COMEBACK BID NOT ENOUGH
MILWAUKEE – A spirited rally by the Grand Rapids Griffins fell short as Cody Franson’s power play goal with 2:05 remaining lifted the Milwaukee Admirals to a 4-3 win Tuesday at the Bradley Center.
The Admirals built a 3-1 advantage through two periods, but the Griffins came storming back with a pair of third-period goals. In the end, the game’s only converted power play chance tipped the scales in Milwaukee’s favor. Dating to last season, each of the past six meetings between Grand Rapids (12-15-1-2) and Milwaukee (16-9-1-1) has been decided by a single goal, with the Griffins holding a 2-2-2-0 mark in those contests.
Grand Rapids welcomes the Rockford IceHogs to Van Andel Arena Friday at 7 p.m. Rockford has won all three meetings between the teams this season, including one shootout victory.
The Griffins drew first blood against the Admirals at 5:39 of the first period when Mark Cullen gained possession behind the Milwaukee net and found Mattias Ritola waiting in the left wing. Ritola promptly sent a one-timer between Admirals netminder Pekka Rinne’s right shoulder and the goal post.
Grand Rapids suffered a spell of bad fortune at the hands of Antti Pihlstrom, who netted a pair of goals in a 14-second span during the middle frame. At 10:27, Pihlstrom slammed home a rebound that resulted from an Alexander Sulzer slap shot. Moments later, the one-man wrecking crew streaked down center ice and converted Rich Peverly’s centering pass from deep in the right corner. Later that period, Jimmy Howard halted a Milwaukee rush and stymied the rebound attempt, but was unable to cover the puck. On the third shot of the sequence, Kelsey Wilson backhanded the puck over a sprawling Howard and into the twine at 18:18.
Grand Rapids, however, drew the count to 3-2 at 2:52 of the third period. With a two-on-one break, Mark Hartigan attempted to slide the puck to Darren Helm, but the pass caromed off a Milwaukee defender and back to Hartigan. Catching Rinne out of position with the unexpected bounce, Hartigan jammed the puck past the goaltender’s left pad.
Minutes after Hartigan’s marker, Brett Engelhardt skated deep into Milwaukee territory flanked by a pair of defenders and beat Rinne from an impossible angle to knot the score at three goals apiece at 8:23.
The Griffins’ comeback was not enough, however, thanks to Franson’s late game-winner.
| Official Game Report |