Lake Erie goaltender Jason Bacashihua turned aside 27 of 28 shots faced in regulation and stopped both of the shots he faced in overtime. In the shootout, Bacashihua denied five of the six shooters he faced.

With the win, the Monsters improve to 26-22-3-5 overall, 16-8-2-3 at home and 3-5 in shootouts. Lake Erie has now won 10 of its last 14 games.

The Griffins jumped out to a 1-0 lead by scoring just 5:48 into the contest. In an odd-man rush, Logan Pyett tried a backhand shot from the left side of the crease before Jamie Tardif buried the rebound. Joakim Andersson also assisted.

The Monsters were held to just three shots in the opening frame, while the Griffins recorded nine.

Lake Erie tied the game at a goal apiece when Patrick Rissmiller fought through double coverage to chip in the rebound of a Ryan Stoa shot at 12:01 of the second period. Rissmiller’s goal came as his fifth point (3G, 2A) in as many games. Julian Talbot also assisted.

The Monsters recorded four shots in the second period, while Grand Rapids posted 10.

In a scoreless third period, the Monsters recorded seven shots compared to nine by the Griffins.

Tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation, the game headed to a five-minute overtime session in which neither team managed to snap the deadlock.

In the shootout, Mark Olver used a forehand-backhand move to score as Lake Erie’s first shooter, before Ilari Filppula tied the shootout by scoring in the second round for Grand Rapids.

After five rounds of a shootout, the game was still tied, forcing a sixth round in which rookie Mike Carman lifted the Monsters to victory by scoring on a backhand shot.

Jordan Pearce went 13-for-14 in regulation and 6-for-6 in overtime before denying four of six shootout candidates in net for Grand Rapids.

The Monsters will continue a stretch of 12 of 13 home games by hosting the Texas Stars at 7:00 p.m. on Monday night.

Three Stars: 1. LE Carman (GW shootout goal); 2. LE Bacashihua (29 saves, five shootout saves); 3. LE Rissmiller (1 goal)