Grand Rapids Griffins shut out Manitoba to even playoff series at 1
Michal Postava stopped 30 shots in the Grand Rapids Griffins' 2-0 win over the Manitoba Moose in Game 2 of their playoff series.
Another strong performance from goalie Michal Postava gave the Grand Rapids Griffins a 2-0 win over the Manitoba Moose on Sunday, sending the best-of-five Calder Cup Playoff series back to Michigan tied at one game apiece. After making 22 saves in a 1-0 series-opening loss to Manitoba on Saturday , Postava stopped 30 shots to log his fifth shutout of the year and the franchise’s first playoff shutout since Jared Coreau in 2018. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard contributed to both Grand Rapids goals, netting the team’s first tally on the power play with 2:56 left in the first period, which ended a shutout streak of more than 74 minutes by Manitoba netminder Domenic DiVincentiis, who stopped 39 shots in the series opener.
Brandsegg-Nygard assisted on the Griffins’ second goal with 5:12 left in the third period, when he sent a lead pass to a streaking William Wallinder, who gained the zone and snapped a quick wrist shot off the stick of a Manitoba defender and past DiVincentiis to give Grand Rapids some insurance. Manitoba pulled its goalie for an extra skater with just over three minutes left, but the Moose couldn’t must another shot on Postava, a 24-year-old undrafted rookie out of Czechia, who boasts a 0. 50 goals-against average and .
981 save percentage in two playoff games. Grand Rapids’ victory snapped a five-game playoff skid dating back to 2024 and gives the Griffins momentum heading back to Van Andel Arena, which will host Game 3 on Wednesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.
m. Game 4 will also be played in Grand Rapids at 7 p. m.