[From the Griffins]
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GRIFFINS’ WINNING STREAK SNAPPED AT CHICAGO
GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS 4 at Chicago Wolves 8
Feb. 28, 2021
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – After snapping the Chicago Wolves’ seven-game winning streak on Friday at Van Andel Arena, the Grand Rapids Griffins saw the tables turned and had their own four-game run ended by the Wolves in an 8-4 final on Sunday at the Triphahn Center Ice Arena.
The Griffins, who had surrendered only 11 goals over their first six games, allowed their most goals against in more than 10 years, dating to a wild 10-8 win at Chicago on Nov. 27, 2010. It marked only the eighth time in 25 seasons that Grand Rapids yielded eight or more goals to the opposition.
A Griffins team that had allowed just one goal per game during its four-game streak surrendered four to Chicago before the game was 24 minutes old. Phil Tomasino connected against Pat Nagle just 48 seconds into the first period, only to see Taro Hirose answer from the top of the left circle during a power play at 10:29. Jamieson Rees then scored a power play goal at 12:49 and an even-strength marker at 15:34 to build a 3-1 advantage for the home team, but Dennis Cholowski snuck a shot from the blue line past Beck Warm at 16:53 to make it a one-goal game again through 20 minutes.
Cavan Fitzgerald re-established Chicago’s two-goal lead at 4-2 by roofing a shot from the right circle 3:27 into the second. A Seth Jarvis tally that slipped over the line at 9:07 ushered Kevin Boyle into the game for Nagle, and after a cross-checking call against Joey Keane, Kyle Criscuolo needed only eight seconds to pull Grand Rapids within 5-3. He potted a Michael Rasmussen feed from the left side at 9:44 for his third goal in as many games at Chicago this season.
Just after the Griffins’ only unsuccessful power play of the day, the Wolves broke in on a 2-on-1 and went ahead 6-3 when Rem Pitlick took a centering pass from Sheldon Rempal and beat Boyle on the back door at 12:43.
Early in the third, Riley Barber notched his third goal in two games to make it 6-4 during a power play, but Chicago added tallies from Sean Malone at 5:38 and David Cotton on the power play with 11 seconds left to cap off the scoring.
Notes
• Barber (5-5—10) has registered at least one point in all seven games this season. Three other Griffins extended scoring streaks today, including Rasmussen (five games, 2-3—5), Cholowski (four games, 2-5—7) and Hirose (four games, 1-7—8). Hirose’s three-point night (1-2—3) marked a season-high for a Griffin.
• After going 3-for-4 on the power play, Grand Rapids has now converted nine of 31 chances this season (29.0%).
• The Griffins are 0-3 this season at the Triphahn Center Ice Arena and 4-0 at all other venues, including 2-0 at Van Andel Arena.
Box Score
Grand Rapids 2 1 1 – 4
Chicago 3 3 2 – 8
1st Period-1, Chicago, Tomasino 4 (Allard), 0:48. 2, Grand Rapids, Hirose 1 (Cholowski, Barber), 10:29 (PP). 3, Chicago, Rees 2 (Davies, Pitlick), 12:49 (PP). 4, Chicago, Rees 3 (Novak, Bokk), 15:34. 5, Grand Rapids, Cholowski 3 (Pearson), 16:53. Penalties-Keane Chi (tripping), 10:06; served by Lukosevicius Gr (bench minor – too many men), 11:33.
2nd Period-6, Chicago, Fitzgerald 3 (Suzuki, Jarvis), 3:27. 7, Chicago, Jarvis 7 (Smith, Davies), 9:07. 8, Grand Rapids, Criscuolo 3 (Rasmussen, Hirose), 9:44 (PP). 9, Chicago, Pitlick 8 (Rempal, Warsofsky), 12:43. Penalties-Turgeon Gr (fighting), 8:53; Healey Chi (fighting), 8:53; Keane Chi (cross-checking), 9:36; Keane Chi (delay of game), 10:38.
3rd Period-10, Grand Rapids, Barber 5 (Hirose, Criscuolo), 2:15 (PP). 11, Chicago, Malone 1 (Cotton, Richard), 5:38. 12, Chicago, Cotton 3 (Keane, Richard), 19:49 (PP). Penalties-Pitlick Chi (cross-checking), 1:41; Sebrango Gr (cross-checking), 7:28; Shine Gr (fighting), 9:35; Keane Chi (fighting), 9:35; Lashoff Gr (cross-checking), 10:55; Rasmussen Gr (cross-checking), 19:38.
Shots on Goal-Grand Rapids 9-13-11-33. Chicago 13-10-12-35.
Power Play Opportunities-Grand Rapids 3 / 4; Chicago 2 / 4.
Goalies-Grand Rapids, Nagle 2-2-0 (20 shots-15 saves); Boyle 2-1-0 (15 shots-12 saves). Chicago, Warm 4-0-0 (33 shots-29 saves).
Three Stars
1. CHI Rees (two goals); 2. CHI Jarvis (game-winning goal, assist); 3. GR Cholowski (goal, assist)
Record / Next Game
Grand Rapids: 4-3-0-0 (8 pts.) / Wed., March 3 at Rockford 7 p.m. EST
Chicago: 8-1-0-0 (16 pts.) / Fri., March 5 vs. Cleveland 7 p.m. CST
s 3 p.m. CST