Rockford IceHogs @ Grand Rapids Griffins ... 1-7

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AHL/Game Stats -
http://stats.theahl.com/stats/text-game-report.php?game_id=1005306

Rockford IceHogs 5 at Grand Rapids Griffins 6 (SO) - Status: Final SO

Jan 7, 2009 - Van Andel Arena

1st Period:
Scoring - 1. Grand Rapids, J. Abdelkader (11) (V. Leino) 1:32
2. Grand Rapids, F. Pare (11) (F. Lemieux, G. Stafford) 2:39
3. Rockford, J. Skille (13) 6:56
4. Rockford, P. Pelletier (D. Groulx, A. Archer) 8:47
5. Grand Rapids, A. Gagnon (4) (D. Haydar, G. Stafford) 8:55
6. Grand Rapids, L. Pyett (1) (J. Ericsson, E. McGrath) 10:11
7. Grand Rapids, V. Leino (9) (M. Ritola, J. Kindl) 16:18 PP
Penalties - P. MacArthur Rfd (hooking) 15:50, M. Ritola Gr (holding the stick) 17:57, A. Gagnon Gr (tripping) 19:08

2nd Period:
Scoring - 8. Rockford, R. Klinkhammer (9) 1:16
Penalties - A. Archer Rfd (slashing) 4:23, F. Lemieux Gr (hooking) 11:14

3rd Period:
Scoring - 9. Rockford, J. Dowell (1) 7:08 SH
10. Rockford, P. MacArthur (4) (P. Pelletier, D. Groulx) 18:40
Penalties - J. Hendry Rfd (hooking) 5:50, D. Helm Gr (tripping) 13:08, T. Galvin Gr (hooking) 13:45, D. Helm Gr (delay of game) 15:41

OT Period:
Scoring - No Scoring
Penalties - No Penalties

Shootout:
Round 1 - RFD - Petri Kontiola - Yes
Round 1 - GR - Ryan Oulahen - No
Round 2 - RFD - Pascal Pelletier - No
Round 2 - GR - Francis Pare - No
Round 3 - RFD - Danny Groulx - No
Round 3 - GR - Evan McGrath - Yes
Round 4 - RFD - Rob Klinkhammer - Yes
Round 4 - GR - Ville Leino - Yes
Round 5 - RFD - Pete MacArthur - No
Round 5 - GR - Darren Haydar - No
Round 6 - RFD - Petri Kontiola - No
Round 6 - GR - Ville Leino - Yes

RFD Shots: 15 14 9 3 0 TOTAL: 41
GR Shots: 17 10 14 5 1 TOTAL: 47

Power Play Conversion:
Rockford IceHogs 0-6
Grand Rapids Griffins 1-3

Goaltenders:
Rockford IceHogs -
Niemi 9-9-2 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 10:11 SV: 4 GA: 4
Crawford 10-5-1 Start: 1st 10:11 Min: 54:34 SV: 37 GA: 1
Grand Rapids Griffins -
Larsson 12-4-1 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 65:00 SV: 36 GA: 5

Attendance: 6101

Referee I: Kyle Rehman (37)
LINESMAN I: Jim Scarpace (75)
LINESMAN II: Kevin Hall (16)

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IceHogs Website -
http://www.icehogs.com/news/index.html?article_id=945

HOGS BATTLE BACK IN GRAND RAPIDS, FALL IN SHOOTOUT

Rockford erases three-goal deficit after shaky start

01/07/2009

Grand Rapids, Mich.- It’s not very often that a team overcomes a five-goal first period. On Wednesday night the Rockford IceHogs nearly did just that. After giving up five first period goals and trailing 5-2 after 20 minutes, the IceHogs fought back and forced a shootout in which they would eventually lose 6-5 to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

In a game where 11 overall goals were scored, it’s hard to believe that a goaltender stood out. Rockford goalie Corey Crawford relieved Antti Niemi after the Hogs trailed 4-2 and played brilliantly, stopping 37 of 38 Grand Rapids shots he faced to help lead Rockford back from a three goal hole after the first period.

Down by a goal late in the third, the IceHogs pulled Crawford in favor of the extra attacker. After Petri Kontiola won the face-off deep in the Griffins zone, Pascal Pelletier sent a centering feed in front of the Grand Rapids goal and rookie winger Peter

MacArthur tipped his fourth goal of the season past Daniel Larsson tying the game with just 1:20 left in regulation. After a scoreless overtime, the Griffins outscored the IceHogs 3-2 in six rounds of shootout hockey. Kontiola and Rob Klinkhammer tallied for Rockford in the extra session while Evan McGrath and Ville Leino twice, including the game winner, scored for the Griffins.

