GRAND RAPIDS 4, LAKE ERIE 3 (SO)
Grand Rapids rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the third period and eventually prevailed in a shootout over host Lake Erie, 4-3, in a Saturday afternoon matinee at the Quicken Loans Arena.
Landon Wilson and Cory Emmerton scored in the shootout for the Griffins, and 2008 AHL All-Star goaltender Jimmy Howard stopped four of five tries in his first outing of the season.
After a scoreless first period, the Monsters took a 1-0 lead at 4:33 of the second when Brian Willsie scored an unassisted shorthanded goal. Lake Erie’s Chris Stewart made it 2-0 with a power play marker at 13:46.
Griffins rookie Justin Abdelkader cut his team’s deficit in half with a power play tally of his own at 16:25, only to see Lake Erie’s T.J. Hensick make it 3-1 just 50 seconds into the final stanza.
Wilson’s power play goal at 3:08 cut it to 3-2, and Darren Haydar’s first goal in a Griffins uniform tied the score at 7:34.
Howard stopped 25 of 28 shots in regulation and overtime prior to his 4-for-5 showing in the shootout. The Monsters’ Jason Bacashihua made 38 saves in the losing effort.
