Griffins Score Five to End Five-Game Skid
December 12, 2017 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release
ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Grand Rapids Griffins scored two goals in each of the first two periods to take a four-goal lead, eventually defeating the Chicago Wolves 5-2. The victory at Allstate Arena ended the defending Calder Cup champions five-game skid.
The Griffins (9-10-0-3) now have a 2-1 lead in the season series with the Wolves (5-11-4-1). Grand Rapids is 16-4-1-0 in its last 21 games against Chicago, including 8-2-0-0 in Illinois. The Griffins are back in action Friday at 7 p.m. when they take on the Rockford IceHogs at Van Andel Arena.
Three goals in the first six minutes of the game set the tone for the night as the Griffins accounted for two of them. Matt Puempel scored his eighth goal of the season just 65 seconds after the opening faceoff. Dominic Turgeon brought the puck into the Chicago zone and tapped it to Puempel who let off a laser from above the left circle. The rubber saucer sailed over Michael Leighton's glove for the 1-0 lead. Beau Bennett evened the game up nearly three minutes later when he took a shot from a tough angle that slipped past Jared Coreau. Chicago won a faceoff in the Grand Rapids zone, so Bennett collected the puck, took a lap around the left circle and converted on the scoring chance.
Two minutes later, the Griffins returned the favor when Eric Tangradi added his own goal from an odd direction. This time the shot was from near the right circle, and the puck slipped between Leighton's legs forcing the Wolves to pull him out of the game. An additional three goals were tallied in the middle stanza as Grand Rapids lit up the lamp twice again. Matthew Ford scored first at the 7:07 mark for his seventh goal of the year. Matt Lorito took a shot from the high slot that deflected towards the Griffins captain in the left circle, and Ford sniped it home for the 3-1 lead. 87 seconds later Corey Elkins added his fourth goal of the campaign when he scored from in front of the net. Dominik Shine collected the puck from the right corner and charged towards the net. The right winger made a slick pass to Elkins who tapped the puck into the net.
With 3:29 left in the second period, Paul Thompson recorded his sixth goal. The power play tally slipped under Coreau's glove when the right winger took a shot from the faceoff dot of the right circle. T.J. Tynan assisted on the play by skating the puck into the Grand Rapids zone and passing it to Thompson near the right board to make it 4-2.
Matt Lorito notched his own power play goal 3:12 into the final frame. Filip Hronek made a cross-ice pass from the left circle that sauntered over to the right circle for Lorito to slam into the net for the 5-2 score.
Notes: Todd Nelson earned his 100th win as the Griffins head coach...Puempel and Lorito each have five points in three games against the Wolves.
Three stars: 1. GR Tangradi (goal, assist); 2. GR Lorito (goal, assist); 3. GR Coreau (W, 35 saves).
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from December 12, 2017
- Hot Hogs Take Weekend Wins - Rockford IceHogs
- Coyotes Recall Capobianco from Tucson - Tucson Roadrunners
- Wolf Pack Updates - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Anaheim Ducks Announce Roster Move - San Diego Gulls
- Amerks Weekly Schedule - Rochester Americans
- Admirals Recall Army from Wheeling - Milwaukee Admirals
- Petan Named CCM/AHL Player of the Week - Manitoba Moose
- Ontario Reign Weekly: Ontario Reign Open Road Trip on Winning Note - Ontario Reign
- Sabres Recall Rodrigues - Rochester Americans
- Reign Ready for Holiday Homestand at Citizens Business Bank Arena - Ontario Reign
- F Alex Krushelnyski Recalled by Lehigh Valley - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Amerks to Celebrate "12 Days of Hockey" on Friday - Rochester Americans
- Griffins Fall to Wild by One - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Manitoba Moose Weekly Schedule: December 11-17 - Manitoba Moose
- WOLF PACK GAME RECAP - Hartford Wolf Pack 5, Springfield Thunderbirds - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Wild Settles Griffins 2-1 - Iowa Wild
- Amerks Weekly Schedule - Rochester Americans
- RECAP: Penguins Drop Four Goals on Bears in Sunday Victory - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Game Recap | Amerks Close out Road Trip Victorious in Bridgeport - Rochester Americans
- Manitoba Moose Recap: Milwaukee 1 at Manitoba 6 - Manitoba Moose
- San Antonio Earns Point in 3-2 Overtime Loss to Ontario - San Antonio Rampage
- P-Bruins Get 4-3 OT Win in 2,000th Franchise Game - Providence Bruins
- Vegas Returns Lagace to Wolves - Chicago Wolves
- Sunday Matinee An Encore Performance of Saturday Night's OT Loss - Utica Comets
- Anselmini Recalled from Indy - Rockford IceHogs
- Ethan Prow Reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Islanders Loan Shane Prince to Bridgeport for Conditioning - Bridgeport Islanders
- Iowa Assigns Jack Walker to Rapid City - Iowa Wild
