Octopus Thrower
Fansided

Grand Rapids Griffins Can Clinch Calder Cup at Home

By Daniel Garza

Feb 28, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; A detailed view of hockey sticks and the puck in a face-off during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeat the Penguins 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; A detailed view of hockey sticks and the puck in a face-off during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeat the Penguins 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Grand Rapids Griffins can clinch the Calder Cup on Tuesday as they host the Syracuse Crunch at Van Andel Arena.

Game Six of the American Hockey League final will be contested on Tuesday and the Griffins are still just one game away from winning the Calder Cup. The Detroit Red Wings AHL affiliate could have won the series on Saturday but were routed by the Crunch, losing 5-1.

It was a rough Game Five for goaltender Jared Coreau as he let in five goals in the first period and was subsequently replaced for the duration of the game.

Thus far, the series has been a close one. Three of the five games have been decided by one goal with one game going to a double-overtime.

As the series returns to Grand Rapids, the Griffins will be a confident side as they won the opening two games of the series at Van Andel Arena. Additionally, they have yet to lose at home during their playoff run.

The Griffins have been led by Ben Street and Tomas Nosek in the points department. Both centers have been big contributors to their respective lines and are third and fourth in the AHL in points for active playoff leaders.

Tyler Bertuzzi is another player who has excelled in the playoff run with 18 points in 18 appearances. His linemates, Martin Frk and Nosek, have been a force throughout the series but were silenced in game five by the Crunch defense.

The Crunch have ben led by wingers Cory Conacher and Yanni Gourde who both have over 25 points in the playoffs.

Game Six is slated to start at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday. The game can be watched for free on AHL Live. Just enter the code FINALS17 after logging in and creating an account and select the Finals All-Access Pass.

Home/Prospects