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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Griffins Win 13th Straight, Defeat Texas Stars 6-5 in OT Thriller

March 20, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


CEDAR PARK, Texas - Goals from Mitch Callahan and Jeff Hoggan 10 seconds apart erased a two-goal third-period deficit before Eric Tangradi scored 42 ticks into the extra session as the Grand Rapids Griffins won their 13th straight game, defeating the Texas Stars 6-5 on Saturday at Cedar Park Center.

The Griffins controlled play throughout the contest, outshooting Texas 48-18. Maxime Lagace kept the Stars within touching distance of two points, stopping 42 shots in a losing effort. Tom McCollum turned aside 13 shots to become the second goaltender in franchise history to win 100 regular season games, trailing only Joey MacDonald (109) for the club record.

Hoggan started the scoring for the Griffins (41-20-1-1) 3:27 into the opening period. On an eventual 3-on-1, Louis-Marc Aubry's drop pass from the left circle found Hoggan in the slot for a shot beating Maxime Lagace above his left shoulder.

Julius Honka responded for Texas (35-22-6-3) 38 seconds later. Jason Dickinson's feed from the right half-boards reached Honka at the right point for a seeing-eye wrist shot that beat McCollum high to the glove side.

Matt Mangene gave the Stars their first lead of the night at the 7:53 mark. Shortly after a Nathan Paetsch tripping minor expired, former Griffin Mattias Backman's shot from the left circle was blocked in front by Mangene, who collected the rebound and lifted the puck just inside the right post.

Ryan Sproul tied the score at two apiece on the power play with 3:48 left in the first. Martin Frk's pass from the left circle found Sproul with plenty of room at the point for a slapshot that beat Lagace to the glove side, hitting the bottom of the crossbar before going in. Texas regained the lead on the power play 2:24 into the middle frame when Honka's centering pass from near the right corner was redirected in front by Matej Stransky inside the right post.

The Griffins made it a 3-3 contest on Joakim Andersson's shorthanded tally at the 9:24 mark of the second. As the Stars were making a line change, Mitch Callahan won the race to the puck following a Robbie Russo clearance, sending a backhanded centering pass to Andersson alone in the slot. Andersson then showed veteran patience by holding onto the puck, skating around Lagace's left pad, and guiding the puck inside the right post.

Curtis McKenzie restored the Stars' lead on the power play 42 seconds later. Stransky's intial effort from the bottom of the right circle forced a save from McCollum, but McKenzie raced in towards the bottom of the left circle to bury the rebound into an open net. Cole Ully made it a two-goal cushion less than a minute later when Gemel Smith's pass from behind the Griffin net reached Ully for a wrist shot from the right circle that deflected off the stick of Tangradi and just inside the left post.

Callahan made it a one-goal game 5:36 into the third period. Xavier Ouellet's wrist shot from the left point was tipped in front by Callahan past Lagace's blocker for his 17th of the season.

Hoggan tied the score at 5-5 just 10 seconds later. After Sproul's diagonal pass from his own zone reached Hoggan in the neutral zone, the Grand Rapids captain gained the zone on the left wing, blazing past Ludwig Bystrom and lifting the puck past a sliding Lagace's blocker side shoulder.

Texas had a golden opportunity to win the game in regulation following delay of game penalties against both Zach Nastasiuk and McCollum, resulting in a 5-on-3 lasting 1:22. However, the Griffins' penalty kill was equal to the task and force the extra session.

Tangradi, Sproul, and Andy Miele started the 3-on-3 overtime for the Griffins, while the Stars countered with Esa Lindell, Justin Dowling, and Brendan Ranford. Tangradi tried to reach Miele with a pass from the right half-boards, but the puck was too far in front of Miele and ended up in the left corner. Miele walked out of the corner to the left circle and held the puck as Lindell slid past. With Lagace and Dowling both focused on Miele, Tangradi was left unmarked at the right circle, shooting into an open net for his 24th of the campaign.

Grand Rapids finished 1-for-5 on the power play, while Texas scored twice on five opportunities. The Griffins continue their road trip with two games in three nights against the San Antonio Rampage at AT&T Center starting on Sunday at 5 p.m. EDT.

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