GRIFFINS DOWN DUCKS IN SHOOTOUT, 4-3
Anaheim, Calif. The Grand Rapids Griffins downed the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks 4-3 in a shootout on Wednesday at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. The Griffins improve their road record to 5-0-0-0 and 11-4-1-0 overall.
Tomas Kopecky and Todd Robinson converted in the shootout, while Joey MacDonald stopped the four Ducks shooters. The Griffins improve to 2-0 in shootouts this season and 38-45 overall.
Grand Rapids will host the Chicago Wolves on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Cincinnati (6-10-0-1) opened the games scoring when Michael Holmqvist wristed a shot that ricocheted off the goal post past MacDonald and into the cage just 53 seconds into the tilt. MacDonald turned aside the original shot by Shane OBrien, but Holmqvist corralled the rebound and connected from 15 feet.
Griffins defenseman Niklas Kronwall tied the score at 1-1 when he fired a shot from two strides inside the blue line past Ilya Bryzgalov at 7:53 of the first period. The Griffins patiently passed the puck around the Cincinnati zone. Kronwall controlled a pass from Todd Robinson at the blue line and while striding, switched from forehand to backhand before threading the puck through Bryzgalovs legs.
Cincinnati regained its one-goal lead when Stanislav Chistov gathered the rebound of his own shot and popped it over MacDonald with 25 seconds remaining in the first period.
Grand Rapids scored two five-on-three goals in the second period. Kronwall netted the first of those when his 25-foot wrist shot eluded Bryzgalov to knot the score 2-2 at 6:32.
Nathan Robinson recorded his second point of the night when he scored with 34 seconds remaining in the period. A shot by Bryan Helmer was partially blocked in front of the Cincinnati cage, but Nathan Robinson pounced on the loose puck and shoveled it past Bryzgalov for the second power play marker of the contest and a 3-2 lead for Grand Rapids.
The Mighty Ducks tied the score just 97 seconds into the third period. Alexei Smirnov lifted the rebound of Dustin Penners wraparound attempt over MacDonald to even the score at 3-3.
MacDonald, who turned aside 13 shots in the third period and three shots in overtime, stopped 30 shots for the win. Bryzgalov made 17 saves in the shootout loss.
Tomas Kopecky and Todd Robinson converted in the shootout, while Joey MacDonald stopped the four Ducks shooters. The Griffins improve to 2-0 in shootouts this season and 38-45 overall.
Grand Rapids will host the Chicago Wolves on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Cincinnati (6-10-0-1) opened the games scoring when Michael Holmqvist wristed a shot that ricocheted off the goal post past MacDonald and into the cage just 53 seconds into the tilt. MacDonald turned aside the original shot by Shane OBrien, but Holmqvist corralled the rebound and connected from 15 feet.
Griffins defenseman Niklas Kronwall tied the score at 1-1 when he fired a shot from two strides inside the blue line past Ilya Bryzgalov at 7:53 of the first period. The Griffins patiently passed the puck around the Cincinnati zone. Kronwall controlled a pass from Todd Robinson at the blue line and while striding, switched from forehand to backhand before threading the puck through Bryzgalovs legs.
Cincinnati regained its one-goal lead when Stanislav Chistov gathered the rebound of his own shot and popped it over MacDonald with 25 seconds remaining in the first period.
Grand Rapids scored two five-on-three goals in the second period. Kronwall netted the first of those when his 25-foot wrist shot eluded Bryzgalov to knot the score 2-2 at 6:32.
Nathan Robinson recorded his second point of the night when he scored with 34 seconds remaining in the period. A shot by Bryan Helmer was partially blocked in front of the Cincinnati cage, but Nathan Robinson pounced on the loose puck and shoveled it past Bryzgalov for the second power play marker of the contest and a 3-2 lead for Grand Rapids.
The Mighty Ducks tied the score just 97 seconds into the third period. Alexei Smirnov lifted the rebound of Dustin Penners wraparound attempt over MacDonald to even the score at 3-3.
MacDonald, who turned aside 13 shots in the third period and three shots in overtime, stopped 30 shots for the win. Bryzgalov made 17 saves in the shootout loss.
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