- Wolf Pack Game Media Notes Available On-Line - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Barbashev Returns to St. Louis - Chicago Wolves
- IceHogs Stay Hot - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Rocco Grimaldi Lands First Career Hat Trick as San Antonio Topples - San Antonio Rampage
- Hogs Stay Hot, Rout Griffins for 4th Straight Win - Rockford IceHogs
- POSTGAME NOTES & QUOTES: December 9, 2017, San Diego 4 at Iowa 3 OT - San Diego Gulls
- Game Recap | Amerks Gain Point in Shootout Loss to Pack - Rochester Americans
- San Diego Defeats Iowa 4-3 in OT - Iowa Wild
- Recap - Thunderbirds 4, Sound Tigers 3 - Bridgeport Islanders
- Pakarinen Scores in 2-1 Loss to San Jose - Bakersfield Condors
- Campbell and Hensick Power Reign over Roadrunners to Open Road Trip - Ontario Reign
- RECAP: Penguins Drop Overtime Decision at Hershey, 4-3 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Recap - Bruins 4, Sound Tigers 1 - Bridgeport Islanders
- P-Bruins Win Fourth Straight with 4-1 Victory in Bridgeport - Providence Bruins
- Tampa Bay Lightning Reassign Jamie McBain to Syracuse Crunch - Syracuse Crunch
- GAME RECAP: Checkers Storm Back for Win over Thunderbirds - Charlotte Checkers
- American Hockey League Announces Suspension - AHL
- CLEVELAND MONSTERS: Blue Jackets Assign Left Wing Sonny Milano to Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Coyotes Recall Chychrun and Assign Campbell to Tucson - Tucson Roadrunners
- GAME PREVIEW: CONDORS HOST SAN JOSE. - Bakersfield Condors
- Ontario Reign Open Five-Game Road Trip Today in Tucson - Ontario Reign
- Griffins Score Five to End Five-Game Skid - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Cleveland 0 at Manitoba 4 - Manitoba Moose
- San Antonio Records Three Unanswered Goals to Defeat Iowa 4-3 in Overtime - San Antonio Rampage
- IceHogs Roar Past Stars on Teddy Bear Toss Night - Rockford IceHogs
- Griffins Stop Wolves 5-2 at Allstate - Chicago Wolves
- Crunch Slide Past Senators, 5-4, in Seven-Round Shootout - Syracuse Crunch
- Smith and Rodrigues Lead Amerks to 5-2 Win over Penguins - Rochester Americans
- Wild Falls to Rampage 4-3 in OT - Iowa Wild
- Phantoms Gain Critical Standings Point on Teddy Bear Toss Night - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- MONSTERS GAME SUMMARY: Monsters Stifled by Moose, 4-0 - Cleveland Monsters
- RECAP: Penguins Lose to Americans, 5-2 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Comets 2, Sound Tigers 1 (SO) - Bridgeport Islanders
- Comets Win Rematch in Shootout. - Utica Comets
- Two Goals from Szwarz Power Bruins Past Devils 4-2 - Providence Bruins
- Admirals Blanked by Bears - Milwaukee Admirals
- WOLF PACK GAME RECAP - Toronto Marlies 4, Hartford Wolf Pack 3 (OT) - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Kings Prospect Austin Wagner Medically Cleared and Assigned to Reign - Ontario Reign
- D Adam Comrie, D Nick Luukko Signed to PTOs - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Hogs Duel with Texas on Teddy Bear Toss Night - Rockford IceHogs
- Syracuse Crunch Announce Player Moves - Syracuse Crunch
- Tampa Bay Lightning Recall Jamie McBain - Syracuse Crunch
- Osipov Returns to Wolves - Chicago Wolves
- D Mark Alt Recalled by Flyers - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Condors Take Shootout over Stockton - Bakersfield Condors
- Thrilling Last-Minute Goals See Gulls Sneak Away from Reign with 3-2 Decision - Ontario Reign
- POSTGAME NOTES & QUOTES: December 1, 2017, San Diego 3 at Ontario 2 - San Diego Gulls
- HEAT GAME RECAP: Third Period Comeback Earns Heat Point in Bakersfield - Stockton Heat
- Hinostroza Strikes in OT as Hogs Drop Wolves - Rockford IceHogs
- Iowa Rallies to Defeat San Antonio 5-3 - San Antonio Rampage
- Iowa Tops Rampage 5-3 - Iowa Wild
- Stars Tie Game Late, Upend Griffins in Shootout - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Game Recap | Amerks Come up Short in Shootout Loss to Wolf Pack - Rochester Americans
- Sound Tigers 7, Comets 6 (OT) - Bridgeport Islanders
- Crunch Edge Rocket, 2-1 - Syracuse Crunch
- Wolves Rally Falls Short - Chicago Wolves
- RECAP: Wilson's Heatfelt Hat Trick Helps Pens Earn 5-4 OT Win - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Hartford Wolf Pack 5, Rochester Americans 4 (SO) - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Admirals Earn Point in OT Loss - Milwaukee Admirals
- POW Phantoms Down Rival Hershey 7-2 on Superhero Night - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- GAME RECAP: Foegele Nets Hat Trick in 4-1 Triumph - Charlotte Checkers
- Comets Drop High Scoring Thriller to Bridgeport - Utica Comets
- Gordie Howe Hat-Trick from Fitzgerald Leads P-Bruins over Devils - Providence Bruins
- Berube Recalled by Hawks, Delia Reassigned to Hogs - Rockford IceHogs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Grand Rapids Griffins Stories
- Peppino's to Host Griffins Watch Parties for All Road Playoff Games
- Griffins Clinch Second Place In Central Division With Overtime Win Over Milwaukee
- Griffins Clinch Second Place in Central Division
- Griffins Finish Regular Season Road Games with 4-1 Loss to Iowa
- Austin Czarnik Returns to Grand Rapids