ALL BUSINESS
GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 5 at Texas Stars 2
March 13, 2012
CEDAR PARK, Texas – Ty Conklin made a season-high 38 saves while Chris Conner and Fabian Brunnstrom each scored a pair of goals to pace the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 5-2 win over the Texas Stars on Tuesday night at the Cedar Park Center.
Grand Rapids (27-23-6-4) ended its season-high five-game road trip with consecutive wins, taking five of eight points during their four-game stretch in the state of Texas. The team will return home to welcome the North Division-leading Toronto Marlies on Friday at 7 p.m. and the Hamilton Bulldogs on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Griffins came out firing and found themselves with a 2-0 lead just minutes into the game. Brunnstrom opened the scoring at 3:43 with his ninth goal of the season. He collected a pass from Joakim Andersson and waited patiently before snapping a shot past Stars goaltender Tyler Beskorowany.
The teams exchanged goals over the next sixty-one seconds. Jamie Johnson kept a Texas clearing attempt in at the blue line and threw the puck back on the net, where Conner was left open to chip it past Beskorowany at 4:11. Thirty-three seconds later, Brenden Dillon rifled home a rebound from the high slot to cut the Griffins’ lead to 2-1.
Grand Rapids restored its two-goal lead before the first intermission. Garnet Exelby let a shot go from the point that banked off Landon Ferraro and Tomas Tatar before finding its way to the back of the net at 12:51.
Matt Fraser brought the Stars within one when he knocked a rebound past Conklin 10:12 into the second period, but the Griffins didn't allow the home team to come any closer. Brunnstrom put the Griffins up 4-2 when he capitalized on a nice passing play by one-timing his second goal of the night under the glove of Beskorowany at 16:13.
Francis Pare had a chance to put the game out of reach at 12:50 of the third period when he was awarded a penalty shot after being tripped on a breakaway by Brad Lukowich. Pare tested Beskorowany’s glove with a quick shot on his attempt, but the Texas goaltender was up to the task.
The Griffins were able to ice the game at 16:15 when Conner added his second of the night, converting an easy tap-in off a pass from Chris Minard on a five-on-three man advantage.
Beskorowany made 22 saves for the Stars, who fell to 27-30-2-2.
Notes: Curt Fraser became the first head coach in franchise history to log 300 games. Fraser, in his fourth season as the Griffins’ coach, owns a cumulative 140-121-17-22 record since taking over prior to the 2008-09 season.
Three Stars: 1. GR Brunnstrom (two goals) 2. GR Tatar (goal, assist); 3. TEX Fraser (goal)
March 13, 2012
CEDAR PARK, Texas – Ty Conklin made a season-high 38 saves while Chris Conner and Fabian Brunnstrom each scored a pair of goals to pace the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 5-2 win over the Texas Stars on Tuesday night at the Cedar Park Center.
Grand Rapids (27-23-6-4) ended its season-high five-game road trip with consecutive wins, taking five of eight points during their four-game stretch in the state of Texas. The team will return home to welcome the North Division-leading Toronto Marlies on Friday at 7 p.m. and the Hamilton Bulldogs on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Griffins came out firing and found themselves with a 2-0 lead just minutes into the game. Brunnstrom opened the scoring at 3:43 with his ninth goal of the season. He collected a pass from Joakim Andersson and waited patiently before snapping a shot past Stars goaltender Tyler Beskorowany.
The teams exchanged goals over the next sixty-one seconds. Jamie Johnson kept a Texas clearing attempt in at the blue line and threw the puck back on the net, where Conner was left open to chip it past Beskorowany at 4:11. Thirty-three seconds later, Brenden Dillon rifled home a rebound from the high slot to cut the Griffins’ lead to 2-1.
Grand Rapids restored its two-goal lead before the first intermission. Garnet Exelby let a shot go from the point that banked off Landon Ferraro and Tomas Tatar before finding its way to the back of the net at 12:51.
Matt Fraser brought the Stars within one when he knocked a rebound past Conklin 10:12 into the second period, but the Griffins didn't allow the home team to come any closer. Brunnstrom put the Griffins up 4-2 when he capitalized on a nice passing play by one-timing his second goal of the night under the glove of Beskorowany at 16:13.
Francis Pare had a chance to put the game out of reach at 12:50 of the third period when he was awarded a penalty shot after being tripped on a breakaway by Brad Lukowich. Pare tested Beskorowany’s glove with a quick shot on his attempt, but the Texas goaltender was up to the task.
The Griffins were able to ice the game at 16:15 when Conner added his second of the night, converting an easy tap-in off a pass from Chris Minard on a five-on-three man advantage.
Beskorowany made 22 saves for the Stars, who fell to 27-30-2-2.
Notes: Curt Fraser became the first head coach in franchise history to log 300 games. Fraser, in his fourth season as the Griffins’ coach, owns a cumulative 140-121-17-22 record since taking over prior to the 2008-09 season.
Three Stars: 1. GR Brunnstrom (two goals) 2. GR Tatar (goal, assist); 3. TEX Fraser (goal)
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