GRIFFINS SCORE THREE ON POWER PLAY; DEFEAT ADMIRALS, 6-3

GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 6 at Milwaukee Admirals 3

Nov. 1, 2017

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Grand Rapids Griffins registered three power play goals from three different scorers to defeat the Milwaukee Admirals 6-3 on Wednesday night at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena.

The Admirals (5-3-0-0) stayed close for 40 minutes only trailing by a goal, but the Griffins (4-5-0-1) were able to put the game away with three tallies in the final frame. Grand Rapids finished 3-for-8 on the man advantage which proved to be the difference in the game.

Grand Rapids is back in action on Friday as the Griffins return home to take on the Chicago Wolves at Van Andel Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.

Midway through the opening period the Admirals struck first after a turnover in the Grand Rapids zone. Emil Pettersson scored at the 10:39 mark with a laser from the right circle that found the top of the net.

Two minutes later, with 7:07 left, Matt Puempel tied the game after Admirals goaltender Anders Lindback fumbled the puck behind the net and tried to send a pass through the slot. Puempel intercepted the pass alone in front of the net and buried his third goal of the season.

The Griffins took the lead in the second frame at 10:21 when Ben Street recorded his first goal of the season. Puempel made a pass from the left circle to Eric Tangradi near the crease. Tangradi instantly tapped it to Street in the slot who sent the puck into the half-empty net.

Milwaukee tied the game with 2:17 remaining in the period when Alexandre Carrier added his inaugural goal of the young campaign. A turnover in the Griffins zone led to a 3-on-2 rush by the Admirals that was led by Pierre-Cedric Labrie. Once he hit the Grand Rapids zone, he made a drop pass to the trailing Carrier who shot it over Jared Coreau’s glove.

Eighty seconds later, Tangradi grabbed back the lead from the Admirals with his third goal. The power play tally was deflected off of a shot from the point by Joe Hicketts to make the score 3-2.

Dominic Turgeon lit the lamp three minutes into the final period when he produced his fifth goal the season. The center received the puck in the neutral zone from Dylan McIlrath and sped into the Milwaukee zone. His shot from the high slot caught Lindback by surprise as the Griffins took a 4-2 lead.

Matthew Ford had the third power play goal for the Griffins at 14:35 with a redirection from a Filip Hronek shot. The defenseman collected the puck from Robbie Russo and shot it from the high slot. Ford’s deflection sailed past Lindback for the 5-2 advantage.

The Admirals responded 19 seconds later when Harry Zolnierczyk found a rebound in front of the net after Andrew O’Brien took a shot from the point. Coreau made the initial save, but he couldn’t corral the puck before the left winger put it in the net.

Turner Elson added an empty net goal with 56 seconds left to make the final score 6-3.

Coreau finished the game with 17 saves while Lindback collected 37.

Notes: Grand Rapids outshot Milwaukee in each period (14-5, 18-7 & 11-8)…10 Griffins recorded a point in the game.

Three Stars: 1. GR Puempel (goal, two assists); 2. GR Tangradi (power play goal, assist); 3. GR Street (power play goal)