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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffins Fall to Marlies 6-1

October 31, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


TORONTO, Ontario - William Nylander scored two goals, while Garret Sparks stopped 38 of 39 shots as the Toronto Marlies defeated the Grand Rapids Griffins 6-1 on Friday at Ricoh Coliseum.

Six players had multiple points for the Marlies (6-3-0-0). Josh Leivo contributed a goal and two assists while Richard Panik supplied four helpers. T. J. Brennan added a goal and an assist, giving him 19 points in 16 regular season games against the Griffins (1-6-0-0).

Toronto needed just 1:46 to take the lead, scoring on its first shot on target. Richard Panik entered the zone on the left wing, passing from below the goalline to Jared Coreau's right to Nylander. The eighth overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Deaft fired a snapshot from the slot beating Jared Coreau on his blocker side.

The Marlies would add to their lead on the power play with 11:15 remaining in the opening frame. Ryan Rupert received a pass from Matt Frattin and fired a wrist shot from the top of the right circle just inside Coreau's right post to give Toronto a 2-0 lead.

The Griffins controlled the play early in the second period thanks to three consecutive Marlies penalties in a span of 1:33. Despite at one stage outshooting the Toronto 10-2, the Griffins were unable to convert on a lengthy 5-on-3. The swing in monentum proved to be short lived. Indeed, after Josh Leivo entered the zone on a 2-on-1, his pass from the right circle found Nylander, who was positioned just in front of the crease. Coreau stopped the initial effort, but the rebound bounced off Martin Frk's skate and in with 8:11 remaining.

Despite being outshot 17-10 in the middle frame, the Marlies took a 4-0 lead with 3:18 remaining. After Panik's turnaround shot was blocked by a screening Leivo, T. J. Brennan was able to backhand the rebound in over a sprawling Coreau.

Grand Rapids got onto the scoresheet with a power play goal 18 seconds into the third period. Andy Miele made a short backhand pass to Andreas Athanasiou, who gained the zone and scored on a wrist shot from the left circle that snuck between Sparks' right arm and body.

However, this was as close as the Griffins would get, with the Marlies adding two late insurance goals. Leivo fanned on a one-timer set up by Panik, but got a second chance when he batted the puck out of mid-air and in with 3:37 remaining in regulation.

Tyler Bertuzzi was assessed a match penalty for slew-footing Kasperi Kapanen with 1:15 remaining in regulation. Sam Carrick also received a game misconduct for abuse of the officials in the same sequence. The Marlies scored their sixth goal on a tic-tac-toe sequence. Rinat Valiev found Matt Frattin at the left circle, who then sent a slap-pass to Brandon Leipsic alone in front, beating Coreau on his glove side with 52 seconds on the clock.

Grand Rapids went 1 for 7 on the power play, while Toronto scored twice on nine opportunities.

The Griffins return to Van Andel Arena on Nov. 6 when they face the Rockford IceHogs. Game time is at 7 p.m.

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