ROCKFORD, Ill. -- Three-point games from both Amadeus Lombardi (2-1—3) and Austin Watson (2-1—3) led the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 7-5 victory over the Rockford IceHogs on Saturday at the BMO Center. 

Lombardi has scored six goals in the last four games, bringing his season total to 18. Watson’s two tallies extended his goal streak to six, the longest by a Griffin in more than 10 years, dating back to Teemu Pulkkinen’s eight-game run from Dec. 19-Jan. 17, 2014. Rookies Nate Danielson (0-3—3) and Anton Johansson (0-3—3) got into the action, collecting three helpers each. Danielson posted six points (2-4—6) across the weekend series sweep and Johansson earned his first multi-point game in the AHL. Dominik Shine (1-1—2) and Joe Snively (0-2—2) capitalized on their three-point games from the previous night, adding two more points each. During his fourth game with the Griffins this season, Emmitt Finnie secured his first professional goal. Meanwhile, veteran netminder Jack Campbell manned the crease for his 450th professional game and saved 30 shots in the win. 

The Griffins killed off a penalty 7:30 into the outing before taking the 1-0 lead at 9:42. Off a faceoff in the Griffins’ zone, Johansson batted the puck out to Lombardi and he took it all the way down the ice into the low slot, swimming past a defender and extending past the leg of Drew Commesso to put Grand Rapids ahead. The Griffins drew a penalty with four seconds left in the period and entered the second frame on a power play.

Grand Rapids came up empty-handed on the man-advantage to open the second but Watson extended the Griffins’ lead just 3:14 into the period. Danielson cruised into the left circle alone but got tied up by an IceHogs defender. However, he was able to spin around and send a feed to a cutting Watson who snapped it into the back of the net. Rockford quickly followed the Griffins’ tally with its first goal when Zach Sanford scored on a rebound at 6:43 to make it 2-1. Then, with 6:45 remaining in the second, Danielson sent the puck to Antti Tuomisto along the blue line and he fired a rocket toward the goalmouth that zipped past Commesso. 

A Rockford penalty in the waning seconds of the second period set the Griffins up with 1:24 of a power play to start the third period. However, 36 seconds into the man-advantage, the IceHogs stole the puck away and Jalen Luypen scored short-handed. Grand Rapids remained on the power play and just 25 seconds after Rockford’s goal, Lombardi tallied his second of the outing when a rebound from Shine bounced out to him, putting the Griffins ahead 4-2. Grand Rapids suffered a penalty with 13:47 remaining and Sanford struck on the power play at 6:44 to bring the IceHogs within one. It took the Griffins just 1:17 to jump back ahead by two. Watson collected the puck at center ice and lifted the disc into Rockford’s zone for a streaking Finnie who snapped a wrist shot over the goal line. Then, Grand Rapids added to its lead when Shine lit the lamp on a rebound from Josiah Didier at 10:38. 

The Griffins maintained their 6-3 lead until Gavin Hayes ripped the puck past Campbell’s glove with 5:48 left. Rockford then pulled Commesso with 3:03 to play and Sanford completed the hat trick with the extra attacker on, bringing the IceHogs back within one with 2:32 remaining. Rockford kept Commesso on the bench, but the Griffins took the puck away and Watson scored the empty-net goal with 1:16 to play. Grand Rapids continued to hold off the IceHogs in the final minute, securing a 7-5 win. 

Notes

• The Griffins outscored the IceHogs 15-8 in the weekend series.
• Grand Rapids scored 18 total goals across its three-game span this week.
• The Griffins have scored seven power-play goals in their last seven games.

Box Score

Grand Rapids 1 2 4 - 7
Rockford 0 1 4 - 5

1st Period-1, Grand Rapids, Lombardi 17 (Johansson), 9:42. Penalties-Wallinder Gr (slashing), 7:30; Lombardi Rfd (hooking), 14:44; Pietroniro Rfd (holding), 19:56.

2nd Period-2, Grand Rapids, Watson 18 (Danielson, Snively), 3:14. 3, Rockford, Sanford 16 (Fitzgerald, Mayhew), 6:43. 4, Grand Rapids, Tuomisto 3 (Danielson, Snively), 13:15. Penalties-Bantle Gr (fighting), 7:40; Johannes Gr (cross-checking), 7:40; Pietroniro Rfd (fighting), 7:40; Pietroniro Rfd (tripping), 16:52; Hayes Rfd (high-sticking), 19:24.

3rd Period-5, Rockford, Luypen 7   0:52 (SH). 6, Grand Rapids, Lombardi 18 (Shine, Johansson), 1:17 (PP). 7, Rockford, Sanford 17 (Mayhew, Fitzgerald), 6:44 (PP). 8, Grand Rapids, Finnie 1 (Watson, Johansson), 8:01. 9, Grand Rapids, Shine 13 (Didier, Lombardi), 10:38. 10, Rockford, Hayes 4 (Mayhew), 14:09. 11, Rockford, Sanford 18 (Hayes, Fitzgerald), 17:28. 12, Grand Rapids, Watson 19 (Danielson, Gettinger), 18:44 (EN). Penalties-Lombardi Gr (goaltender interference), 6:13.

Shots on Goal-Grand Rapids 7-13-12-32. Rockford 15-9-11-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Grand Rapids 1 / 4; Rockford 1 / 3.
Goalies-Grand Rapids, Campbell 3-7-1 (35 shots-30 saves). Rockford, Commesso 15-14-4 (31 shots-25 saves).
A-4,943

Three Stars

1. RFD Sanford (hat trick); 2. GR Lombardi (two goals, assist); 3. GR Johansson (three assists)

Record/Next Game 

Grand Rapids: 34-26-4-2 (74 pts.) / Wed., April 9 at Cleveland 7 p.m. 

Rockford: 28-30-6-2 (64 pts.) / Fri., April 11 vs. Tucson 7 p.m. CDT

Photo by Nathan Vestal/IceHogs