GRIFFINS 5, WOLVES 4: Wolves start fast, can't finish

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Wolves couldn't make an early two-goal lead hold up.

Brett Sterling and Andrew Kozek scored in the opening 6:50, but Grand Rapids responded with four unanswered goals and the Griffins held on for a 5-4 victory on Friday night.

Jeremy Williams' long shot past Wolves goaltender Manny Legace capped the four-goal blitz and gave the Rapids a 4-2 lead eight minutes into the second period. Legace was pulled in favor of backup Drew MacIntyre at that point, and the Wolves responded by pulling to within 4-3 on a goal by Johnny Pohl at 13:28 of the second period. Pohl skated into the Griffins zone, hesitated while a defender fell out of position, and cranked a shot past Daniel Larsson at 13:28 of the second period.

Jan Mursak iced the game for the Griffins with the eventual game-winner when a turnover in the neutral zone gave him room to move in and fling a shot past MacIntyre with 2:39 left.

Joey Crabb knocked home a centering pass from Pohl with 20 seconds left to make it 5-4.

The Griffins improved to 7-4-0-0 while the Wolves fell to 5-7-0-1.

Special to the Sun-Times