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Rivermen Sink Griffins 7-1
Lackluster Effort Leads to Shellacking on Home Ice...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
The Griffins dropped their third straight home game, a 7-1 debacle to the Peoria Rivermen. What makes the loss even harder to swallow is the lack of effort and intensity displayed by the home team. Randall Gelech scored the lone goal for the Griffins who were outshot 14-41. Backup Adam Berkhoel got the start in place of Jimmy Howard who was recalled to Detroit earlier in the week.
Peoria established themselves early, crashing the net and putting bodies and pressure on Berkhoel. Drazenovic put the Rivermen on the board just over 5 minutes into the game during a scramble in front poking it home in traffic. The Griffins are guilty of standing around too much and are getting outworked. Cullen had a great chance at the side of the net, but was denied. Shots on goal GR 2 - Peoria 13.
The second stanza started out a little better for Grand Rapids as Gelech tied the game at one just over two minutes in. Hartigan passed the puck from behind the net to a waiting Gelech who one-timed it past Schwarz for a score. Keefe dropped the gloves with Benson off the next face-off, but ended up getting the worst of the bout. Dupont gave Peoria the lead again a minute and a half later when he got the puck in slot and blew it past Berkhoel. McGrath had a 2-on-1 with Ryno but shot it wide of the net - good second effort by Ryno to whack at the puck in the crease. Another defensive breakdown by the Griffins led to a 2-on-1 (almost a 3-on-1) for Peoria which resulted in a goal for Talbot. GR is losing all the little battles along the boards and has lost its composure. Both defenseman left Whitfield alone in front with the puck, and he roofed it over Berkhoel for a 4-1 lead. Shots on goal GR 10 - Peoria 14.
The third was more of the same with Peoria scoring in the first few minutes, and then again at the 9 minute mark when a bouncer got past Berkhoel to make the score 6-1. This prompted a goalie change with the newly signed Cody Rudkowsky coming in. Rudkowsky stopped 8 of 9 shots in the 10 minutes and change he played. The lone goal he surrendered was scored by Lemtyugov on a turnaround wrister from the slot that beat him high, stick side. Shots on goal GR 2 - Peoria 14. For the game GR 14 - Quad City 41.
Lines:
Engelhardt - Corazzini - Cullen
Ritola - Hartigan - Gelech
Oulahen/Keefe - McGrath - Tardif
- McGrath - Ryno
Pairings:
Kindl/Ference - Insana
Ference - Quincey
Ericsson - Stafford
Starter: Berkhoel
Backup: #1 Rudkowsky
Scratches:
Helm
Galvin
PP:
McGrath - Hartigan - Gelech
Kindl - Quincey
Engelhardt - Corazzini - Cullen
Ericsson - Stafford
PK:
Tardif - Oulahen
Ference - Kindl
Corazzini- Cullen/McGrath
Ericsson - Stafford
Hartigan - Gelech
Observations:
A Brutal, ugly game, not many positives other than the hard work by Keefe, Tardif and Oulahen.
Jiri Fischer was at the game in his capacity as pro scout for the wings.
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