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Griffins Cruise Past Barons, 7-1

March 5, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Oklahoma City Barons News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Teemu Pulkkinen scored a natural hat trick and Petr Mrazek stopped 34 shots for the Grand Rapids Griffins, who powered past the Oklahoma City Barons 7-1 Wednesday night at Van Andel Arena. Pulkkinen netted a goal in each period, increasing his season total to an AHL leading 33.

After Oklahoma City's Martin Gernat picked up his first goal of the season at 1:53 of the opening period, Grand Rapids scored the next seven goals, starting with Pulkkinen's first at 12:15 of the frame, when Griffins' defenseman Ryan Sproul sent a pass from the left point that skidded to the front of the Barons net, where Pulkkinen grabbed the puck and flipped it past OKC goalie Laurent Brossoit.

At 14:36 of the first, Grand Rapids broke the 1-1 tie when Nick Jensen blasted a shot from the point that glanced off the stick of Mark Zengerle and under the blocker of Brossoit.

The score remained 2-1 until the 8:11 mark of the second period when Pukkinen notched his second goal of the game. Grand Rapids winger Kevin Porter skated deep into the Barons zone and sent a center pass from the left side of the OKC goal line that Pulkkinen picked up in the slot and promptly ripped past Brossoit for a 3-1 Griffins lead.

Grand Rapids increased its lead to 4-1 at 17:24 of the second when Anthony Mantha found Andreas Athanasiou in the right circle, where Athanasiou wristed the puck over the Brossoit's blocker.

With 1:41 left in the second, it appeared Pulkkinen scored his third goal of the game after rebounding an Andy Miele shot into the net at point-blank range, but officials waved the goal off due to Miele interfering with Brossoit.

Despite the overturned goal, Pulkkinen secured his hat trick at 1:20 of the third period when he grabbed a loose puck near the Barons blue line before skating to the right circle and firing a slap shot past Oklahoma City's third period replacement goalie Tyler Bunz.

Twenty-one seconds after Pulkkinen's third goal, Jeff Hoggan gave the Griffins a 6-1 lead when his shot from the left point deflected off a player's skate in front and trickled past Bunz.

Tomas Nosek added a goal at 8:22 of the third to increase Grand Rapids' lead to 8-1.

Oklahoma City next travels to Rockford, Ill., where they'll face the IceHogs Friday, March 6 in a 7 p.m. start at BMO Harris Bank Center.



American Hockey League Stories from March 5, 2015


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