Mrazek and Nyquist help Griffins qualify for AHL Finals June 07, 2013

Petr Mrazek saved 35 of 39 shots, including 15 of 16 in the 3^rd period, as the Grand Rapids Griffins held on for a 5-4 victory in game 7 of the Western Conference championship.  The Griffins will now go on to face the Syracuse Crunch in the Calder Cup Finals.

Mrazek has been stellar in nets during the AHL playoffs, posting a .921 save percentage and 2.18 goals against average.  The Detroit Red Wings prospect was a dominant force against The Oklahoma City Barons in the Western Finals. After falling behind in the series 2 games to 1, Mrazek came up huge in games 4 and 5, recording back-to-back shutouts. In those two contests, the Czech-born goalie stopped 87 shots, a remarkable achievement.

Nyquist, who joined the Griffins after playing a starring role in Detroit’s run to the NHL Western Conference semifinals, scored a goal in the second period of game 7 against the Barons. Playing in his 4^th game for the Red Wings affiliate, Nyquist was a threat all night, piling up 5 shots on net.

Game 1 of the Calder Cup finals will take place tomorrow in Syracuse.

For more on the Griffins clinching victory, read the AHL.com recap here.