WOOD Radio Local News

WOOD Radio Local News

WOOD Radio Local News

 

Griffins rally in 3rd period, but lose playoff Game 3 in O.T. to Admirals

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A crowd of 6,788 fans was treated to a thrilling Calder Cup playoff contest Wednesday night at Van Andel Arena, but they left disappointed, as the Milwaukee Admirals beat the Grand Rapids Griffins, 3-2, in overtime.

Game 3 of the AHL Central Division finals in Grand Rapids went to the Admirals on a deflected shot by Egor Afanasyev 3:40 into the extra session. He was credited with a hat trick after the puck ricocheted off teammate Antii Tuamisto and into the net. Afansyev scored all three of Milwaukee's goals. Joakim Kemmel and Ryan Ufko each assisted on two of those goals.

The Admirals take a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-five American Hockey Leage Central Division finals heading into Game 4 on Friday night at Van Andel Arena. The Griffins will need to win to keep their season alive and force a deciding Game 5. Broadcast time on Friday night on 96.1 The Game will be 6:45 p.m.

The Griffins were flat in the first two periods, being outshot 17-4 at one point about 25 minutes into the game, and 21-10 after the second stanza. But they came alive in the final period, buzzing the Admirals' net repeatedly and forcing the extra session. After one goal, Admirals' goalie Yaroslav Askarov ended up flat on his back with the biscuit in the back of the basket.

William Wallinder had a goal and an assist for the Griffins, as did Austin Czarnik.

Askarov rejected 25 of Grand Rapids' 27 shots on net, and Griffins' goaltender Sebastian Cossa stopped 27 of Milwaukee's shots on goal.

Alas, the Admirals outshot Grand Rapids, 3-2, in the overtime and 30-27 for the game. The Griffins expended a tremendous amount of energy in the final period, after a lackluster start. That has been their modus operandi at times this season, but they may have to get started sooner if they want to advance to the next round. That will require taking two games in a row from Milwaukee - including a potential Game 5 on Admirals' ice.

Period-by-Period summaries:

-1st Period-

[7:43pm] First period ends with goose eggs: 0-0. GR only had four shots on goal and, at one point, a 5-on-3 disadvantage as they had to fight off two penalties at once. Milwaukee had 11 shots on goal in the opening period.

[7:32] With 5:37 to go in the opening session, Albert Johansson is called for a hooking penalty and the Admirals have a 5-on-3 advantage for :14. The Griffins kill off the first power play, and Rafferty is back on the ice. Sebastian Cossa with a nice save to prevent the game's first score. And now, the Griffins kill off the second penalty. 3:23 to go, with the Admirals up, 11-3, in shots on goal. But it's 0-0 where it counts: on the scoreboard. The crowd is amped up in Grand Rapids going into a timeout.

[7:29pm] The Griffins' Brogan Rafferty is sent to the sin bin with 7:24 to go in the first frame for slashing, after he prevented a breakaway. It's the Admirals' first power play of the game. They were 1-for-5 with the extra attacker against GR in the first two games.

[7:21pm] Griffins' right wing Joel L'Esperance had a scoring opportunity right on the doorstep of Milwaukee's goal, but goalie Yaroslav Askarov was equal to the task and blocked it easily. With 10:30 to go in the opening period, the Admirals lead in shots on goal, 8-3.

[7:12pm] Admirals defenseman Roland McKeown goes to the penalty box for tripping the Griffins' Zach Aston-Reese barely a minute into the game on a breakaway. The vocal crowd at Van Andel Arena wanted a penalty shot, as Aston-Reese went down hard. The Griffins' power play fizzled, with nary a shot on goal. The Griffins are only 2-for-17 on postseason power plays, and one of those goals was an empty-netter.

-2nd Period-

[8:40] Milwaukee holds a 2-1 lead through 2 periods. The Admirals lead in shots on goal, 21-10. Seven penalties were called in the period, four of them against Grand Rapids.

[8:33] A seeing-eye power play goal by Milwaukee's Egor Afanasyev with 4:46 to go in the 2nd period. It was unassisted, and Egor's second goal of the game and third in the past two games. Ozzy Wiesblatt and Joakim Kemell had the assists on the tally.

[8:30] The crowd is all over the referees again, as two more Griffins go off for penalties, Matt Luff for "roughing" 14:11 into the period and Carter Mazur for tripping with 5:49 to go in the 2nd period. One Admiral, Fedor Svechkov, went off for a 2-minute roughing penalty. So far, 6 penalties have been called against the Griffins and 4 against Milwaukee.

