Detroit Red Wings prospect Carter Mazur rushed to the defense of teammate Amadeus Lombardi, who was victimized from behind by a dirty hit.
The Grand Rapids Griffins have no choice but to win three straight games against the Chicago Wolves, who lead the AHL Central Division Finals two games to none and can close things out on Tuesday night.
And the physical intensity has picked up in the first period of play, culminating in an on-ice melee following a dirty hit from behind on forward Amadeus Lombardi, who was already down in a vulnerable position, by Wolves defenseman Charles Legault.
Immediately, forward Carter Mazur, who scored for the Griffins earlier in the period, stepped in and began doling out some physical punishment to Legault as a scrum ensued.
Meanwhile, Lombardi was clearly shaken up and very slow to recover.
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Lombardi, who was taken by the Detroit Red Wings with the 113th overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, has three assists in seven AHL postseason games this spring after having tallied 16 goals with 26 assists in 47 regular season contests this season.
Mazur, who got in several games of NHL experience under his belt in Detroit this season, has scored five goals for the Griffins in the postseason so far.
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