DIFFERENT NIGHT, SAME RESULT

MILWAUKEE – The Grand Rapids Griffins dropped their second one-goal game to the Milwaukee Admirals in the past three nights, falling 3-2 at the Bradley Center on Tuesday evening. The Griffins (8-4-2-1) have now lost their last eight matches to the Admirals (8-5-0-1), including six consecutive games at the Bradley Center.

After three consecutive games on the road, the Griffins will now return to Van Andel Arena to take on the Wilkesbarre-Scranton Penguins on Friday night at 7 p.m.

Unlike Sunday night’s match, the Griffins were able to record the game’s first goal, but Mark Dekanich continued to play well against Grand Rapids since allowing three goals in 57 seconds during the second period of Sunday’s game. Dekanich stopped 29 shots, while Jimmy Howard stopped 21 of the 24 shots the Admirals took.

The Griffins took advantage of a 5-3 power play late in the second period to score the first goal of the game with 3:58 remaining in the stanza. Landon Wilson scored his eighth goal of the year from the left side of the net. Darren Haydar took a shot from the high slot area and Darren Helm swept the rebound to the side of the cage, where Wilson slammed it into a half-empty goal.

Hugh Jessiman tied the game 1-1 just 2:17 later. Streaking down the right-wing side, Jessiman sent the puck to the front of the net. Howard missed the puck with his stick and it slipped just inside the left post. Milwaukee then took its first lead of the contest at the 2:13 mark of the third period when Stephen Werner scored a power play goal. A pass from the left-wing boards was tipped to Werner, who ripped a shot from between the circles that found the top-left corner of the net.

Grand Rapids tied the game in the third period with a goal by Haydar at the 10:32 mark. Sergei Kolosov made a good play to keep the puck in the offensive zone along the left-wing boards and poked the puck to Corey Emmerton. Emmerton then slid a pass to a streaking Haydar, who wristed a shot from the left faceoff circle past the glove of Dekanich.

The tie only lasted 12 seconds, as Werner notched his second goal of the game to put the Admirals back in front, 3-2. The goal was almost a carbon copy of Haydar’s, with Werner wristing a shot from the left circle that beat Howard to his glove side.

Three Stars: 1. MIL Werner (2 goals); 2. MIL Dekanich (29 saves); 3. GR Haydar (Goal, assist)