Dec. 31, 2022

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins suffered their third-consecutive loss in a 4-2 contest against the Milwaukee Admirals in a New Year’s Eve matchup at Van Andel Arena.

Pontus Andreasson tallied his eighth goal of the season along with an assist, pushing him to first in goals scored by Griffins’ rookies this season and tying him with Simon Edvinsson in helpers by a Grand Rapids rookie this year. Brian Lashoff recorded his first goal of the 2022-23 campaign in the second period, the 32nd of his Griffins career.

John Leonard kicked off scoring in the first with a shot from the slot over the glove of Jussi Olkinuora at 12:51. Andreasson responded 1:03 later, lasering a wrister over the stick of Devin Cooley from the left circle to tie it. The Admirals were able to tally one more before the end of the opening stanza, as Phil Tomasino fired an attempt into the top shelf from between the circles to take a 2-1 lead with 21 seconds remaining.

Play slowed to a crawl in the second with 30 penalty minutes handed out in the frame. However, the Griffins were able to tally their own last-second goal as Lashoff rifled a shot from the top of the left circle into the bottom left corner of goal to knot it up at two with 21 seconds left in the second period.

The Admirals recaptured the lead in the third on a power-play tally from Luke Evangelista at 11:53 and secured a 4-2 win with 40 seconds left on an empty-net goal from Leonard.

Notes
- The Griffins have won five of their last seven New Year’s Eve matchups, including three wins against Milwaukee in that span.
- Grand Rapids is now 0-4-1-0 in games tied after the second period.

Box Score
Milwaukee 2 0 2 - 4
Grand Rapids 1 1 0 - 2

1st Period-1, Milwaukee, Leonard 5 (Schneider), 12:51. 2, Grand Rapids, Andreasson 8 (L’Esperance, O’Regan), 13:54. 3, Milwaukee, Tomasino 8 (Huntington, Gross), 19:57. Penalties-Mutter Mil (tripping), 5:36; Kondelik Mil (fighting), 10:48; Newpower Gr (fighting), 10:48; Apap Mil (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:48; Vrana Gr (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:48.

2nd Period-4, Grand Rapids, Lashoff 1 (Newpower, Andreasson), 19:39. Penalties-Huntington Mil (instigating, fighting, misconduct - instigating), 3:14; Newpower Gr (checking to the head, fighting), 3:14; Johansson Gr (interference), 9:43; Criscuolo Gr (holding), 11:52; Evangelista Mil (interference), 13:00.

3rd Period-5, Milwaukee, Evangelista 5 (Tomasino, Schneider), 11:53 (PP). 6, Milwaukee, Leonard 6 (Schneider), 19:20 (EN). Penalties-Johansson Gr (tripping), 2:21; Tomasino Mil (holding), 5:40; Lashoff Gr (tripping), 5:40; M. Del Gaizo Mil (slashing), 9:18; L’Esperance Gr (hooking), 10:25.

Shots on Goal-Milwaukee 11-7-9-27. Grand Rapids 15-13-6-34.
Power Play Opportunities-Milwaukee 1 / 4; Grand Rapids 0 / 3.
Goalies-Milwaukee, Cooley 5-5-0 (34 shots-32 saves). Grand Rapids, Olkinuora 6-8-0 (26 shots-23 saves).
A-9,397

Three Stars
1. MIL Tomasino (goal, assist); 2. GR Andreasson (goal, assist); 3. MIL Leonard (two goals).

Record / Next Game
Grand Rapids: 11-17-1-0 (23 pts.) / Wed., Jan. 4 vs. Cleveland 7 p.m.
Milwaukee: 18-10-0-2 (38 pts.) / Fri., Jan. 6 vs. San Diego 7 p.m. CST

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins