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Rivermen Rally Past Griffins 3-2
Team suffers fifth straight home loss...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
November 28th, 2010
Fresh off a franchise record setting 10-8 win on the road over Chicago, hopes were high that the Griffins had turned a new leaf. Instead the home team dropped their fifth straight in the comfy confines of the Van Andel Arena, dropping their home-ice record to an abysmal 2-8 on the season. Grand Rapids held the lead twice on goals by Brent Raedeke (3) and Jamie Tardif (7) but could not keep Peoria from rallying back to take a 3-2 win. Netminder Thomas McCollum made 26 stops in the loss, several of them great, but can't be happy with a couple of the goals that got behind him.
A big hit in the corner by Straub caused the puck to pop loose in front where Raedeke pounced on it to give the Griffins a 1-0 lead. Peoria knotted the score a few minutes later when a shot from the circle hit the post behind McCollum, hit the netminder and lay in the crease. Peluso got to it first and chipped it into the net for his first of the season. Great work by the fourth line to keep possession deep in the offensive zone for a long shift towards the end of the period, cycling the puck. McCollum came up big towards the end of the period, stopping a shot close in that looked very dangerous. Shots on Goal: GR 14 - Peo 8.
Amadio fell down at the point giving Peoria a two on one with Pyett back, and McCollum made the save. A few minutes later, McCollum came out to play the puck and hit the side of his net leading to a touchy situation that almost ended up behind him. Midway through the period, Andersson sprung Tardif on a shorthanded breakaway. The Griffins captain streaked in from center ice and snapped a shot past Allen for a 2-1 lead. McCollum let the Rivermen back in with a weak goal from the circle by McRae with about six minutes left in the second. Shots on Goal: GR 13 - Peo 14.
Della Rovere walked right out of the circle unmolested with the puck and wristed a shot over McCollum's shoulder, glove side. Not a good goal to give up despite not getting much help. The Griffins had a couple of chances to tie things up with their dysfunctional power play, but couldn't get much going. McCollum to the bench with just over a minute left, but the Griffins could barely enter the zone with possession and the timer signaled another home loss. Shots on goal: GR 11 - Peo 7. For the Game: GR 38 - Peo 29.
Lines:
Tatar - Emmerton - Mursak
Owens - Tardif - Minard
Andersson - Raedeke - Straub
Pairings:
Amadio - Pyett
Janik - Ehrhardt
Starter: McCollum
Backup: Pearce
Scratches:
Meech - Injury
Filppula - Concussion
Kolosov
PP:
Tatar - Emmerton - Mursak
Smith - Janik/Pyett
Owens - Tardif - Minard
Pare - Ehrhardt/Smith
Johnson - Pare - Tardif
PK:
Mursak -Emmerton
Ehrhardt/Lashoff - Janik
Tardif - Raedeke
Smith - Amadio
Observations:
I talked to Filppula before the game and he said he was feeling fine and expected to be back in the lineup next week.
Ehrhardt played a good game. He is starting to get some confidence in his point shot. It is a rocket, heavy, and he gets it off quick. He just has to work on the accuracy as he misses the net frequently.
Raedeke quietly had another good game. He did an outstanding job in the Peoria zone keeping the puck in creating pressure, cycling the puck with an increasingly effective 4th line.
Willie Coetzee was very noticeable and looked to be playing with confidence following his franchise record tying 3 goals in the second period yesterday. He was creative offensively and tied some new things with puck. He made a couple of spin moves to beat a defender and was not afraid to go into traffic. He also took a couple of big hits to play the puck.
Andersson was moved to the wing from his normal center position in the hopes that without the defensive responsibility he might get the rest of his game online.
I will be polite and just say that mcCollum did not have his best game in the net.
Tardif was on and looks to have picked up about a half step. He was flying on that shorthanded break and had the hands to capitalize on the opportunity.
Tatar looked like he was shot out of a cannon for the first period, going to the net and barreling through opposing players. That fire faded a little as the game went on.
Brian Lashoff played a great game and looked like a new man, having shed the rookie jitters that plagued him at the start of the season. He was solid, calm, composed and made some great passes.
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