SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST

Milwaukee Admirals 3 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 4 OT

Feb. 18, 2015

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Andy Miele turned in a performance for the ages over the final 130 seconds on Wednesday, forcing overtime in the last second of regulation before scoring 2:09 into the extra session to give the Grand Rapids Griffins an unbelievable 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals at Van Andel Arena.

After burying a pass from Kevin Porter into a gaping net with 0.4 seconds showing on the third-period clock, Miele finished off a give-and-go with Xavier Ouellet by redirecting the return feed past Magnus Hellberg at the right post for the game-winner in overtime.

By claiming their third straight contest and extending their point streak to seven games (5-0-2-0), the Griffins climbed to within just four points of the Midwest Division-leading Admirals and are now only two points behind second-place Rockford.

Grand Rapids (28-17-5-1), which has earned points in 11 of its last 12 outings (9-1-2-0), will look to stay hot this Friday and Saturday when it concludes a busy home week by hosting the Hamilton Bulldogs for a pair. Game time each night is 7 p.m.

Martin Frk, fresh off his fourth call-up of the season from Toledo on Tuesday, gave Grand Rapids the early lead 3:53 into the game. Taking a pass from Mark Zengerle during a rush into the Admirals zone, he ripped a shot over Hellberg’s blocker from the left circle for his second AHL goal of the campaign.

Despite dominating for much of the first period, the Griffins found themselves tied heading into intermission. After Grand Rapids failed to clear the puck from the slot, Richard Clune pounced on the loose disc and lifted a backhand past Jared Coreau on his second attempt with 53 seconds left.

Milwaukee (29-15-4-4) went ahead 2-1 at the 4:51 mark of the middle period, as Garrett Noonan’s blast from the left point was deflected through Coreau’s pads by Colton Sissons on the doorstep.

Jakub Kindl, reunited with the Griffins on a conditioning stint from Detroit and playing his first game at Van Andel Arena since Dec. 22, 2010, connected on a shot from the right point at 15:28 to tie it. But the deadlock was short-lived, as Kevin Fiala bounced a shot off Coreau’s glove and through a small opening 1:49 later, off an assist from former Griffin Triston Grant, to put the Admirals ahead 3-2 entering the final period.

The Griffins pulled out all the stops in the third, outshooting Milwaukee by a 15-3 count, and their persistence paid off in that final second during a power play with Coreau on the bench for an extra attacker, ensuring their first point of the night.

Miele’s heroics enabled Coreau to push his personal winning streak to seven on the strength of 25 saves. Hellberg, a thorn in the Griffins’ side with a pair of shutouts in the season series, took the loss despite 32 stops.

Notes: With the absences of AHL top scorer Teemu Pulkkinen (recalled to Detroit) and Mitch Callahan (long-term injury), the Griffins were without two of their top three point producers against a Milwaukee squad that entered the night tied for sixth in the league in goals allowed…Veteran Brennan Evans played less than two minutes before leaving the game with a lower-body injury, limiting Grand Rapids to only five defensemen for nearly the entire night.

Three Stars: 1. GR Miele (two goals, assist); 2. GR Frk (goal); 3. MIL Sissons (goal, assist)

Milwaukee Admirals 3 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 4 OT

Feb. 18, 2015

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Andy Miele turned in a performance for the ages over the final 130 seconds on Wednesday, forcing overtime in the final second of regulation before scoring 2:09 into the extra session to give the Grand Rapids Griffins an unbelievable 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals at Van Andel Arena.

After burying a pass from Kevin Porter into a gaping net with 0.4 seconds showing on the third-period clock, Miele finished off a give-and-go with Xavier Ouellet by redirecting the return feed past Magnus Hellberg at the right post for the game-winner in overtime.

By claiming their third straight contest and extending their point streak to seven games (5-0-2-0), the Griffins climbed to within just four points of the Midwest Division-leading Admirals and are now only two points behind second-place Rockford.

Grand Rapids (28-17-5-1), which has earned points in 11 of its last 12 outings (9-1-2-0), will look to stay hot this Friday and Saturday when it concludes a busy home week by hosting the Hamilton Bulldogs for a pair. Game time each night is 7 p.m.

Martin Frk, fresh off his fourth call-up of the season from Toledo on Tuesday, gave Grand Rapids the early lead 3:53 into the game. Taking a pass from Mark Zengerle during a rush into the Admirals zone, he ripped a shot over Hellberg’s blocker from the left circle for his second AHL goal of the campaign.

Despite dominating for much of the first period, the Griffins found themselves tied heading into intermission. After Grand Rapids failed to clear the puck from the slot, Richard Clune pounced on the loose disc and lifted a backhand past Jared Coreau on his second attempt with 53 seconds left.

Milwaukee (29-15-4-4) went ahead 2-1 at the 4:51 mark of the middle period, as Garrett Noonan’s blast from the left point was deflected through Coreau’s pads by Colton Sissons on the doorstep.

Jakub Kindl, reunited with the Griffins on a conditioning stint from Detroit and playing his first game at Van Andel Arena since Dec. 22, 2010, connected on a shot from the right point at 15:28 to tie it. But the deadlock was short-lived, as Kevin Fiala bounced a shot off Coreau’s glove and through a small opening 1:49 later, off an assist from former Griffin Triston Grant, to put the Admirals ahead 3-2 entering the final period.

The Griffins pulled out all the stops in the third, outshooting Milwaukee by a 15-3 count, and their persistence paid off in that final second during a power play with Coreau on the bench for an extra attacker, ensuring their first point of the night.

Miele’s heroics enabled Coreau to push his personal winning streak to seven on the strength of 25 saves. Hellberg, a thorn in the Griffins’ side with a pair of shutouts in the season series, took the loss despite 32 stops.

Notes: With the absences of AHL top scorer Teemu Pulkkinen (recalled to Detroit) and Mitch Callahan (long-term injury), the Griffins were without two of their top three point producers against a Milwaukee squad that entered the night tied for sixth in the league in goals allowed…Veteran Brennan Evans played less than two minutes before leaving the game with a lower-body injury, limiting Grand Rapids to only five defensemen for nearly the entire night.

Three Stars: 1. GR Miele (two goals, assist); 2. GR Frk (goal); 3. MIL Sissons (goal, assist)