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Training Camp
Coreau Hung Out To Dry in 5-2 Loss
Ryan Sproul scores 10th goal, adds assist...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
March 26th, 2016



The visiting Lake Erie Monsters stunned the host Grand Rapids Griffins, scoring 4 straight goals to put the game away before it was half over. The Griffins seemed a step behind most of the game and saw a 7 game home winning streak end. Eric Tangradi scored his 25th of the season, celebrating his new two year contract extension, while blueliner Ryan Sproul had a goal and assist. Jared Coreau was tagged for 4 goals on 12 shots in just over 20 minutes before being sent to the showers, though it was tough to place much blame on the towering netminder. Thomas McCollum stopped all 15 shots he faced in relief.

The home team started out with an early powerplay, showing some good movement and a chance from the circle by Martin Frk. Tyler Bertuzzi had the stick slashed out of his hands, extending the Griffins man advantage by almost two minutes. Jared Coreau went out to play the puck and got tangled up behind the net with a Lake Erie forechecker. Monsters pressuring and the Griffins back on their heels. Coreau was screened on the PP and missed the D to D pass that ended up behind him on a shot from the bottom of the circle. Milano made it 2-0 when he tipped a shot past Coreau right at the edge of the paint. Frk had a great chance in front and then rang a long blast off the post. Shots on goal: GR 11 - Lake Erie 9.

Things didn't start out any better in the 2nd, as it appeared Sproul accidentally put the puck into his own net while trying to break up a play. Milano scored his second of the game, when his high shot beat a screened Coreau over the shoulder to make it 4-0 Monsters. That was the end of the night for Coreau, as he headed for the showers in favor of Thomas McCollum. GR tried to pick up the pace and the physical play. Aubry with a huge open ice hit in front of the benches knocked a Monster flying. Frk got cranked hard in the corner. He got back up chased the player down and slashed him right in front of the referee, earning a trip to the box. Sproul broke the goose egg, on the powerplay, when he fired a rocket from the circle that Tangradi got a piece of in front, tipping it past Thiessen. Tomas Nosek and Mitch Callahan 2-on-1 but Thiessen stopped Nosek's chance. Shots on goal: GR 13 - Lake Erie 12.

Paetsch sprung Miele for a brilliant scoring chance. Callahan and Jensen with dangerous chances from the rebound. Callahan was taken down but no griffins powerplay as he was called for embellishment. Vogelhuber just missed an open net to the side of McCollum. Tangradi was pulled down on Griffins powerplay, setting up a five on three. With McCollum called to the bench for an extra skater it became a 6-on-3 advantage. Ryan Sproul picked up a blocked shot at the bottom of the circle and pumped it past Thiessen, low stick-side for his 10th of the season. Frk, last man back, almost got his pocket picked in front of an empty net, but just recovered. An empty netter by Sifers sealed the deal and provided the final margin of victory on 5-2 Griffins loss. Shots on goal: GR 14 - Lake Erie 7. For the game: GR 38 - Lake Erie 28.

Lines:
Tangradi - Miele - Callahan
Bertuzzi - Nosek - Frk
Andersson - Zengerle - Campbell
Hoggan - Aubry - Nastasiuk


Pairings:
Lashoff - Jensen
Ouellet - Russo
Paetsch - Sproul

Starter: Coreau
Backup: McCollum

Scratches:
#11 Cleary - Injury
#20 Renouf
#23 Grant - Injury
#32 Hirschfeld - Seizure/Brain Surgery
#44 Rechlicz
#48 Saarijarvi

PP:
Tangradi - Miele - Callahan
Frk - Sproul

Zengerle - Nosek - Bertuzzi
Ouellet - Russo


PK:
Aubry - Nosek
Lashoff - Jensen

Andersson - Campbell
Paetsch - Ouellet

Observations:

The Griffins did not look good for the first half of the game (or more). Lake Erie had a lot of jump and took advantage of the defense, putting bodies in front of Coreau and really not allowing him to see the puck much. They seemed to play a bit better after McCollum came in, but not enough to win.

Ryan Sproul has really been jumping up into the play and asserting himself as of late. The gifted offensive rearguard has 3 goals and 6 assists in his last 7 games along with 16 shots on goal. He broke the double digit mark in goals for the first time since his rookie season and really has looked good lately.


Official Game Sheet