|
| |
Griffins Gain Revenge on Rampage 7-3
Rookie Blueliner's hat trick leads the way...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
February 24th, 2013
Coming off a rocky 6-3 blowout on home ice, the Griffins were hoping for a better start. The Rampage had other plans and for the second game in a row jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Blueliner Brent Skinner scored late in the first keying a run of six straight goals by the Griffins en route to a 7-3 romp over the visiting San Antonio Rampage. Chad Billins scored his first career hat trick and Gustav Nyquist added three points for the second straight game to take over the lead on the AHL scoring leaderboard. The team also got goals from Pare (17) and Mitch Callahan (10).
San Antonio drew first blood about six minutes into the game when Miskovic clanked a shot in off the the post form a bad angle for a powerplay goal. The light didn't go on despite the official calling it a goal. The play was reviewed, and it was ruled a goal. Midway through the period, Fournier pulled down Rheault on a scoring chance resulting in a penalty shot that the Rampage scoring leader converted for a two goal lead. Skinner got the Griffins on the board late in the period when he snuck up into the play and ripped a shot from the circle in over Grumet-Morris. Mursak got a welcome back to the AHL with a big check at center ice that knocked him ass over applecart. Shots on Goal: GR 12 - San 7.
Frankie Pare evened things up midway through the second on the powerplay. The streaky sniper set up in the circle and had several shots before finding the range and putting a rocket in the net behind Grumet-Morris. The Griffins took their first lead of the game when Chad Billins picked up a loose puck on the powerplay and nobody challenged him. He skated right up to the net, cut to the right and tucked the puck in over Grumet-Morris' pads to make it 3-2. About five minutes later on yet another Griffins' powerplay, the puck took a strange bounce and Billins picked it up, skated into the circle and let a shot go that went in off the goalie's skate for a 4-2 lead. Shots on Goal: GR 21 - San 8.
Nyquist at the point on the powerplay cranked a shot that found its way through traffic and into the net behind Grumet-Morris for the Griffins fourth powerplay goal of the game. San Antonio thought they may have scored a few minutes later, but video review called it no goal. Late in the third, red hot Mitch Callahan followed up the play and notched his 10th of the season, giving him 9 goals in his last 17 games. Wilson crashed the net with speed and put a shot on Mrazek, Selleck buried the rebound for a goal to make it 6-3. Billins completed the hat trick with 1:12 left on the clock and the Griffins skated off with a 7-3 lead. Shots on Goal: GR 13 - San 8. For the Game: GR 46 - San 23.
Lines:
Hoggan - Glendening - Callahan
Jurco - Ferraro - Mursak
Pare - Sheahan - Nyquist
Grant - Nestrasil - Aubry
Pairings:
Paetsch - Skinner
Evans - Billins
Fournier - Nicastro
Starter: Mrazek
Backup: #31 Spratt
Scratches:
Almquist - Injured
Raedeke
Parkes
PP:
Pare - Sheahan - Ferraro
Nyquist - Skinner
Hoggan - Glendening - Nestrasil/Jurco
Patesch - Billins
PK:
Sheahan - Ferraro
Evans - Billins
Aubry - Callahan
Skinner - Paetsch
Mursak - Aubry
Observations:
Good comeback game by Grand Rapids. Congrats to Billins on the hat trick! Also nice to see Callahan keep up his hot streak.
|
|
