MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com -Rockford, Ill. - The Grand Rapids Griffins bounced back from a rare home loss with their first-ever win at the Rockford MetroCentre,
 defeating the Rockford IceHogs 3-2 on Saturday night. The Griffins
 scored two goals early in the first period and then Jimmy Howard
 made 24 saves to preserve the win.



 Both Ryan Oulahen and Aaron Gagnon had multi-point games for the
 Griffins (25-9-5-3), who successfully killed off the only Rockford
 power play in the contest. That kill extended the team痴 streak to
 a franchise-record 11 consecutive games without allowing a power-
 play goal.



 Jamie Tardif put the Griffins up early with his goal 1:41 into the
 contest. After Tardif snuck behind the IceHogs・defense, Ville
 Leino sent a pass through the neutral zone that Tardif corralled for
 a breakaway on Rockford goaltender Corey Crawford. Tardif went to
 his forehand and slid the puck between Crawford痴 pad for his ninth
 goal of the season and a 1-0 Grand Rapids lead.



 The Griffins went up 2-0 when Ryan Oulahen scored his 10th goal of
 the season 4:37 after the Tardif goal. After a faceoff win in the
 Rockford zone, Jonathan Ericsson took a long shot that Oulahen
 redirected into the top corner of the net.



 The IceHogs made it a one-goal deficit with a goal by Pete MacArthur
 at the 17:00 mark of the first. Rockford gloved down a clearing
 attempt by the Griffins and MacArthur converted with a wrist shot
 from the left circle to cut the lead in half.



 After the Griffins killed their 40th consecutive power play, Darren
 Haydar came out of the penalty box and broke in on a two-on-one with
 Aaron Gagnon. Haydar drove in on Crawford and drove a shot over his
 glove for a 3-1 Grand Rapids lead with just 45 seconds remaining in
 the second period.



 At the 5:23 mark of the third period, Rockford climbed back to
 within one with a goal that looked eerily similar to its first. The
 IceHogs held in a clearing attempt inside the Grand Rapids zone and
 this time it was Tim Hambly that converted with a wrist shot from
 the left circle, making the score 3-2.



 Crawford finished the game with 16 saves in the loss for the
 IceHogs. The two teams will play again on Monday afternoon, with a
 3:05 p.m. EST opening faceoff.



 Three Stars: 1. GR Oulahen (Goal, assist); 2. GR Gagnon (2 assists);
 3. RFD MacArthur (Goal)

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