SEE-SAW WITH CHICAGO

Chicago Wolves 5 at GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 6 OT

Dec. 7, 2016

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Matt Lorito scored 1:56 into overtime while Tomas Nosek and Joe Hicketts each lit the lamp twice during regulation as the Grand Rapids Griffins prevailed 6-5 in a back-and-forth struggle against the Chicago Wolves on Wednesday at Van Andel Arena.

Nosek, reassigned by the Detroit Red Wings this morning, added an assist for the Griffins (13-6-1-2), who pushed their point streak to seven games (4-0-1-2) and moved within two points of AHL-leading Milwaukee in the Central Division race. Grand Rapids will host an early-season showdown with the Admirals on Friday at 7 p.m.

Making the first Van Andel Arena appearance of his career, Cal Heeter was sharp between the Griffins’ pipes during the opening period, as the Wolves (11-9-2-1) fired more than a shot per minute at him but still found themselves behind 1-0 thanks to a great individual effort by Kyle Criscuolo at the 11:13 mark. As goalie Jordan Binnington handled the puck behind his net, Criscuolo sped in on the forecheck to steal it away and wrap a backhand inside the right post before Binnington’s cavalry could arrive.

The Wolves finished the frame with a 21-11 shot advantage, as the Griffins proved unable to stem the tide of last night’s third period in Cleveland during which they were outgunned 20-6. Including Tuesday’s overtime, Grand Rapids to this point in the game had been outshot 44-17 since the second intermission against the Monsters, a span of 42:28.

Grand Rapids added to its lead 3:44 into the second, in the process tying a franchise record by scoring a power play goal for the 13th consecutive game. With just two seconds remaining in the Griffins’ advantage, Nosek potted Matthew Ford’s no-look centering pass on the doorstep to equal the power play streak set by the 2005-06 AHL regular season champions (Feb. 24-March 23, 2006).

Chicago finally broke through on its 26th shot during its own power play less than three minutes later, with Wade Megan scoring on a redirection from the slot to make it a one-goal contest. Later in the period, two more goals in a span of 1:01 put the Wolves ahead by a 3-2 count. Bryce Gervais slapped a backhand over Heeter’s blocker from close range to finish off a partial break at 14:29, before Megan scored his second on a shot from the left circle to give the visitors their only lead.

Following that third unanswered Chicago goal, the Griffins needed less than three minutes to reestablish their advantage and start their own three-goal run. Hicketts one-timed a cross-ice feed from Mitch Callahan for a backdoor goal from the right circle at 16:05, before Nosek notched his second of the night by stealing the puck at the Wolves’ blue line, swooping down the left side and whipping a shot inside the far post from the circle with 2:08 remaining.

Hicketts tallied his second goal and his team’s second power play goal 31 seconds into the third, blasting home a shot from the high slot to put the Griffins ahead 5-3, only to be answered by Chicago defenseman Brad Hunt, the AHL’s leading scorer, who connected through traffic on a slap shot from inches inside the blue line at 7:15.

The Wolves’ second power play marker tied matters at 5-5 with 4:54 showing on the clock, as Andrew Agozzino found the net from the top of the left circle to make it four times in the last five games that the Griffins played past regulation time.

Early in the extra session, Ford tapped the puck to Lorito at the red line and the Griffins’ top scorer did the rest, exploiting a Chicago line change to burst in ahead of the defense and send a wrister past Binnington to end it.

Heeter improved to 2-0 as a Griffin – and a perfect 10-0 on the season, including his 8-0 mark with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye – by making 36 stops, while Binnington finished with 29 saves in defeat.

Note: The 2005-06 squad that set the franchise record by scoring a power play goal in 13 straight games went 23-for-103 (22.3%) with the advantage, while the 2016-17 team is now 21-for-63 (33.3%) during its streak.

Three Stars: 1. GR Nosek (two goals, assist); 2. CHI Agostino (four assists); 3. GR Hicketts (two goals)