AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffins Deliver 7-2 Loss to Aeros

February 12, 2010 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


HOUSTON - On Friday night, 15 Grand Rapids Griffins recorded points in a 7-2 victory over the Houston Aeros at the Toyota Center.

Patrick Rissmiller matched his career-high six-game point streak (2-4-6) for the fourth time in his career, and Daniel Larsson made 26 saves to backstop the Griffins' third win in their last four games.

Houston (26-21-6-1) will host Grand Rapids (24-28-0-1) for a rematch at 8:35 p.m. EST tomorrow night at the Toyota Center.

In the first period, the Griffins were killing off a Kris Newbury penalty when they scored their fourth shorthanded goal of the season at the 5:47 mark. At his own blue line, Jamie Tardif picked off a pass, sped down the ice and used a backhand-forehand move to put Grand Rapids ahead by one. At 13:34, Grand Rapids took a 2-0 lead when Evan McGrath took a wrist shot from the right point that Thomas Tatar tipped into the left side of the net.

Houston snuck out of the opening stanza with a power play goal at 17:32. Petr Kalus buried Duncan Milroy's rebound from the top of the crease, making the score 2-1 after 20 minutes.

Grand Rapids' second power play tally of the night came at 12:43 of the middle frame. After the Griffins perfectly connected a series of passes around the perimeter of the offensive zone, Jeremy Williams fed Newbury for a close-range one-timer which gave Grand Rapids another two-goal lead. In the right circle of the Aeros' zone, Justin Abdelkader won a face off back to Andy Delmore, who placed a wrist shot into the top left corner of the net at the 16:16 mark.

In the final period, John Vigilante gave the Griffins a commanding 5-1 lead when he roofed a wrist shot on a three-on-two rush at 5:34.

Vigilante's goal chased Barry Brust from the Aeros' net, but after Colton Gillies scored for Houston at 6:26, Abdelkader welcomed Wade Dubie to the game by beating him with a forehand deke on a breakaway at 10:11.

Mattias Ritola stabbed the final dagger when he confused Dubielewicz with a backhand move on a breakaway with just 33 seconds remaining

Brust made 14 saves and Dubielewicz stopped 1-of-3 in the Aeros' loss.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 12, 2010


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