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AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Late Rally Lifts Toronto Past Griffins

January 29, 2016 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Toronto Marlies scored three goals over the game's final 6:22 on Friday to steal a 4-2 victory over the Grand Rapids Griffins at Van Andel Arena.

The Griffins held a 2-1 lead over the AHL's top team thanks to a goal by Anthony Mantha six minutes into the third, but Justin Holl tied it at 13:38, Zach Hyman potted the go-ahead tally at 18:08 and Brendan Leipsic added an empty netter with 60 seconds left to lift the Marlies to their 12th win in their last 13 outings.

Grand Rapids, which is 0-4-1-0 at Van Andel Arena since posting its franchise-record 14-game home winning streak, will look to snap a four-game skid with an 8 p.m. EST visit to Milwaukee on Saturday. The Griffins will then have four days off for the AHL All-Star break while Jeff Hoggan and Xavier Ouellet participate in the Sunday-Monday festivities in Syracuse.

The Griffins (24-16-1-1) entered the night having been shut out in consecutive home games for just the second time in their 20-year history, but Andy Miele snapped their scoreless streaks at 139:24 overall and 96:59 versus Toronto with a shorthanded, unassisted goal late in the opening period. After stealing a pass deep in the Griffins' zone, he bypassed a defender by quickly passing the puck to himself off the left boards, creating a 2-on-1 with Eric Tangradi. Miele patiently waited for his opportunity and faked a slap shot atop the left circle before putting a wrist shot past Antoine Bibeau at the 17:17 mark.

Grand Rapids carried the lead and the momentum into the second period after having outshot the Marlies 16-7 during the opening 20 minutes. But Toronto's T.J. Brennan netted the equalizer with 7:24 remaining in the frame, taking a feed from William Nylander and snapping a shot from the left circle that beat Tom McCollum.

Mantha tallied the Griffins' second unassisted goal of the evening 5:55 into the third to put the home squad back on top at 2-1. He collected a Nylander giveaway at the Toronto blue line and raced in on Bibeau, and although he couldn't get a shot off, he circled behind the net and ramped the puck off the blade of a Marlies defender, off Bibeau's back and across the goal line.

Again the Marlies (36-8-2-0) answered with Holl's goal that tied it at two with 6:22 remaining, as he burst wide around the left circle, went hard to the net along the goal line and took a shot that went off and over McCollum. A frantic, nearly non-stop pace continued and led to the game-winner with less than two minutes left, with Hyman poking a rebound home from just outside the crease.

Bibeau backstopped Toronto to the win behind 38 saves, while McCollum finished 24-of-27 between the Griffins' pipes in just his second game since returning from injury.

Notes: The Griffins were the last AHL team to score a shorthanded goal this season. By contrast, Toronto is tied for the league lead with eight...Grand Rapids' last shorthanded goal came off the stick of Tomas Nosek against the Marlies in Game 4 of the 2015 Western Conference Quarterfinals on May 2 at Van Andel Arena.

Three Stars: 1. TOR Hyman (game-winning goal); 2. TOR Brennan (goal, assist); 3. GR Mantha (goal)

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