Berggren Again the Overtime Hero as Griffins Seize 2-1 Series Lead
May 4, 2024 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release
Grand Rapids Griffins celebrate win
(Grand Rapids Griffins, Credit: Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins)
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - After potting the overtime winner in Game 1 in Rockford last Saturday, Jonatan Berggren repeated his heroics in front of a partisan throng on Friday. His goal 8:12 into the extra session lifted the roof off Van Andel Arena and made visitors' two-goal rally late in regulation all for naught, as the Grand Rapids Griffins took both a 4-3 Game 3 victory over the Rockford IceHogs and a 2-1 series lead in the Central Division Semifinals.
The Griffins' victory came in front of 8,825 fans, the team's largest playoff crowd since a sellout of 10,834 witnessed the clinching Game 6 of the 2017 Calder Cup Finals. It was also their largest for an opening-round playoff game since their inaugural season in 1997.
Grand Rapids can close out its best-of-five series against the IceHogs with Game 4 at the BMO Center in Rockford on Sunday at 5 p.m. EDT.
After outshooting the IceHogs 19-7 over a scoreless opening 20 minutes, the Griffins solved Drew Commesso on their first shot of the second period. From the top of the circles, Marco Kasper sniped his first career Calder Cup Playoff goal into the top right corner of the net off a Dominik Shine setup just 24 seconds into the frame.
Rockford took advantage of a fortunate bounce in the final minute of the period to pull even. Rem Pitlick's blast sailed over the net, deflected off the glass and rebounded back over the crossbar into the crease, where Pitlick bunted it across the line to make it a 1-1 game with 31 seconds remaining.
In the third, Grand Rapids scored twice before the midway point. Driving down the slot, Austin Czarnik collected a Berggren pass and put a bullet through Commesso's five-hole from the doorstep just 57 seconds in. Elmer Soderblom, making his playoff debut, slammed home a Shine feed from just outside the crease at 9:25 to extend Grand Rapids' lead to 3-1 with 10:35 remaining.
A flurry of IceHogs shots in the waning minutes of the third period allowed them to claw back once again. Zach Sanford's right-circle shot rattled past Sebastian Cossa to pull the visitors within one at 16:22, and just 59 seconds later, Jackson Cates scored the equalizer on a sharp-angled attempt from the left side of the net.
With the outing freshly tied at three, the contest was stretched to the series' second overtime period. After Carter Mazur forced a turnover in the neutral zone, he made a beeline for the net and backhanded Berggren's feed off the left post, but the Griffins' leading scorer during the regular season was there to tap home the rebound, making him the only Griffin and just the 13th player in AHL history to score two overtime goals in a single playoff series.
Cossa finished with 27 saves to earn his second AHL playoff win.
Notes
- This marks the fifth series all time in which the Griffins have logged a pair of overtime wins. The last was the 2017 Central Division Semifinals against Milwaukee, which began their march to the Calder Cup.
- Stacy Roest (2003) is the only other Griffin besides Berggren to net two overtime goals in a playoff year, and Matt Ellis (2006 and 2007) joins them with two career playoff OT goals.
- Grand Rapids returns to Rockford with an all-time record of 11-6 on the road when its opponent faces elimination.
Box Score
Rockford 0 1 2 0 - 3
Grand Rapids 0 1 2 1 - 4
1st Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Strand Rfd (holding), 11:35.
2nd Period-1, Grand Rapids, Kasper 1 (Shine, Edvinsson), 0:24. 2, Rockford, Pitlick 1 (Sanford, Phillips), 19:29. Penalties-Seney Rfd (tripping), 3:20; Seney Rfd (goaltender interference), 7:11; Edvinsson Gr (roughing), 7:11.
3rd Period-3, Grand Rapids, Czarnik 2 (Berggren, Rafferty), 0:57. 4, Grand Rapids, Söderblom 1 (Shine, L'Esperance), 9:25. 5, Rockford, Sanford 2 (Pitlick, Roos), 16:22. 6, Rockford, Cates 1 (Gust, Seney), 17:21. Penalties-Shine Gr (slashing), 6:11; Söderblom Gr (high-sticking), 12:29.
OT Period-7, Grand Rapids, Berggren 2 (Mazur), 8:12. Penalties-No Penalties
Shots on Goal-Rockford 7-13-8-2-30. Grand Rapids 19-10-8-5-42.
Power Play Opportunities-Rockford 0 / 2; Grand Rapids 0 / 2.
Goalies-Rockford, Commesso 1-1 (42 shots-38 saves). Grand Rapids, Cossa 2-1 (30 shots-27 saves).
A-8,825
Three Stars
1. GR Berggren (overtime-winner, assist); 2. GR Kasper (goal); 3. RFD Pitlick (goal, assist)
Record / Next Game
Grand Rapids: 2-1 / Central Division Semifinals Game 4 / Sun., May 5 at Rockford 5 p.m. EDT
Rockford: 1-2 / Central Division Semifinals Game 4 / Sun., May 5 vs. Grand Rapids 4 p.m CDT
Images from this story
 Grand Rapids Griffins celebrate win (Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins) |
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from May 4, 2024
- Amerk Even Series In Overtime Thriller Against Crunch - Rochester Americans
- Texas Heads to Milwaukee with 2-0 Series Lead - Texas Stars
- Ads Pushed to Brink by Stars - Milwaukee Admirals
- Phantoms Out-Chance Bears But Fall in Game 2 - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Crunch Fall to Amerks, 4-3, in Overtime - Syracuse Crunch
- Frank Powers Bears to 5-1 Game 2 Win over Phantoms - Hershey Bears
- Preds Assign Three to Milwaukee - Milwaukee Admirals
- Wranglers Take Game One - Calgary Wranglers
- Atlantic Division Semifinals Game 2 Preview: Bears vs. Phantoms, 7 p.m. - Hershey Bears
- Limited Seats Remain for Sunday's Game 4 - Rockford IceHogs
- Berggren Again the Overtime Hero as Griffins Seize 2-1 Series Lead - Grand Rapids Griffins
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.
