AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Hudler hat trick lifts Griffins over San Antonio

Published on October 24, 2004 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


San Antonio, Texas – With storms wreaking havoc outside the SBC Center, the Grand Rapids Griffins wreaked havoc on the San Antonio Rampage. The storms caused problems with the lights in the arena causing delays to the start of the first and third periods. A hat trick from Jiri Hudler and two assists from Niklas Kronwall, led the Griffins (4-0-0-0) to a 4-3 overtime win over the San Antonio Rampage (2-3-1-0) on Sunday evening at the SBC Center. The Griffins have won their last 10 regular season games that were decided in overtime.

The Griffins tied the 2000-01 Griffins team with four straight wins to begin a season. The 2000-01 team captured the IHL's last regular season championship with a franchise-best record of 53-22-7. The win tonight also equals the team mark of three road wins to open a season. The Griffins started with three straight road wins every season from 2000-01 to 2002-03. During the 2002-03 campaign, Grand Rapids began 6-0-1-0 away from Van Andel Arena before suffering a loss, and 6-0-1-2 before being held without a point.

Tonight, Grand Rapids needed only 28 seconds to tally the winning goal. Hudler gathered a pass from Matt Ellis and uncorked a wrist shot that beat the San Antonio goaltender. Kronwall also assisted on the goal. For Hudler, it is his first hat trick and second overtime marker as a Griffin. He recorded an overtime goal against Cleveland on Jan. 10, 2004. The hat trick gives Hudler nine points (5-4—9) through the Griffins first four outings. Kronwall's two assists gives him seven points (1-6—7) in the same span.

As they did on Friday night, the Rampage scored first. Juraj Kolnik gathered a loose puck and deposited it over a sprawled Joey MacDonald. Lukas Krajicek and Ryan Jardine assisted on the power play marker at 16:08 of the first period.

The Griffins answered with a power play tally of their own. Tomas Kopecky battled for the puck and emerged from the corner with the disc and fed Hudler in the left wing circle. With a delayed penalty against San Antonio, Hudler unleashed a wrist shot that beat Scott with 27 seconds remaining in the first period. Kronwall also assisted on the goal.

Grand Rapids capitalized on that man advantage early in the second period when Hudler notched his second goal of the night. Hudler gathered the rebound of Darryl Bootland's shot and banged the puck into an open net, giving the Griffins a 2-1 lead 44 seconds into the middle frame. Eric Manlow also assisted on the goal.

The Griffins opened a two-goal lead thanks largely to the hustle of Ellis. While killing a penalty, the Griffins cleared the puck into the San Antonio zone. Ellis chased it down, faked a pass to a streaking Danny Groulx and fired a shot on the net. Scott, preoccupied with Groulx, was late covering the near post and the puck slid underneath the Rampage netminder for a shorthanded goal.

The Rampage would not go away quietly. Kolnik cut the lead to 3-2 at 4:01 of the third period. Josh Olson and Gregory Campbell assisted on the goal.

Campbell tied the score at 3-3 at 12:12 of the third period. Campbell gathered the puck behind the Griffins net and wrapped the puck around the net and beat MacDonald on his stick side. Kolnik picked up the lone assist awarded on the goal.

Danton Cole set one franchise mark and tied another. He surpasses Bruce Cassidy's mark of 95 coaching wins. Cole's record at the Griffins helm is 96-50-16-2. He tied Guy Charron for the franchise mark with his 164th regular season coaching appearance behind the Griffins bench.

MacDonald made 21 saves to improve his record to 4-0-0, while Scott stopped 23 shots for the loss, sending his record to 0-3-0.

The Griffins open a nine-game home stand on Tuesday night against the Rochester Americans at 7 p.m.

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American Hockey League Stories from October 24, 2004


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