Griffins Win in Shootout, 3-2
January 8, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL) - Grand Rapids Griffins News Release
DES MOINES, Iowa - The Grand Rapids Griffins rallied late in the third period to force overtime in stunning fashion. Eventually the defending Calder Cup champions defeated the Iowa Wild, 3-2, in a shootout at Wells Fargo Arena.
The Griffins (11-15-1-3) are in the middle of a three-in-three weekend that concludes tomorrow in Rockford at 7 p.m. The Wild (14-9-6-2) now have a three-game point streak heading into Christmas break.
There was a lot of back and forth play in the neutral zone for the first 20 minutes as both teams combined for only 10 shots on goal. The home team accounted for six attempts which yielded the only goal of the period. Sam Anas scored his 11th goal of the season at 6:08 after a turnover in the Griffins zone. Gerald Mayhew forced the reversal near the right board and made a slick pass to Justin Kloos in the slot. The center found Anas near the net and the right winger slid the puck between Jared Coreau's legs for the 1-0 lead.
The Griffins broke even at 8:33 of the second stanza when Matt Lorito tallied his eighth goal of the year from in front of the net. Colin Campbell tossed the puck behind the net to Dominic Turgeon who charged towards the net. The second year center sent the rubber disc towards the net eventually deflecting off of Lorito's stick and over C.J. Motte's left shoulder to make the score 1-1.
Iowa regained the lead with 5:13 left in the third frame when Kloos added his eighth goal of the campaign off of a deflection. Mayhew gathered the puck from behind the net and passed it to Alex Grant near the blue line. The defenseman shot the puck towards the net for Kloos to redirect it into the net for the 2-1 lead.
Captain Matthew Ford came up big for the Griffins with 1:47 remaining in regulation. His 11th goal came after Eric Tangradi won a faceoff in the Iowa zone with an empty net on the other side of the arena. The snap shot sailed past Motte to extend the game into overtime.
No goals were scored in the extra period, so the game went into a shootout. Like the final score, the shootout total ended with the same tally. Goals from Ben Street, Axel Holmstrom, and Turgeon propelled the Griffins to victory. Six saves by Coreau kept the Wild at bay.
Notes: Tonight's eight-round shootout was the Griffins' longest since going 10 rounds versus Hamilton on April 5, 2014 at Van Andel Arena (2-1 SOW)...Grand Rapids snapped Iowa's eight-game streak of scoring a power play goal.
Three Stars: 1. IA Kloos (goal, assist); 2. IA Motte (L, 29 saves); 3. IA Anas (goal).
• Discuss this story on the American Hockey League message board...
American Hockey League Stories from January 8, 2018
- San Antonio Earns 20th Win in 2-1 Shootout over Stockton - San Antonio Rampage
- Iowa Falls 4-3 in Back-And-Forth Affair at Milwaukee - Iowa Wild
- Pirri, Pulkkinen Power Wolves Past Top-Ranked Moose - Chicago Wolves
- Griffins Beat Rockford for Fifth Win in a Row - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Phantoms Secure Standings Point at Toronto in 2018 Opener - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Pack Spoil Bjork's P-Bruins Debut in 3-2 Win - Providence Bruins
- Four Unanswered Goals Launch Comets to Win over Rocket - Utica Comets
- BLUE JACKETS ASSIGN JOONAS KORPISALO TO MONSTERS, RECALL MATISS KIVLENIEKS - Cleveland Monsters
- 'CANES ACTIVATE KRUGER FROM INJURED RESERVE - Charlotte Checkers
- Reign Assign Defenseman Jonathan Racine to Manchester (ECHL) - Ontario Reign
- Cal Petersen Named to 2018 AHL All-Star Classic Roster - Ontario Reign
- Manitoba Moose Moose to be Well Represented at 2018 AHL - Manitoba Moose
- Cal Petersen Named to 2018 AHL All-Star Classic Roster - Ontario Reign
- Rampage Forward Rocco Grimaldi and Defenseman Jordan Schmaltz - San Antonio Rampage
- WOLF PACK DEFENSEMAN JOHN GILMOUR EARNS ATLANTIC DIVISION ALL-STAR CLASSIC NOD - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Lorito and Puempel Named 2018 AHL All-Star Classic Participants - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Andy Welinski Named to 2018 AHL All-Star Classic - San Diego Gulls
- NEWS Zykov Selected to AHL All-Star Classic - Charlotte Checkers
- F Danick Martel and D T.J. Brennan Named to 2018 AHL All-Star - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Pirri Picked for 2018 AHL All-Star Classic - Chicago Wolves
- Penguins' Sprong and DeSmith Named to AHL All-Star - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Matthew Peca Named 2018 AHL All-Star - Syracuse Crunch
- Forward Luke Kunin Named Central Division All-Star - Iowa Wild
- C.J. SMITH, LINUS ULLMARK NAMED TO AMERICAN HOCKEY LEAGUE ALL-STAR ROSTER - Rochester Americans
- Thatcher Demko and Reid Boucher Named to AHL All-Star Classic Roster - Utica Comets
- Danforth Named to Team Central All-Star Team - Rochester Americans
- CLEVELAND MONSTERS: Blue Jackets Assign Gaunce, Schroeder, and Motte to Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Griffins Fall in Shootout, 3-2 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Svedberg Shootout Slapper Downs Griffins - Rockford IceHogs
- Crunch Edged by Comets, 2-1 - Syracuse Crunch
- Rampage Reassign Joe Cannata, Michael Joly and Brady Shaw to Colorado Eagles - San Antonio Rampage
- Monsters Clipped by Admirals, 5-3 - Cleveland Monsters
- Admirals Get 2nd Straight over Cleveland - Milwaukee Admirals
- Jfk Powers P-Bruins over Thunderbirds in a Shootout - Providence Bruins
- Molino Leads Comets Past Crunch - Utica Comets
- POSTGAME: San Diego 4 at Ontario 3 - San Diego Gulls
- Sound Tigers 5, Wolf Pack 1 - Bridgeport Sound Tigers
- Phantoms Rally in 3rd at Wilkes-Barre - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Blueger Stays Hot, But Penguins Fall to Phantoms, 3-2 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Bridgeport Sound Tigers 5, Hartford Wolf Pack 1 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- HOGS CAP WEEKEND SERIES vs. GRIFFINS - Rockford IceHogs
- Syracuse Crunch Release Defenseman Mathieu Brodeur from PTO - Syracuse Crunch
- Coyotes Recall Campbell, Assign Hanley and Merkley to Tucson - Tucson Roadrunners
- Calgary Flames Re-Assign Rasmus Andersson - Stockton Heat
- POSTGAME NOTES & QUOTES: December 22, 2017, San Diego 4 vs. Ontario 3 OT - San Diego Gulls
- Raddysh Rallies Rockford Past Wolves in OT - Rockford IceHogs
- Griffins Win in Shootout, 3-2 - Grand Rapids Griffins
- San Antonio 1 at Manitoba 3 - Manitoba Moose
- Amerks Edge Rocket in Extra-Frame to Continue Road-Winning Ways with 3-2 Overtime Victory - Rochester Americans
- Amerks Edge Rocket in Extra-Frame to Continue Road-Winning Ways with 3-2 Overtime Victory - Rochester Americans
- Wild Falls to Griffins 3-2 in the Shootout - Iowa Wild
- San Antonio Falls Short in Manitoba 3-1 - San Antonio Rampage
- Wolves Fall in OT, Earn Point in Seventh Straight - Chicago Wolves
- Thunderbirds 5, Sound Tigers 2 - Bridgeport Sound Tigers
- Hartford Wolf Pack 6, Providence Bruins 4 - Hartford Wolf Pack
- RECAP: Blueger, Burton Both Score Twice in Pens' OT Win over Devils - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Crunch Dominate Senators, 8-2 - Syracuse Crunch
- Admirals Offense Explodes for Five in Win over Cleveland - Milwaukee Admirals
- Hickman's Two Goals Not Enough as P-Bruins Fall 6-4 to the Pack - Providence Bruins
- Monsters Upended by Admirals, 5-2 - Cleveland Monsters
- Comets Drop Hard Fought Battle to Marlies - Utica Comets
- Blue Jackets Recall Forwards Motte, Schroeder from Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Comets Release Forward Joel Lowry - Utica Comets
- Dienes Reassigned to Jacksonville - Manitoba Moose
- Flames Recall Rasmus Andersson - Stockton Heat
- Comets Sign Forward Vincent Arseneau to PTO - Utica Comets
- Blue Jackets Assign Left Wing Sonny Milano to Monsters - Cleveland Monsters
- Two Key Rivalries Cap Pre-Holiday Slate - Bridgeport Sound Tigers
- Kings Recall Defenseman Kevin Gravel from Ontario - Ontario Reign
- Currie Hat Trick Gets Condors 4-3 Win over San Jose - Bakersfield Condors
- San Antonio 2 at Manitoba 7 - Manitoba Moose
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
