Postava stops 36 as Griffins beat Moose in home opener

Michal Postava made 36 saves, and the Grand Rapids Griffins beat the Manitoba Moose 2-1 in their home opener at Van Andel Arena on Friday night.

The Griffins are now 2-0-1-0 and a perfect 4-0 in home openers under head coach Dan Watson. Postava, who moved to 2-0 on the season, stopped 36 of 37 shots, including 16 in the second period, in front of 9,371 fans.

Manitoba's Domenic DiVincentiis kept it scoreless when Wilmer Skoog came close on a power play early on. Kienan Draper then found Cameron Butler at the top of the crease out of the left corner, and Butler redirected the puck through DiVincentiis's five-hole at 15:54 of the first for his first goal of the season.

William Lagesson made it 2-0 just 2:11 into the second. He led a rush from centre ice, skated down the right side, cut in and slipped a shot through DiVincentiis's pads. It was his second goal of the year, and it stood as the winner.

Manitoba cut the deficit early in the third after a Grand Rapids turnover in its own zone. Noah Gregor beat two defenders and backhanded a shot past Postava at 4:17. The Moose pulled DiVincentiis with 1:15 left, but the Griffins did not allow another shot.

Neither team scored on the power play. Manitoba went 0 for 3 and Grand Rapids 0 for 2. Postava, Butler and Lagesson were named the game's three stars, in that order.

Both clubs are back on the ice Saturday. Grand Rapids visits Milwaukee at 7 p.m. EDT, and Manitoba (2-1-0-0) plays in Chicago at 7 p.m. CDT.