with Riley Barber to tie the game. Murphy’s first goal of the season pushed his team-high point total to five (1-4—5), which is tied for second among AHL defensemen.
In overtime, Grand Rapids was unable to generate much offense as Manitoba outshot them, 6-1. The lone Griffins’ chance came on a Turner Elson breakaway that was snuffed out by Holm. Elson regained control of the puck and found Brian Lashoff in the high slot, but his shot was gathered in the midsection of Holm.
After surviving a parade of Manitoba opportunities in overtime, Grand Rapids started the first round of the shootout but Barber was denied. Joe Veleno and Taro Hirose were also met by the brick wall that was Holm. Manitoba’s David Gustafsson skated down the slot and snuck the puck past the stick of Brattstrom in the final round to give the Moose the 3-2 victory.
The Griffins also posted a photo gallery, and the Moose posted a highlight clip:
