BARONS SPLIT GRIFFINS WITH LATE WINNER

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 2 at Oklahoma City Barons 3

Dec. 13, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City Barons overcame a 2-0 deficit for the second straight night with three assists from Anton Lander to come from behind and defeat the Grand Rapids Griffins 3-2 Saturday at Cox Convention Center.

The Barons netted the game-winning goal at 17:41 when Griffins goaltender Tom McCollum lost the puck from his body following a shot by Lander, leaving Ilro Pakarinen to poke the puck into the net before a diving McCollum could cover it.

Pakarinen’s winner capped off a weekend that featured five assists against the Griffins for Lander, who earned first star honors tonight.

Grand Rapids (12-10-3-0) got two quick goals 51 seconds apart in the first period from Anthony Mantha and Colin Campbell.

Mantha’s fourth tally of the season at 12:32 came on a breakaway where he fired a quick snap from 20 feet between the pads of Oklahoma City goaltender Laurent Brossoit.

Campbell’s first goal of the season at 13:23 came just after a face-off when he stood in front of Brossoit tipped a slap shot off the stick of Ryan Sproul.

Oklahoma City (15-6-2-2) cut its deficit in half in the middle frame at 7:14 when Matt Ford followed up his shot on McCollum and put the rebound between his pads for his seventh goal of the season.

Ford’s eighth goal of the season came on the power play in the third period at 1:05 on a deflection just under the crossbar as he was screening McCollum following a shot from Brad Hunt.

Entering tonight’s game with the second-ranked power play in the league, Ford’s tally would be the lone power play goal the Barons scored in four opportunities. The Griffins failed to convert on three power play chances.

Brossoit made 25 saves in the win. His season record is now 6-3-0. McCollum’s loss where he saved 33 shots drops his record this season to 5-8-3.

Grand Rapids will return to home ice Friday at 7 p.m. when Toronto visits.

Three Stars: 1. OKC Lander (three assists); 2. OKC Ford (two goals); 3. OKC Pakarinen (game-winning goal)

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 2 at Oklahoma City Barons 3

Dec. 13, 2014

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City Barons overcame a 2-0 deficit for the second straight night with three assists from Anton Lander to come from behind and defeat the Grand Rapids Griffins 3-2 Saturday at Cox Convention Center.

The Barons netted the game-winning goal at 17:41 when Griffins goaltender Tom McCollum lost the puck from his body following a shot by Lander, leaving Ilro Pakarinen to poke the puck into the net before a diving McCollum could cover it.

Pakarinen’s winner capped off a weekend that featured five assists against the Griffins for Lander, who earned first star honors tonight.

Grand Rapids (12-10-3-0) got two quick goals 51 seconds apart in the first period from Anthony Mantha and Colin Campbell.

Mantha’s fourth tally of the season at 12:32 came on a breakaway where he fired a quick snap from 20 feet between the pads of Oklahoma City goaltender Laurent Brossoit.

Campbell’s first goal of the season at 13:23 came just after a face-off when he stood in front of Brossoit tipped a slap shot off the stick of Ryan Sproul.

Oklahoma City (15-6-2-2) cut its deficit in half in the middle frame at 7:14 when Matt Ford followed up his shot on McCollum and put the rebound between his pads for his seventh goal of the season.

Ford’s eighth goal of the season came on the power play in the third period at 1:05 on a deflection just under the crossbar as he was screening McCollum following a shot from Brad Hunt.

Entering tonight’s game with the second-ranked power play in the league, Ford’s tally would be the lone power play goal the Barons scored in four opportunities. The Griffins failed to convert on three power play chances.

Brossoit made 25 saves in the win. His season record is now 6-3-0. McCollum’s loss where he saved 33 shots drops his record this season to 5-8-3.

Grand Rapids will return to home ice Friday at 7 p.m. when Toronto visits.

Three Stars: 1. OKC Lander (three assists); 2. OKC Ford (two goals); 3. OKC Pakarinen (game-winning goal)