GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 1 at Peoria Rivermen 4

March 19, 2013

PEORIA, Ill. – The Grand Rapids Griffins’ bad luck against Peoria continued on Tuesday night, as the team fell to the Rivermen for the sixth time in a row with a 4-1 loss at Carver Arena.

After holding a 1-0 lead heading into the second period, the Griffins surrendered four unanswered goals over the final 40 minutes, dropping a two-game set against the Rivermen.

Tomas Tatar wasted little time putting the Griffins (36-21-3-2) on the scoreboard as he scored his fifth goal in seven games against the Rivermen midway through the first period. As Mike McKenna moved from the right to the left side of the goal, Tatar fired a one-timer under the goaltender’s glove. The power play goal came at 11:41 of the opening period.

The Rivermen (28-28-4-3) tied the game at one on a power play goal at 3:27 of second period. Petr Mrazek tried to collect a rebound as multiple Peoria players piled outside of the Griffins net, but Michael Pelech jammed a shot over Mrazek before the goaltender could recover. The goal was Pelech’s first in the AHL.

Peoria scored two goals in just over one minute midway through the second period to take a commanding two-goal lead. Derek Nesbitt struck first with a goal at 9:56. T.J. Hensick scooped up the puck from behind the Griffins net and sent a blind pass to Nesbitt in front of the goal. The right wing snapped his shot past Mrazek’s blocker to give Peoria its first lead of the game.

Adam Cracknell capitalized on a two-on-one advantage at 10:57 of the middle period to give the Rivermen a 3-1 lead. The puck took a Peoria bounce off Grand Rapids’ line and Hensick found Cracknell streaking up the ice with a backhand pass. The center rolled his shot past Mrazek, scoring his 14th goal of the season.

Cracknell scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 6:47 of the final period, giving the Rivermen a 4-1 lead. Hensick connected with Cracknell for the second time in the contest, and the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan native walked in on Mrazek. Cracknell sent his shot right inside the far post, scoring his second goal back in Peoria after an eight-game stint in the NHL.

Mrazek stopped 30 of 34 shots as McKenna earned the victory behind 25 saves.

The Griffins will return to Grand Rapids to host Lake Erie on Friday at 7 p.m. before beginning their longest road trip of the season against the Monsters on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Three Stars: 1. PEO Hensick (three assists); 2. PEO Cracknell (two goals); 3. PEO McKenna (W, 25 saves)