OUT AT FIVE

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 1 at Milwaukee Admirals 3

March 16, 2013

MILWAUKEE – After beating the Milwaukee Admirals by identical 5-1 scores on March 1 and 3, the Grand Rapids Griffins fell to their division rivals 3-1 on Saturday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, ending their five-game winning streak.

After the Griffins (36-20-2-2) tied the game at one early in the second period, the Admirals scored two unanswered goals, putting an end to Grand Rapids’ AHL-best winning streak.

The Admirals (30-24-3-3) jumped on the scoreboard first when Mark Van Guilder’s backhander bounced past Petr Mrazek at 15:01 of the opening period. Taylor Beck’s shot deflected off a Griffins defenseman and Van Guilder cleaned up the rebound, as his shot found the back of the net for his 11th goal of the season.

Andrej Nestrasil tied the game at one for the Griffins at 1:59 of the second period. The Prague, Czech Republic, native scooped up the puck off a faceoff and rung a shot off of the right goal post to score the tying goal.

Juuso Puustinen restored Milwaukee’s lead midway through the second period. The right wing banked his shot off of the right goal post past Mrazek to convert on the Admirals’ second power play of the game. The goal at 10:19 was Puustinen’s 11th of the season.

Milwaukee took a two-goal lead at 14:22 of the second period. Max Nicastro and Triston Grant collided inside their own line going after the puck, and Josh Shalla scooped it up and took it the length of the ice for a breakaway goal. The goal was Shalla’s first in a Milwaukee uniform.

The Griffins pulled Mrazek with one minute left in the contest but were unable to score with a one-man advantage.

Mrazek stopped 29 of 32 shots while Magnus Hellberg earned the victory behind 22 saves.

The Griffins will stay on the road for their next contest, playing at Carver Arena tomorrow at 4:05 p.m. EDT against the Peoria Rivermen.

Three Stars: 1. MIL Shalla (goal); 2. MIL Hellberg (W, 22 saves); 3. MIL Puustinen (goal)