AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Second Period Dooms Griffins in 5-3 Loss

Published on February 20, 2010 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - After jumping out to a 3-0 lead, the Grand Rapids Griffins surrendered five unanswered second-period goals to the Peoria Rivermen en route to a 5-3 defeat on Saturday at Van Andel Arena.

Brett Sonne accounted for a pair of Peoria's goals to help the Rivermen (25-24-1-5) snap a five-game losing streak, while Grand Rapids (24-30-2-1) dropped to 0-2-2-0 in its last four. The Griffins will play their third home game in as many days on Sunday when they host the Texas Stars at 4 p.m.

While holding the Rivermen to a mere four shots during the opening period, Grand Rapids scored twice to take a 2-0 lead into intermission. At the 14:44 mark, seconds after killing off a penalty, the Griffins finished a rush with Cory Emmerton slamming a rebound past Hannu Toivonen from the right side.

Jamie Tardif extended the advantage during a power play 3:01 later, staking out a position at the top of the crease to tip home Doug Janik's shot from the left point.

The teams traded goals early in the second, with the Griffins taking a brief three-goal lead on Logan Pyett's shot from low in the right circle that snuck through Toivonen's pads at 1:18. Peoria answered at 4:19, however, when Cam Paddock's try from the left circle sailed past a screened Thomas McCollum.

Just past the midway point of the frame, the Rivermen scored three times in a span of 1:15, turning the Griffins' three-goal cushion into a one-goal deficit in just over eight minutes. Lars Eller blasted a one-timer from the right circle into a yawning cage during a power play at 11:11, Sonne batted the puck past McCollum from the slot just 31 ticks later, and Chris Porter gave the visitors their first lead with a wrister from the high slot at 12:26.

Sonne crashed the crease to pot a rebound during another power play with 39 seconds left in the frame, giving Peoria a 5-3 lead with its fifth unanswered goal.

With 8:46 left in the game, a pair of penalties on the Griffins gave the Rivermen two full minutes of a 5-on-3 advantage, but Grand Rapids killed off the chance to maintain its hopes of a comeback. But the Griffins were unable to dent Toivonen again despite a 13-6 shot advantage over the final 20 minutes.

Toivonen earned the win with 27 saves while McCollum finished with 24 stops.

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American Hockey League Stories from February 20, 2010


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