ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Grand Rapids Griffins were unable to emerge from a three-goal deficit on Saturday, as they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Rockford IceHogs at the Rockford MetroCentre.

The loss drops Grand Rapids’ record to 21-23-0-1 overall and 1-4-0-0 in their eight-game series against Rockford.

Rockford (26-18-2-3) has put together a 6-0-0-1 run and their 16 home wins ranks first in the Western Conference.

The Griffins will conclude their 3-in-3 weekend on Sunday when they travel to Chicago for a 4:00 p.m. EST face off with the Wolves.

The opening period featured a fight between Jamie Tardif and Jake Dowell at 3:26. After a bone-jarring hit delivered by Sergei Kolosov at the Griffins’ blue line, the two captains squared off at center ice to ignite a sold-out crowd of 6,151.

Just 2:29 later, Rockford took a 1-0 lead with a goal by Bryan Bickel. The IceHogs won a face off in the left circle of their offensive zone, and Bickel gathered the puck to snap a wrist shot into the short side of the Griffins’ net.

In the middle frame, Rockford used a failed Griffins’ breakout attempt to build a two-goal lead. Jack Skille picked off a pass at the top of the right circle and connected with Bracken Kearns, who patiently coasted across the goal mouth to place a low shot into the right side of the net at 2:51. Then Jonathan Carlsson, who fanned on a shot from the left hash mark, fooled Tomas McCollum with his changeup at the 6:07 mark.

The Griffins were able to make it a one-goal game before the second intermission, scoring two goals in just 46 seconds.
In the neutral zone, Logan Pyett picked up a pass from Kris Newbury and drove hard to the IceHogs’ net to score the Griffins’ second short-handed tally of the season at 15:55. Rockford’s lead was cut in half when Jon Vigilante’s centering pass banked off Corey Crawford for a goal that make the score 3-2.

In the final stanza, former Griffin Mark Cullen lit the lamp with a one-timer from the left circle at 12:32.

Rockford held off the Griffins’ offense for the rest of the game, and stabbed the final dagger at 18:51 when Kyle Greentree scored an empty-net goal to finalize the score at 5-2.

McCollum made 21 saves in the loss for Grand Rapids, while Crawford turned aside 28 shots in the IceHogs’ net.

Three Stars: 1. RFD Carlsson (GW goal); 2. RFD Skille (2 assists); 3. RFD Kearns (1 goal, 1 assist).