Admirals fall to Griffins, 4-2

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WITI) -- Forward Landon Ferraro scored twice in the third period to lead the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 4-2 win over the Admirals Friday night.

Milwaukee forward Mark Van Guilder had given his team a 2-1 lead with his fourth goal of the season at 4:15 of the third period. Triston Grant dug the puck loose in the left corner and slid a pass to Van Guilder at the left dot. Van Guilder’s quick shot beat Griffins goalie Tom McCollum high over his right shoulder. Grant and Viktor Arvidsson recorded the assists.

However, the Griffins tied the game and then took the lead in a span of 56 seconds. First, Teemu Pulkkinen fired a shot from the right circle into the net for his 19th goal of the season. Less than a minute later Ferraro blocked a Jonathan Diaby shot and took off to the Admirals net. From the right circle, Ferraro beat Hellberg stick side and gave the Griffins its first lead of the night with 3:36 remaining.

Ferraro added an empty-netter with 90 seconds to play to finalize the score.

The Admirals took the lead at 13:04 of the first period. Joe Pendenza drifted into the offensive zone on the left wing with the puck. He spotted Colton Sissons racing to the net and flipped a pass to his onrushing line mate. Sissons’ first shot went off the right post but the second went in for his ninth goal of the season. Pendenza and Pontus Aberg recorded the assists.

The Griffins tied the game with a power play goal at 8:10 of the second. Grand Rapids was awarded a five-minute power play when Mike Liambas was assessed a match penalty for a hit to the head of Louis-Marc Aubry. The only shot the Griffins had on that power play was the one that went in. Anthony Mantha’s shot from the middle of the blue line beat Hellberg for Mantha’s sixth goal of the season.

Milwaukee’s returns to the BMO Harris Bradley Center to host Hamilton Saturday, Jan. 3 at 7 pm.