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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffins Downed by Americans, 5-3

January 22, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - In the first meeting of the season between the two clubs, the visiting Rochester Americans earned a 5-3 win over the Grand Rapids Griffins Friday night at Van Andel Arena. The defeat, marking the first regulation loss at home for the Griffins in over two months (Nov. 6), spoiled the return of goaltender Tom McCollum who made his first start between the pipes since Dec. 5.

The rematch between Rochester and Grand Rapids will be on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Van Andel Arena.

Rochester (19-19-2-1) entered the game averaging just under 28 shots per game but peppered the Griffins' defense all evening long with 49 attempts.

For the 22nd time this season, Grand Rapids (24-13-1-1) drew the game's initial goal. At the 6:15 mark, Tyler Bertuzzi took control in the defensive zone and fed Martin Frk at center ice who gained the zone. After Frk's wrister was turned away by Linus Ullmark, Tomas Nosek scooped up the rebound and filtered it past Ullmark for his fifth goal of the campaign.

Any plan of McCollum using the first period to gain traction back in the crease was abruptly challenged by the impetuous Americans as they took swings at 20 shots on goal in the opening frame.

Rochester got on the scoreboard to even the score at the 9:31 mark. William Carrier took possession of the puck in the high slot and skated toward the right circle. His centering pass was deflected and fell on the stick of Matt Donovan on the left goal line who used a difficult angle to slip one past McCollum.

The Americans entered the first intermission with a 2-1 edge following Jerry D'Amigo's glove-side shot from the right wing circle at the 12:54 mark.

A somnambulant second period came to life late in the frame thanks to some magnificent passing from the home team. Mark Zengerle took claimed control of the puck after a Rochester neutral-zone turnover and floated up the left side before dishing to a streaking Anthony Mantha in the slot. Mantha left it for a trailing Ryan Sproul who delivered the tying goal on a slapshot from between the circles.

The Griffins and Americans were tied at two-all following 40 minutes of action, but Rochester would use three goals in the remaining 20 minutes to earn their first regulation win over Grand Rapids in the last 10 tries. The Americans retook the lead on the stick of Evan Rodrigues with 12:49 left.

On a partial breakaway, Jean Dupuy's initial attempt was stuffed by McCollum but the soft rebound came to rest in front of the crease and Rodrigues was there to jam it in.

The game-winning goal came with 8:35 to go after Dupuy intercepted a pass in the offensive zone and sent a wrister from the high slot to the back of the net.

Grand Rapids trimmed the deficit down to one with 2:07 remaining on a Jakub Kindl power play goal. Already on a 5-on-3 thanks to consecutive American penalties, McCollum went to the bench for an extra skater and Kindl's drive from above the right circle converted the Griffins' 6-on-3 chance.

D'Amigo added an empty-net goal for Rochester with 33 ticks left.

Grand Rapids killed off Rochester's lone power play opportunity while the Griffins knocked in one goal on their five man-advantage opportunities.

McCollum stopped 44 shots, a season high, while Ullmark turned aside 41 shots for his second win of the year.

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