Grand Rapids Griffins @ Rockford IceHogs ... 1-19

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AHL/Game Stats -
http://stats.theahl.com/stats/text-game-report.php?game_id=1005395

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 1 at Rockford IceHogs 2 (OT) - Status: Final OT

Jan 19, 2009 - Rockford MetroCentre

1st Period:
Scoring - No Scoring
Penalties - J. Jozsa Gr (interference) 6:16, J. Sharrow Rfd (holding) 14:22, J. Mursak Gr (hooking) 18:23

2nd Period:
Scoring - 1. Grand Rapids, D. Haydar (16) 2:35 SH
2. Rockford, P. Kontiola (10) (E. Brophey, P. Pelletier) 8:29 PP
Penalties - J. Kindl Gr (tripping) 0:43, S. Kolosov Gr (hooking) 7:21, D. Bertram Rfd (hooking) 14:04

3rd Period:
Scoring - No Scoring
Penalties - D. Bertram Rfd (holding) 1:45, A. Archer Rfd (hooking) 5:05

OT Period:
Scoring - 3. Rockford, A. Archer (2) (T. Hambly, P. Kontiola) 1:44
Penalties - No Penalties

GR Shots: 7 6 10 1 TOTAL: 24
RFD Shots: 10 17 6 1 TOTAL: 34

Power Play Conversion:
Grand Rapids Griffins 0-4
Rockford IceHogs 1-4

Goaltenders:
Grand Rapids Griffins -
Larsson 14-5-1 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 61:21 SV: 32 GA: 2 [L]
Rockford IceHogs -
Niemi 10-10-2 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 61:42 SV: 23 GA: 1 [W]

Attendance: 2922

Referee I: Chris Brown (86)
LINESMAN I: Bryan Pancich (85)
LINESMAN II: Aaron Mills (23)

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IceHogs Website -
http://www.icehogs.com/news/index.html?article_id=1019

ROCKFORD SNEAKS AWAY WITH 2-1 OVERTIME WIN

01/19/2009

IceHogs improved to 2-2-0-0 on Mondays in the AHL era

Rockford, Ill.- After dropping three straight in week 15, the Rockford IceHogs started this week with a Monday matinee overtime win over the Grand Rapids Griffins at the Rockford MetroCentre.

The IceHogs came away with a 2-1 overtime win after trailing the Griffins in the middle of the second period.

With the score tied at one, defenseman Andrew Archer put away the game-winner at 1:44 in the extra frame on a breakaway. Archer took a pass from Tim Hambly, who worked as the hinge on a criss-cross play that started with Petri Kontiola at the blue line.

"I thought our team was more patient and poised with the puck today," said coach Bill Peters. "And that's something that is going to be important in the second half. Our work ethic is established now we just have to make plays."

After a period of scoreless hockey, the Griffins jumped ahead of the IceHogs with a shorthanded breakaway goal by Darren Haydar. The puck was picked up in the neutral zone by Haydar and flung in past Hogs' puckstopper Antti Niemi at 2:35 in the second frame.

IceHogs retaliated by taking advantage of their next power play when Kontiola put one through from the corner at 8:29 in the second period. Evan Brophey and Pascal Pelletier were credited with the assists.

"I thought we had a good effort," Peters said. "Our first 40 minutes were very good. Any time you can hold them down to 13 shots in the first 40 minutes, you're doing something right."

The IceHogs went 1-for-4 on the advantage in the game while shutting out the Griffin's strong special teams on four chances. The AHL's second best power play squad could not find the net on the advantage in five opportunities over the weekend.

"It's nice to get one on the power play, we've hit a dry spell recently," Peters said. "But more importantly our penalty kill was 4-for-4. I thought our penalty kill was excellent today."

The Griffins' goaltender Daniel Larsson turned away 32 shots in the loss. Niemi stopped 21 for Rockford in his first win (10-10-2) since Dec. 31 against Quad City.

The IceHogs end a three-game slide and beat the Griffins for the first time in three attempts (1-1-0-1) in 2008-09.

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Griffins Website -
http://www.griffinshockey.com/news/releases/index.html?article_id=1204

OVERTIME BLUES

01/19/2009

ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Grand Rapids Griffins suffered a 2-1 overtime loss against the Rockford IceHogs Monday afternoon at the Rockford MetroCentre. Despite the loss, the Griffins still earned a point, giving them points in 15 of their last 17 contests (12-2-3-0).

With the loss, Grand Rapids (25-9-6-3) now has an AHL-high six overtime losses, matching a franchise record set during the 2006-07 campaign.

Following a scoreless opening period, Darren Haydar got the Griffins on the board with the team’s seventh shorthanded tally of the campaign at 2:35 of the second frame. A Rockford neutral-zone turnover allowed Haydar to skate in alone on Antti Niemi and snap a shot into the upper right corner of the net. Haydar now stands one point shy of 500 as a pro (187-312--499).

