CRAZY EIGHTS
MILWAUKEE – The Grand Rapids Griffins witnessed their 4-2 first-period-lead disappear Sunday evening at the Bradley Center as they were outscored 6-1 through the final 41:50 by the Milwaukee Admirals resulting in an 8-5 loss.
The Griffins concluded their four-games-in-five-nights stretch with a 1-3-0-0 record and will host the Iowa Stars next Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Both teams started with an offensive flurry combining for seven goals in the opening frame while converting on each power play opportunity. Ryan Keller notched a man-advantage tally at 3:52 after Kip Miller sent the puck to the goal mouth from behind the net, causing a game of pinball before Keller tapped it in.
The Admirals quickly answered at 4:26 when John Vigilante scored from the left side on a tough angle, bouncing the puck off an unsuspecting Jimmy Howard. Ryan Oulahen provided the Griffins’ second goal at 6:47 on a wrister from between the circles off a corner pass from Brendan Brooks.
Once again Milwaukee responded at 10:57 on the power play. Sheldon Brookbank found Jason Guerriero breaking for the far goal post and sent a quick pass from the point for a one-timer.
Darryl Bootland then took over the scoring, notching two goals of his own less than three minutes apart. At 11:27 he slid one by Mike McKenna after receiving a backhand pass from Brooks on the left side, ultimately chasing McKenna from the crease allowing Karl Goehring to take over.
Bootland found the mesh again at 14:14 during a power play when he found a rebound off a shot by Kyle Quincey. The Admirals claimed a questionable lamp-lighter at 18:10 as the final goal of the period on a power play. Kevin Klein sent a wrist shot over Howard’s glove, that to all the Griffins appeared to hit the crossbar, but referee Joe Ernst whistled a goal as the red light lit up.
The scoring calmed in Milwaukee’s favor for the remainder of the game. Ramzi Abid and Rich Peverley both tallied during the second period while Grand Rapids was held scoreless. Paul Brown extended the Admirals’ lead at 10:18 of the final frame before the Griffins narrowed the margin at 14:57. Derek Meech netted his first of the season by batting an air-born puck into the goal for shorthanded mark after Goehring could not handle the initial shot from Matt Hussey.
Guerriero and Kelsey Wilson crushed any hopes of a Griffins comeback tallying two more power play goals just 17 seconds apart to close out an 8-5 final.
The Griffins concluded their four-games-in-five-nights stretch with a 1-3-0-0 record and will host the Iowa Stars next Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Both teams started with an offensive flurry combining for seven goals in the opening frame while converting on each power play opportunity. Ryan Keller notched a man-advantage tally at 3:52 after Kip Miller sent the puck to the goal mouth from behind the net, causing a game of pinball before Keller tapped it in.
The Admirals quickly answered at 4:26 when John Vigilante scored from the left side on a tough angle, bouncing the puck off an unsuspecting Jimmy Howard. Ryan Oulahen provided the Griffins’ second goal at 6:47 on a wrister from between the circles off a corner pass from Brendan Brooks.
Once again Milwaukee responded at 10:57 on the power play. Sheldon Brookbank found Jason Guerriero breaking for the far goal post and sent a quick pass from the point for a one-timer.
Darryl Bootland then took over the scoring, notching two goals of his own less than three minutes apart. At 11:27 he slid one by Mike McKenna after receiving a backhand pass from Brooks on the left side, ultimately chasing McKenna from the crease allowing Karl Goehring to take over.
Bootland found the mesh again at 14:14 during a power play when he found a rebound off a shot by Kyle Quincey. The Admirals claimed a questionable lamp-lighter at 18:10 as the final goal of the period on a power play. Kevin Klein sent a wrist shot over Howard’s glove, that to all the Griffins appeared to hit the crossbar, but referee Joe Ernst whistled a goal as the red light lit up.
The scoring calmed in Milwaukee’s favor for the remainder of the game. Ramzi Abid and Rich Peverley both tallied during the second period while Grand Rapids was held scoreless. Paul Brown extended the Admirals’ lead at 10:18 of the final frame before the Griffins narrowed the margin at 14:57. Derek Meech netted his first of the season by batting an air-born puck into the goal for shorthanded mark after Goehring could not handle the initial shot from Matt Hussey.
Guerriero and Kelsey Wilson crushed any hopes of a Griffins comeback tallying two more power play goals just 17 seconds apart to close out an 8-5 final.