CHRISTMAS BELLS ARE RINNE

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins completed an otherwise successful, season-high six-game home stand with a 2-1 loss to the Milwaukee Admirals on Saturday.

Brett Engelhardt’s tying goal early in the third period was trumped by Janne Niskala’s game-winner just 90 seconds later, and Pekka Rinne denied the other 14 Griffins shots during the frame to preserve the visitors’ triumph. Grand Rapids compiled a 4-2 mark at Van Andel Arena over the last 11 days, with each loss coming by a 2-1 margin.

The Griffins (12-14-1-2) will look for redemption on Tuesday in an 8 p.m. EST start against the Admirals (15-9-1-1) at the Bradley Center, the site of Grand Rapids’ 1-0 victory on Dec. 2.

The lone goal of the opening 40 minutes came during a Milwaukee power play just 1:55 into the contest, when Cody Franson took a wrist shot from the top of the right circle that eluded Adam Berkhoel.

The Admirals had a chance to cushion their lead on a Rich Peverley breakaway with six minutes left in the second period, but Berkhoel made a fine save to keep it a 1-0 game.

That stop would prove big – at least momentarily – early in the third period. During a Griffins power play, Jakub Kindl fired a slap shot from the point that Engelhardt redirected past Rinne at 3:50. That deadlock would be short-lived, though, as Niskala circled behind the Grand Rapids cage and beat Berkhoel to the right post on a wraparound to give Milwaukee its winning margin.

Berkhoel made 19 stops in his first action in two weeks, while Rinne finished with 29 saves to help the Admirals withstand the Griffins’ 30-21 advantage in shots.