Logan Brown had the shootout winner as the Belleville Senators beat the Grand Rapids Griffins 4-3 Friday night.
Story and picture/video from Belleville Senators.
The Sens had goals from Jack Rodewald, Max McCormick and Joseph LaBate in regulation while Filip Gustavsson made 32 saves. Grand Rapids’ Patrik Rybar turned aside 20 shots while Filip Zadina (2) and Chris Terry found the back of the net.
Tied at 2-2, heading into the third period, the Sens grabbed its first lead of the night with 9:01 left as LaBate made it goals in back-to-back games as he got a piece of Erik Burgdoerfer’s drive from the blue line for his fifth of the year.
But the Senators would give up the tying goal with 3:10 left as the Griffins struck on the power play as Terry wired a one-timer from Zadina at the top of the right faceoff circle to make it a 3-3 game and send the game to overtime.
After no scoring took place in the first two rounds of the shootout, Gustavsson made a big glove save to deny Terry before Brown won the game with a gorgeous backhander that he lifted over Rybar to secure the extra point for the Senators.
It took Zadina just 4:04 to give the Griffins the lead in the first period as he forced a turnover on Sens defenceman Jordan Murray in his own zone before skating in close and slotting the puck past Gustavsson. The hosts thought they had doubled the lead through Givani Smith but it was ruled that his redirect off of Dylan McIlrath’s point shot was put in with a high stick.
The Sens were able to find an equalizer before the period was up through Rodewald as he snapped the Sens’ 0-for-22 power play goalless streak. Rodewald took a pass down low from Logan Brown and after missing the puck on an attempted backhand pass, he went forehand, backhand and back to the forehand before roofing the puck in close past Rybar for his 12th goal of the season with only 53 seconds left in the frame.
Grand Rapids re-took the lead 2:11 into the second period through Zadina once again as he buried Jake Chelios’ beautiful slap pass from the boards that connected with the former first round pick back door.
But once again Belleville fought back and tied the game at 2-2 through McCormick’s fourth of the year as Chris Carlisle’s backhander was saved before the Sens forward crashed the net to bury the rebound high past Rybar.
Below you can hear Jack Miller interview Max McCormick.
Newly acquired Morgan Klimchuk made his Senators debut after being acquired earlier in the day while Adam Tambellini played in his 250th career AHL game.
Belleville is back in action on Saturday against Grand Rapids again at 7pm. CJBQ’s broadcast with Jack Miller begins at 6:50.
