GRIFFINS' STREAK ENDS AT FIVE
Grand Rapids, Mich. - After setting a franchise record with five wins to open the season, the Grand Rapids Griffins fell from the ranks of the unbeaten on Friday with a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Wolves at Van Andel Arena.
Kari Lehtonen rebounded from an early 1-0 deficit to finish with 26 saves and earn the win for the Wolves (4-2-1-0), while the Griffins Joey MacDonald made 24 stops in suffering his first blemish against five wins.
Grand Rapids (5-1-0-0) will try to get back on the winning track on Saturday, when it hosts the San Antonio Rampage in a 7:30 p.m. start. In celebration of Halloween, the Griffins will wear special orange and black jerseys that will be auctioned after the game to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The Griffins tallied the lone goal of the opening period, scoring 18 seconds into a power play at the 5:11 mark. From the point, Danny Groulx sent a shot on net that Blake Sloan redirected past Lehtonen, giving the Griffins their sixth straight game with a power play goal.
Chicago needed only 3:24 of the middle frame to take their 2-1 lead. Steve Maltais tied the score on a no-look shot from low in the right circle just 14 seconds in, and Brian Maloney beat MacDonald top-shelf with a blast from the left faceoff dot 3:10 later.
The Griffins had a golden opportunity to pull even during a power play with less than six minutes remaining in the period. Eric Himelfarb was sprung on a breakaway just outside the Chicago blue line, but Lehtonens glove was just quick enough to thwart the equalizer.
After killing off three penalties in the third period, the Griffins finally received a chance of their own with 4:31 remaining, but they again could not take advantage of the opportunity.
Kari Lehtonen rebounded from an early 1-0 deficit to finish with 26 saves and earn the win for the Wolves (4-2-1-0), while the Griffins Joey MacDonald made 24 stops in suffering his first blemish against five wins.
Grand Rapids (5-1-0-0) will try to get back on the winning track on Saturday, when it hosts the San Antonio Rampage in a 7:30 p.m. start. In celebration of Halloween, the Griffins will wear special orange and black jerseys that will be auctioned after the game to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.
The Griffins tallied the lone goal of the opening period, scoring 18 seconds into a power play at the 5:11 mark. From the point, Danny Groulx sent a shot on net that Blake Sloan redirected past Lehtonen, giving the Griffins their sixth straight game with a power play goal.
Chicago needed only 3:24 of the middle frame to take their 2-1 lead. Steve Maltais tied the score on a no-look shot from low in the right circle just 14 seconds in, and Brian Maloney beat MacDonald top-shelf with a blast from the left faceoff dot 3:10 later.
The Griffins had a golden opportunity to pull even during a power play with less than six minutes remaining in the period. Eric Himelfarb was sprung on a breakaway just outside the Chicago blue line, but Lehtonens glove was just quick enough to thwart the equalizer.
After killing off three penalties in the third period, the Griffins finally received a chance of their own with 4:31 remaining, but they again could not take advantage of the opportunity.