GOING BACK TO CALLY

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Mitch Callahan scored a pair of power play goals and Adam Almquist chipped in three assists to lift the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 4-3 victory over the Oklahoma City Barons on Saturday at Van Andel Arena.

The Griffins (31-17-2-3) broke a six-game winless streak at home with their first win in friendly territory since Jan. 17, while avenging Friday’s 4-2 loss to the Barons and maintaining their first-place status in the Midwest Division by one point over the Chicago Wolves.

Grand Rapids will complete a rare home three-in-three on Sunday by hosting the Milwaukee Admirals at 5 p.m.

The scoring started just 18 seconds into the game when Oklahoma City’s C.J. Stretch deflected David Musil’s shot from the point, bouncing the puck past Petr Mrazek. It marked the fastest goal surrendered by Grand Rapids in a game this season.

The Griffins forged a short-lived tie on Callahan’s team-high 20th tally of the season at 7:02, as he set up in front of the Barons’ net and redirected Calle Jarnkrok’s shot through Richard Bachman. But Oklahoma City jumped right back on top at 8:30 when Mark Arcobello’s centering feed from the left boards was tipped home from the doorstep by a hard-charging Steve Pinizzotto.

Grand Rapids notched the only two goals of the second period to carry a 3-2 advantage into the final 20 minutes. Callahan scored his second power play tally at the 9:32 mark, backhanding a rebound into a gaping cage, before Trevor Parkes gave the Griffins their first lead by deflecting Almquist’s point shot at 12:36.

Arcobello netted the equalizer for the Barons 7:45 into the third period, launching a straight-on shot from just inside the blue line that eluded Mrazek’s glove.

With 7:40 remaining, Callahan took off down the ice on a shorthanded breakaway attempt, trying to secure his second hat trick of the season, but Bachman denied him with a left pad save to keep it a 3-3 game. However, less than a minute later and soon after the Griffins’ penalty expired, Cory Emmerton one-timed a shot into the top left corner of the net from the high slot to again put Grand Rapids up by one goal.

After pulling Bachman for an extra attacker with 90 seconds left, the Barons (23-23-1-6) held the puck in the Griffins’ zone for the next minute but could not get a good scoring chance on Mrazek, despite Jeff Hoggan having to defend the 6-on-5 attack without a lost stick.

Mrazek finished with 36 saves and earned the 35th victory of his Griffins career, tying Pokey Reddick for eighth on the franchise’s all-time list. Bachman answered with 33 stops for the Barons.

For the first time since Dec. 7 against Rochester, the Griffins scored multiple power play goals and enjoyed a perfect penalty-killing performance, as they converted two of their eight opportunities and kept Oklahoma City scoreless in five tries.

Three Stars: 1. GR Callahan (two power play goals); 2. GR Almquist (three assists); 3. GR Jarnkrok (two assists)