The Grand Rapids Griffins had a rough outing on Friday night vs. the Rockford IceHogs. Kyle Criscuolo scored the only goal in a 4-1 loss during the Griffins’ special “Red Kettle” game, but the Griffins rebounded in fine fashion on Saturday night.
Criscuolo scored the game’s first goal for the second consecutive night, but instead of giving up 4 goals to the opponent, Grand Rapids kept coming, with Brian Lashoff, Dennis Yan and Mike Murphy scoring, and Jonatan Berggren salted away the game en route to a 6-2 win over Rockford on Saturday.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins’ five-goal first period helped defeat the Rockford IceHogs 6-2 on Saturday at Van Andel Arena, as six different Griffins scored in the effort during Country Night.
The Griffins completely controlled the opening frame, recording the most goals (5) in a period this season, beating their previous record of three during the third period against Milwaukee on Nov. 24.
An early Rockford penalty allowed Grand Rapids to convert on its first power play chance of the night. At 3:30, Ryan Murphy took a shot toward net, but missed wide left. The puck bounced off the back boards to Kyle Criscuolo at the goal mouth and he scored the tap-in. Criscuolo’s eight goals now pace the roster while his six-game point streak (6-6—12) is tied for the longest this season for the Griffins.
Twenty-six seconds later, Grand Rapids scored again when Dan Renouf found Brian Lashoff, who stood near the blue line and fired a laser into the net, giving the Griffins a 2-0 lead.
With 12:52 remaining, Turner Elson skated down on a 2-on-1 break and took an initial shot that was saved by Collin Delia. Dennis Yan then came right behind to gather the rebound and put the puck through the legs of the netminder.
At 9:56 in the first, Dominik Shine stole the puck from the defense and skated out on a one-on-one chance. Shine made a nifty move through the defenders’ legs, then worked Delia at the right post for his fourth goal of the season.
After allowing four goals in the opening 10 minutes, Delia was pulled and Cale Morris made his season debut for Rockford.
As time was winding down with 1:09 left in the first, Murphy was by himself when he gathered the loose puck down in the Rockford zone and put the biscuit around goaltender.
After five unanswered goals, the IceHogs finally got on the scoreboard in the second. At 5:32, Carson Gicewicz skated out on a breakaway and beat Calvin Pickard at the left post.
With 1:40 remaining in the middle frame, Alexander Nylander stood at the high slot and sent a rocket into the net, cutting the Rockford deficit to three.
In the final 35 seconds of the period, Criscuolo connected with Jonatan Berggren at the goal crease, and he sent the puck past the right leg of Morris.
A defensive third period by Grand Rapids shut the IceHogs out, giving the Griffins a 6-2 victory.
The Griffins also posted a highlight clip, an interview clip, and a photo gallery:
As Mickey Redmond noted, the Islanders did a pretty darn stellar job of checking the snot out of the Fabbri-Larkin-Raymond and Veleno-Suter-Zadina lines, so the Red Wings had to resort to goals from their defense (Hronek and Seider) and depth players (Smith and Gagner) to win a game that the Islanders made far too interesting for its own good…
But Nedeljkovic was up to the challenge of stopping 20 of 23 very difficult Islanders shots, the Red Wings blocked 20 more Islanders attempts, and when the Wings blew their 3-2 3rd period lead, Moritz Seider did this in overtime:
Given that the Red Wings have played in 25 games already (among the most in the NHL), and given that the Red Wings are at least technically making a playoff push, this was the kind of win that sometimes one must grind out over a team that’s struggling (the Islanders are 0-8-and-2 of late; they play Detroit two more times this month, too) to bank away the 2 points you want to earn.
For our friends from Long Island, there was still improvement to be seen in forcing an opponent to overtime for consecutive games, as they told Newsday’s Andrew Gross:
The Detroit Red Wings attempted to extend their winning streak to 5 games against the struggling New York Islanders on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena.
The Islanders came into Saturday night’s game on an 0-8-and-1 slide, but they received several lineup reinforcements for Saturday’s game.
Detroit nearly fell into the Islanders’ trap repeatedly–surrendering an early shorthanded goal, affording the Islanders 2-2 and 3-3 ties, and a regulation point as well…
But Givani Smith scored a goal and added an assist, Filip Hronek and Sam Gagner registered pretty markers, and Moritz Seider put on a f***ing clinic in overtime with his game-robbery goal on Sorokin.
“A lot of excitement,” said Leddy, who spent the last seven seasons with the Islanders before a July trade brought him to the Red Wings (in exchange for forward Richard Panik and a second-round draft choice).
“For me personally, I’ve played with most of those guys for north of five years. The long playoff runs, some of the tougher years (the Islanders had), and then some of the great years we had together. All those memories and bonds are huge.
“A lot of excitement. (There will) probably have a little nerves out there. I’ve always had great times playing against friends. It’ll be even better playing against some real good friends.”
The strange thing heading into Saturday night is where each team currently sits in the standings, and how, respectively, the seasons have gone.
The Wings are 12-9-3 and have won their last four games. As the schedule curls into December, the Wings have been one of the surprise stories in the NHL.
The Islanders have been too – but for opposite reasons. Entering Saturday’s game, the Islanders were a dismal 5-10-3. But there are likely reasons for the rough start out of the gate.
In the SHL, Albert Johansson finished at +1 with 4 shots in 19:42 played, and Gustav Berglund finished at +1 in 7:34 played as Farjestads BK won 5-0 over Oskarshamn;
For Red Wings senior vice president & alternate governor Jim Devellano, one of the people lucky enough to know the man, Delvecchio’s commitment to the team and the city of Detroit is the first thing that should be talked about more.
“Alex was somehow able to never leave Detroit as a player, as a coach, as a general manager and he remains here in Detroit some 70 years later,” Devellano said. “I know no other Red Wings player has ever done that. It’s impossible.”
The Fort William, Ontario, Canada, native spent his entire 24-year regular-season career with the Red Wings and missed just two games between 1957-58 and 1967-68. In Delvecchio’s first four seasons, he helped the Wings capture three Stanley Cups.
During his career, Delvecchio was surrounded, and often overshadowed, by some of the best to ever play the game. As the center on Detroit’s famous “Production Line,” he found himself slotted between wingers Ted Lindsay and “Mr. Hockey,” Gordie Howe.
“He tended to kind of play second fiddle in those days,” Devellano said. “But certainly, he was a very, very gifted player.”
“A lot of excitement [going into tonight],” Leddy said. “I’ve played with most of those guys for north of five years, the long playoff runs, some of the tougher years and then some of the great years we had together. I think all those memories and bonds are huge. Probably have a little nerves out there. I’ve always had great times playing against friends. It’ll be even better playing against some real good friends.”
These teams are trending in opposite directions. Detroit has won four in a row and has points in five consecutive games (4-0-1), having allowed only 10 goals in that stretch. Alex Nedeljkovic is expected to start in goal tonight.
“We’ve had great goaltending; they’ve come up huge for us in the times we’ve needed them, and I think we’re really starting to figure out how to win,” Leddy said. “There may be some stretches in the game where we’re not playing our best but we’re competing and working hard and finding ways to win.”
Meanwhile, the Islanders are winless in nine (0-8-1). Their 2-1 overtime loss Thursday to San Jose snapped an eight-game regulation losing streak and marked their return after having two games postponed due to COVID-19. They started the season with 13 consecutive road games while construction of their new arena was being completed.
“They’re trying to get their traction and we don’t want them to get their traction against us,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said.