[8:20] The Admirals' Phil Tomasino is called for a holding penalty, but the Griffins' power play doesn't last long, as Austin Czarnik is called for a holding penalty 10:38 into the 2nd period. However, with 8:41 to go, the Griffins tie the game on a sweet shot by William Wallinder, who slid the puck between Askarov's skates. It was Wallinder's first playoff goal and the first Griffins shot on goal in that period. Getting the assists were Czarnik and Jonatan Berggren. Two players, one each for GR and Milwaukee, remain in the sin bin. The Admirals' Zach L'Heureux, who taunted Cossa in Game 2 in Milwaukee, was called for a 10-minute misconduct penalty after firing the puck into the Griffins' net after play had been halted.

[8:15pm] The Griffins' fans are not happy, as the refs send Griffins center Austin Czarnik off for a penalty 8:23 into the 2nd period. The Admirals lead in shots on goal, 17-4, and 6-0 in the second stanza.

[8:01] The 2nd period is underway and Egor Afanasyev scores just 3:04 in for the game's first goal. He drove in on goal from the right side and fired a shot that was blocked by Sebastian Cossa, but he immediately fired the rebound of the right goal post and into the Griffins' net. Jasper Weatherby and Ryan Ufko with the assists. The Admirals have 14 shots on goal, and Grand Rapids only four in the game, so far. Afanasyev scored in the last game, as well.

-3rd Period-

[9:40pm] The game is going to sudden-death overtime, tied at 2-2. The Admirals have 28 shots on goal to Grand Rapids' 26. The Griffins were really buzzing the net in the final frame, outshooting Milwaukee 15-7.

[9:30pm] The Griffins once trailed in shots on goal, 17-4, but it is now 27 shots for the Milwaukee Admirals and 24 for Grand Rapids with 5:27 left in regulation. An extremely loud and lively crowd at Van Andel Arena.

[9:14pm] The Griffins' Austin Czarnik scores the tying goal with 14:35 to go in regulation, assisted by William Wallinder and Albert Johannson, leaving goalie Askarov falling on his back. 2-2.

[9:03pm] The 3rd period begins in Grand Rapids. The Admirals cross-check a Griffins player in the back and the zebras swallow their whistles. The crowd is loud and livid. The refs call 2-minute penalties against the Griffins' Jonatan Berggren for cross-checking 4:37 into the final period and Zach L'Heureux for diving/embellishment.

***GAME NOTES***

Game 4 of the Calder Cup playoff series will face off at 7 o'clock Friday night at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. The pre-game talk-up will begin at 6:45 on 96.1 The Game. The AHL playoff bracket can be viewed here.

The Box Score:

Milwaukee 0 2 0 1 - 3

Grand Rapids 0 1 1 0 - 2

1st Period- No Scoring. Penalties-McKeown Mil (tripping), 1:06; Rafferty Gr (slashing), 12:36; Johansson Gr (hooking), 14:23.

2nd Period-1, Milwaukee, Afanasyev 2 (Weatherby, Ufko), 2:50. 2, Grand Rapids, Wallinder 1 (Czarnik, Berggren), 11:19. 3, Milwaukee, Afanasyev 3 (Wiesblatt, Kemell), 15:14 (PP). Penalties-Czarnik Gr (hooking), 8:23; L’Heureux Mil (misconduct - unsportsmanlike conduct), 10:15; Tomasino Mil (holding), 10:15; Rafferty Gr (tripping), 10:38; Svechkov Mil (roughing), 14:05; Luff Gr (roughing), 14:05; Mazur Gr (tripping), 14:11.

3rd Period-4, Grand Rapids, Czarnik 4 (Wallinder, Johansson), 5:25. Penalties-L’Heureux Mil (diving/embellishment), 4:18; Berggren Gr (cross-checking), 4:18.

OT Period-5, Milwaukee, Afanasyev 4 (Kemell, Ufko), 4:40. Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Milwaukee 11-10-7-2-30. Grand Rapids 4-7-15-1-27.

Power Play Opportunities-Milwaukee 1 / 5; Grand Rapids 0 / 2.

Goalies-Milwaukee, Askarov 2-2 (27 shots-25 saves). Grand Rapids, Cossa 4-3 (30 shots-27 saves).

A-6,788

Referees-Justin Kea (44), Liam Maaskant (62).

Linespersons-Joseph Mahon (89), Mitchell Hunt (62).

A 1st-period faceoff in the Griffins' zone on the south end of Van Andel Arena. Neither team scored in that opening period.Photo: All photos by Steve Katerberg

The Griffins were outshot, 11-4, in the first period.Photo: All photos by Steve Katerberg

A seeing-eye power play goal by Milwaukee's Egor Afanasyev - his 2nd of the game - with 4:46 to go in the 2nd period leaves goalie Sebastian Cossa face-down on the paint, and the puck in the net.Photo: All photos by Steve Katerberg

Sebastian Cossa makes a stick save with Milwaukee on the doorstep in the 3rd period at Van Andel Arena.Photo: All photos by Steve Katerberg


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content