Any thought of a goaltending battle in Grand Rapids on Wednesday night was quickly thrown out the window. The IceHogs and Griffins combined to score seven goals in the first period and unfortunately for Rockford, five of them were potted by Grand Rapids.

The Griffins began the barrage just 1:32 into the game when winger Justin Abdelkader knocked a Leino pass past Anti Niemi for his 11th goal of the season. Then at 2:39 Francis Pare made it 2-0 when he completed a two-on-one breakaway with Francis Lemieux for his 11th marker as well.

Rockford stormed back with a couple of quick strike goals, tying the game at two. Winger Jack Skille picked up a Griffins turnover at 6:56 and rifled his 13th goal of the season past Daniel Larsson to cut the deficit in half.

Pelletier, coming off his second hat trick of the season on Saturday, tied the game at 8:47 when he fired his team-leading 18th goal of the campaign in off of helpers from Danny Groulx and Andrew Archer.

The tied game was short lived as just eight seconds later Aaron Gagnon put Grand Rapids right back on top. Off the ensuing face-off following Rockford’s goal, Gagnon picked up a Darren Haydar pass and fired it under Niemi’s arm for his fourth goal.

Just over a minute later Logan Pyett extended the Griffins lead back to two when his blast from the point found the top corner over Niemi at 10:11, chasing the IceHogs goaltender from the game.

A power-play goal from Leino pushed the Griffins to 5-2 heading into the first intermission as he picked a corner over Corey Crawford for his ninth lamp lighter of the season.

Klinkhammer made it a 5-3 game early in the second period. The Hogs winger picked off an errant Griffins pass in front of Larsson and beat him for his ninth goal of the season at 1:16. The goal extended Klinkhammer’s goal scoring streak to four straight games, matching an IceHogs team season high.

Jake Dowell made the overtime possible with his first goal of the season while the IceHogs skated shorthanded. Dowell stripped a puck in the Rockford zone and deeked out Larsson at 7:08 of the third making it 5-4. The goal was Rockford’s third unassisted goal of the game.

The Hogs were outshot overall 46-41 in the contest and Larsson got the shootout win after making 36 saves.

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Griffins Website -
http://www.griffinshockey.com/news/releases/index.html?article_id=1192

WHAT A SHOOTOUT!

01/07/2009

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins matched a franchise record by scoring five goals in the first period and staved off a valiant comeback by Rockford, ultimately defeating the IceHogs 6-5 in a shootout Wednesday night at Van Andel Arena.

Twelve different Griffins etched their names on the scoresheet during the win that extended the team’s home point streak to seven games. In addition, Grand Rapids (22-8-4-3) has earned points in 15 of its last 16 home contests (11-1-2-2) and still has just two regulation losses through 20 games in friendly confines.

Moments into the contest, the flood gates opened on a seven-goal first period. Grand Rapids jumped out to a two-goal lead less than three minutes in on their first two shots. Justin Abdelkader lit the lamp at 1:32 and Francis Pare backhanded a one-timer past Antti Niemi at 2:39 off a feed from Francis Lemieux during a 2-on-1.

Rockford (19-14-0-4) quickly erased the deficit by tallying goals just 1:51 apart minutes later. Jack Skille sent a shot past Daniel Larsson from the top of the left circle at 6:56, before Pascal Pelletier took advantage of a breakaway at 8:47.

The Griffins finished the opening frame by scoring three more, with Aaron Gagnon wristing the puck under the cross bar from the right circle at 8:55, shortly to be followed by a Logan Pyett point shot at 10:11. The goal marked Pyett’s first tally of the season and the end of night for Niemi, as Corey Crawford took over in the Rockford crease. Ville Leino capped off the record-matching stanza by firing the puck past the IceHogs’ fresh goaltender at 16:18 during a power play.

But the IceHogs battled back through the final 40:00 and ultimately sent the game into a shootout. After Rob Klinkhammer made the Griffins pay on a turnover in front of their own net by pounding a loose puck in from the goal mouth just 1:16 into the frame, Rockford netted two goals during the final period. First, Jake Dowell scored a shorthanded goal at the 7:08 mark, deking Larsson on a breakaway after stealing the puck at his own blue line. Rockford then forced overtime, scoring with just 1:20 remaining in regulation when Pelletier sent a pass to the slot from the right corner that Pete MacArthur snapped into the net.