The IceHogs (22-17-0-4) notched the equalizer at 8:29 during a power play on a strange goal. Petri Kontiola knocked down a Griffins’ clearing attempt and sent a shot from the right point that fluttered off Jonathan Ericsson and past Daniel Larsson. Grand Rapids questioned the legality of the goal, saying Kontiloa knocked the puck down with a high stick. However, the goal stood and subsequently ended the Griffins’ impressive penalty killing streak at 43 opponent power plays killed, just two shy of the franchise record for consecutive penalty kills (45, 11/15/03-12/10/03).

The Griffins’ AHL-best penalty killing unit (88.9%) went a team-record 11 games without giving up a power play tally, as the last time an opponent scored with the man-advantage was Dec. 26 versus Peoria.

The teams remained locked in a 1-1 tie for the rest of regulation, resulting in overtime. Just 1:44 into the extra session, Rockford sped down the ice on a 3-on-2 rush and capitalized with a tick-tack-toe play. Kontiola slid a pass to the right circle to Tim Hambly, who in turn one-timed a feed to a wide open Andrew Archer in the slot for the dagger that ended the contest.

Larsson made 32 saves in net for the Griffins, while Niemi had 23 stops for the IceHogs.

Three Stars:
1. RFD Archer (GW goal)
2. GR Larsson (L, 32 saves)
3. RFD Kontiola (1 goal, 1 assist)

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Rockford Newspaper -
http://www.rrstar.com/sports/pros/x2119709339/IceHogs-grab-win-in-overtime

ICEHOGS GRAB WIN IN OVERTIME

By Reed Schreck-RRSTAR.COM

Jan 19, 2009

ROCKFORD — The Rockford IceHogs appreciated Monday’s matinee 2-1 overtime victory over Grand Rapids for various reasons.

“The homestand could have been a little ugly, coming in 2-3,” said head coach Bill Peters of his team’s season-long, six-game homestand that ended 3-3 and on an upbeat note.

“We moved up from fifth place to second,” was team president Mark Bernard’s reaction, pertaining to the terribly tight West Division standings.

“The win makes the five-hour bus ride a lot more fun,” said hero Andrew Archer, whose goal 1:44 into overtime sent a MetroCentre turnout of 2,922 home happy and the IceHogs merrily on their way right after the game to Des Moines to face the Iowa Chops tonight.

The short-handed IceHogs — missing offensive threats Jack Skille, Tim Brent and Bryan Bickell, plus defenseman Jordan Hendry — need to be creative offensively. Monday, it was some of the old and some new.

All-star Petri Kontiola tied the game 1-1 on a shot from the right circle at 8:29 of the second period. That negated a short-handed unassisted score by Griffin’s top goal scorer Darren Haydar (16) earlier at 2:35.

Otherwise, Grand Rapids’ Daniel Larsson (32 saves) and Rockford’s Antti Niemi (23) were stonewalling all scoring attempts.

“We played really good, solid defense,” Niemi said. “We played an overall pretty good game all 60 minutes.”

Peters agreed.

“I thought we were good today and deserved to win,” he said. “Through the first 40 minutes, we did a lot of good things. We got the puck to the net.

“They came on a little bit in the third period. But I thought we had good composure and played well throughout the overtime also.”

Thanks to Archer popping in his second goal of the season in his 31st game.

“We’d been struggling lately, so it’s nice to pitch in,” he said. “It was pretty much all or nothing there. Konti (Kontiola) made a great play to get it to (Tim) Hambly, and Hambly found me backdoor. It was a really nice pass; I didn’t have to do too much. I was right in front of the net when I got it.

“We have some pretty big parts of our lineup out, so it’s important to pick up the slack.”

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

GRIFFINS STAY IN SECOND WITH OT LOSS TO ROCKFORD

The Grand Rapids Press

January 19, 2009

ROCKFORD, Ill. -- Another overtime loss prevented the Grand Rapids Griffins from moving back into first place.

The Griffins fell to 1-6 in overtime this season after Andrew Archer scored 1:44 into the extra session to give the Rockford IceHogs a 2-1 victory Monday afternoon at the MetroCentre.

Grand Rapids had a chance to tie idle Manitoba for first place in the North Division, but the Griffins now sit one point back instead. The Griffins' nine regulation losses are the fewest in the American Hockey League, but their nine combined overtime and shootout defeats are the most.

The Griffins' penalty-killing unit helped them take a 1-0 lead. With Rockford on the power play, Grand Rapids captain Darren Haydar stole the puck near center ice and skated in for a shorthanded goal 2:35 into the second period.

Almost six minutes later, the IceHogs tied it with the man advantage. Petri Kontiola scored on Rockford's fourth power-play attempt to snap the Griffins' penalty-killing streak at 43 in a row, two away from tying the franchise record.

Grand Rapids, which is ranked first in the league in penalty killing, hadn't given up a power-play goal since Dec. 26.

And even with the lowest-rated penalty kill in the league, Rockford stopped all four of Grand Rapids' power-play chances.

Goaltender Daniel Larsson made 32 saves for the Griffins, who were outshot 34-24, including 27-13 through the first two periods.

Grand Rapids center Darren Helm missed his fourth game in a row with a Charley horse.