|
| |
Brandsegg-Nygard Powers Griffins to 5-2 Win
Lombardi scores for second straight game...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
November 14th, 2025
After getting off to a slow start in Detroit to start the season, top prospect Michael-Brandsegg-Nygard was sent to Grand Rapids to gain some confidence. It appears he is rounding into form quite nicely as he scored 2 goals to lead his team over the visiting Toronto Marlies. He had a lot of help as Grand Rapids also got goals from Eduards Tralmaks (5), Amadeus Lombardi (2) and John Leonard (10). The Griffins defense did a masterful job of limiting chances and frustrating the Marlies shooters. The few shots that did get through were handled by Carter Gylander filling in for the injured Sebastien Cossa and Michal Postava as he moves to 2-0-1 on the season.
First Period
Grand Rapids doing a great job right off the opening faceoff of forechecking and creating pressure in the Marlies zone. Toronto appears to be backed off by the Griffins speed both in skating and in moving the puck. Right off the faceoff, Tralmaks stepped behind the center in the right circle and clapped a shot into the net behind netminder Vyacheslav Peksa. Huge stop by Gylander! Point blank chance as a Marlies forward carried out from behind the net for a quick snap. Ian Mitchell at the blueline wired a shot in on net that Brandsegg-Nygard got a piece of to run the score to 2-0.
Shots on goal: GR 12 - Tor 7.
Second Period
Lombardi and Brandsegg-Nygard worked a nice give-and-go play to get the puck deep, then a centering pass was picked off to break up the play. Tyler Angle carried into the slot for a dangerous chance. Gylander came up big again, kicking out a screened shot and the two rebounds to keep the Marlies off the board. Nylander ripped a shot from between the circles and Gylander had to be sharp again. Great Griffins scoring chance as a puck right in front was chipped over Paska but rolled along the inside of the crossbar before exiting on the other side. Brandsegg-Nygard crossed the line and surprised Peksa with his quick release on a heavy shot. It appeared that Carson Bantle scored, but it was immediately waived off as being kicked in. Alex Doucet with a big hit in the neutral zone. Angle cut in on net and made a slick move to backhand the puck between his own legs and surprise Peksa with a great chance. Bantle won a footrace to get behind the Marlies D as the chased the puck into the Toronto end. This caused Peksa to have to come way out of the net to poke the puck away. Steal by Leonard and he rifles a shot from the slot into Peksa. Tralmaks nice play at the line to carry the puck in then drag his feet to shift east to west to open-up a shooting lane on Peksa. Grand Rapids ended up with a late powerplay in the closing seconds of the period. Leonard had a great chance from the circle, but Peksa made the stop.
Shots on goal: GR 8 - Tor 7.
Third Period
The powerplay caried over into the third period for one minute 46 seconds. Just as the penalty expired Jakub Rychlovsky found Brandsegg-Nygard in the left circle. MBN went down on one knee and cranked a shot in past Peksa, stick side to push the score to 3-0. Gylander made a save and the puck popped way up in the air. As the Marlies crashed the net, the Griffins netminder stood and batted the puck out of the air and over the shoulder of Stevens who was watching it fall. Marlies had a rare odd-man rush into the Griffins zone and Tverberg used Kannok-Leipert as a screen to snipe a shot from the circle past Gylander for a 3-1 score. Rychlovsky used his speed to catch up to a pair of Toronto defenders and then fight his way past them for the puck. The Griffins are really frustrating the Marlies as they are winning foot races and stripping the puck away almost at will. Great play by Leonard to get behind the D, cut in on net and as he passed it, he backhanded a shot. Peksa was forced to make a save with a big rebound and Lombardi buried it glove-side to restore the three-goal lead 4-1. Johnstone took advantage of a breakdown in front to pop the puck behind Gylander. Toronto pulled their goalie for the extra attacker with 3:30 on the clock. Leonard picked up the puck in the Griffins zone and flung it down the ice into the empty net to cap the scoring at 5-2.
Shots on Goal: GR 7 - Tor 9. For the Game: GR 27 - Tor 23.
Starting Lines:
#19 Leonard - #93 Lombardi - #65 Shine
#47 Doucet - #15 Dries - #28 Brandsegg-Nygard
#26 Moyle - #11 Seger - #21 Bantle
#81 Rychlovsky - #77 Angle - #34 Tralmaks
Pairings:
#37 William Lagesson - #4 Tuomisto
#56 Gustafsson - #55 Mitchell
#41 Kannok Leipert - #22 Wallinder
Starter: #31 Gylander
Backup: #30 Dustin Tokarski
Scratches:
#25 Becher (Injured)
#33 Cossa (Injured)
#35 Postava (Injured)
#51 Watson (Veteran Scratch)
#4 Holl (Veteran Scratch)
$43 Mazur (Injured)
Power Play:
#15 Dries - #93 Lombardi - #19 Leonard
#56 Gustafsson - #65 Shine
#81 Rychlovsky - #77 Angle - #28 Brandsegg-Nygard
#55 Mitchell - #34 Tralmaks
PK:
No Griffins Penalties
Observations:
This was the best game I have seen Jakub Rychlovsky play since coming to Grand Rapids. He provided energy and speed and was a force on the forecheck. He was noticeable all game long and seemed to play well with his new linemates.
Grand Rapids as a whole was defensively dominant for most of the game. They continue to do a great job of keeping the puck to the outside and limiting quality offense chances. The forwards came back to help, and were seemingly always in the right spot to break up the play.
William Lagesson may be one of the best defensemen in the AHL the season. He was physical without taking penalties and really used his footspeed and strong stick to take everything away when he was on the ice. Being paired with Tuomisto also seemed to bring out the best in the talented Finn's game as he had one of his best games of the season.
|
|