Following a scoreless overtime, Leino scored twice during the six-round shootout for the Griffins, including the deciding goal, while Evan McGrath also tallied. Petri Kontiola and Klinkhammer both netted goals for the IceHogs. Larsson, who made four saves during the dual session, had 36 on the night. Crawford stopped 37 of 38 shots he faced in relief for Rockford after Niemi made four saves on eight shots.

Three Stars:
1. GR Leino (1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shootout goals); 2. RFD Crawford (37 saves); 3. GR Larsson (36 saves).

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Rockford Newspaper -
http://www.rrstar.com/rockford/x512378544/-Hogs-fall-in-shootout-after-big-comeback

’HOGS FALL IN SHOOTOUT AFTER BIG COMEBACK

Jan 07, 2009 - RRSTAR.COM

GRAND RAPIDS — It’s not very often that a team overcomes a five-goal first period.

On Wednesday night the Rockford IceHogs nearly did just that. After giving up five first period goals and trailing 5-2 after 20 minutes, the IceHogs fought back and forced a shootout in which they would eventually lose 6-5 to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Rockford goalie Corey Crawford relieved Antti Niemi after the Hogs trailed 4-2, stopping 37-of-38 Grand Rapids shots he faced to help lead Rockford back.

Down by a goal late in the third, the IceHogs pulled Crawford in favor of the extra attacker. After Petri Kontiola won the faceoff deep in the Griffins zone, Pascal Pelletier sent a centering feed in front of the Grand Rapids goal and rookie winger Peter Mac Arthur tipped his fourth goal of the season past Daniel Larsson, tying the game with 1:20 left.

After a scoreless overtime, the Griffins outscored the IceHogs 3-2 in six rounds of the shootout.

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Grand Rapids Newspaper -
http://www.mlive.com/griffins/index.ssf/2009/01/griffins_score_five_in_first_e.html#more

Griffins score five in first, escape with shootout win

by Michael Zuidema | The Grand Rapids Press

Wednesday January 07, 2009

GRAND RAPIDS -- It wasn't pretty, but the Grand Rapids Griffins will take the win.

The Griffins built a 5-2 first-period lead, then watched as the Rockford IceHogs rallied to force overtime before Grand Rapids could emerge with a 6-5 shootout victory at Van Andel Arena on Wednesday night.

Grand Rapids' Ville Leino came up big in the shootout with two goals, including the game-winner in the sixth round.

It was Grand Rapids' first shootout win since its second game of the season Oct. 18.

"Funny, sometimes games go like that and you've got to figure out a way to win," Leino said. "We needed that."

The Griffins ended a wide-open first period -- which featured six goals in the first 10:11 of play and 29 total shots -- with the 5-2 lead.

Justin Abdelkader opened the scoring 1:32 into the game with his first goal since Dec. 17, and Francis Pare made it 2-0 for the Griffins just over a minute later.

Rockford tied it 8:47 into the first with goals from Jack Skille and Pascal Pelletier, but Aaron Gagnon put Grand Rapids back on top 3-2.

The Griffins closed the first with goals from Logan Pyett, his first of the season, and Leino.
It was the first time the Griffins had scored five goals in a period since March 12.

Rockford started its comeback with a goal from Rob Klinkhammer 1:16 into the second period, and Jake Dowell made it 5-4 when he recorded a shorthanded goal with 12:52 left in the third.

The IceHogs' Pete MacArthur then scored with 1:20 remaining to force overtime.

"When things like that happen you have to be careful in the second period. You start doing things that aren't part of your game," Griffins coach Curt Fraser said. "You start playing a little loose and trying to make some plays maybe you shouldn't, and that's when they take advantage of things."

Goalie Corey Crawford nearly rescued the IceHogs after he replaced starter Antti Niemi, who gave up four goals on eight shots, midway through the first period. Crawford made 37 saves, and didn't surrender a goal after the first.

But Evan McGrath broke through in the third round of the shootout, and Leino, whose first-period goal came on Crawford, beat him two more times in the shootout.

"I felt good today. Sometimes you get the feeling you can just put it in anyhow or anyway," Leino said. "Today I had that feeling."

Griffins goaltender Daniel Larsson, who earlier in the day was named to the American Hockey League All-Star team with teammate Jakub Kindl, stopped four of Rockford's six attempts in the shootout after making 36 saves in regulation and overtime.

"When you let five goals in the back of the net it's not so fun," Larsson said. "I'm really happy we managed to win."

While Fraser was pleased with the Griffins' offensive output and penalty killing -- it stopped all six of Rockford's power-play chances -- he wasn't happy about the high number of turnovers that led to the IceHogs' scoring chances.

"We relied too much on individual skill tonight," Fraser said. "Fortunately for us we found a way at the end to come out on the right side of a very close shootout."