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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffins Snap Rockford's 10-Game Point Streak with 3-2 Win

November 18, 2015 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


Grand Rapids Griffins Celebrate a Goal vs. the Rockford IceHogs
Grand Rapids Griffins Celebrate a Goal vs. the Rockford IceHogs
(Grand Rapids Griffins, Credit: Sam Iannamico)

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Grand Rapids Griffins earned their most impressive win of the season on Wednesday, snapping the Rockford IceHogs' 10-game point streak with a 3-2 victory at Van Andel Arena.

Rookie defenseman Robbie Russo registered three points, including the game-winning goal midway through the third period, and Jared Coreau stopped 33 shots to hand Rockford (9-4-1-1) a rare regulation loss and end its 8-0-1-1 run.

Grand Rapids, now 2-1-0-1 over its last four games, will welcome the San Diego Gulls to town for their first-ever visit this Friday at 7 p.m.

The Griffins (3-8-0-1) had no shortage of first-period chances on Rockford netminder Michael Leighton, who made 40 saves in the IceHogs'4-1 win at Van Andel Arena on Nov. 6. Grand Rapids totaled 14 shots during a scoreless opening period while Coreau turned aside all 12 Rockford shots he faced.

Andy Miele broke through for the Griffins 3:43 into the second, thanks largely to the work of Anthony Mantha. Taking a pass from Miele at the Rockford blue line, Mantha split a pair of defensemen and drove the net before being denied by Leighton. But he quickly gathered the puck along the end boards and absorbed a big hit from Bryan Bickell while throwing a pass out front to a wide-open Miele for the goal.

Midway through the frame, Coreau backstopped a stout Griffins penalty killing unit that denied a 5-on-3 Rockford advantage for 1:14, preserving a lead that Grand Rapids then doubled at the 14:50 mark. Four seconds after the Griffins' own power play expired, Nathan Paetsch launched a one-timer from the right point that sailed through bodies and past Leighton.

A disastrous turnover in the final seconds before intermission gave the IceHogs the opportunity they needed to finally solve Coreau. As Xavier Ouellet moved to skate the puck out from behind his own net, a forechecking Mark McNeill caused him to lose control of it, and Bickell was waiting in the slot to slam it home with just 11.2 seconds showing on the clock.

The visitors' good fortune reared its head again at 9:37 of the third, when Jake Dowell's try from the left corner banked off Coreau and across the line, but the resolute Griffins answered only 34 seconds later to take their final lead. Russo, who had tallied one assist over his first seven games, notched his first pro goal and his third point of the night by snapping a shot past Leighton from the right point with 9:49 remaining. Grand Rapids then held on for the hard-fought win despite Rockford pulling Leighton for an extra attacker for most of the final two minutes.

The IceHogs' goalie finished with 31 saves. Each team went 0-for-4 on the power play.

Notes: Tomas Jurco, a member of the Griffins' 2013 Calder Cup championship team, played his first game with Grand Rapids since being assigned by the Detroit Red Wings for conditioning on Tuesday, earning the second assist on Russo's goal. His last appearance in a Griffins uniform was on May 18, 2014 against the Texas Stars in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals...All three of the Griffins' victories this season have come at home on "Winning Wednesday," earning all fans in attendance a free ticket to the next Wednesday game.

Three Stars: 1. GR Russo (goal, two assists); 2. GR Coreau (W, 33 saves); 3. GR Paetsch (goal)

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Grand Rapids Griffins Celebrate a Goal vs. the Rockford IceHogs
Grand Rapids Griffins Celebrate a Goal vs. the Rockford IceHogs
(Sam Iannamico)		   



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