Wolves blank Griffins 2-0 to close 2019 on high note

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — Hours before the calendar flipped to 2020, Oscar Dansk posted 20 saves to lead the Wolves to a 2-0 victory Tuesday against the Griffins.

Forwards Tye McGinn and Valentin Zykov scored for the Wolves (16-16-2-1), who wrapped up the decade with a .600 winning percentage (414-261-54-40).

Dansk (11-6-0) ended his December just as he started it — with a victory in Grand Rapids. For the month, he produced a 7-0-0 record with a 1.57 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage.

The Wolves opened the scoring with McGinn’s goal at 8:52 of the first period. Nicolas Roy carried the puck down the right side and tried to fire on the net, but the puck deflected off a defender. It banged off the back wall to the side of the net, where McGinn flicked it between the post and Griffins goalie Pat Nagle for his eighth goal of the season.

Zykov made it 2-0 with 4:02 left in regulation. A wild Griffins shot rebounded all the way out to the neutral zone, where Brandon Pirri claimed it to start a two-on-one rush with Zykov. Pirri slid a perfect pass across the high slot to Zykov, who whistled his shot off Nagle and into the net.

Nagle (1-4-1) stopped 22 of 24 shots for the Griffins (13-17-2-2).

The Wolves open the new year by hosting the Stars at 7 p.m. Thursday and the Wild at 7 p.m. Saturday.