Deja Vu for Grand Rapids In 5-4 Loss to Barons

Tatar breaks loose for 3-point night...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
November 27, 2011

Grand Rapids had an opportunity to take advantage of a tired Oklahoma City Barons' team that had played three games in three nights. Unfortunately the Barons had other ideas and kept coming from behind until they hung on long enough to sneak out a win. Slumping sniper Tomas Tatar had a breakout night, scoring a goal and two assists and firing a team high 7 shots on goal. The Griffins also got goals from Johnson (10), Andersson (4) and Ferraro (3) in the losing effort. 

Grand Rapids took advantage of an early powerplay to draw first blood. Fournier drifted into the middle and took a shot that rebounded to Tatar who fired it right back into the net. Brule got the goal back a few minutes later, scoring on the Barons' first shot of the game, on the powerplay when he took a back door pass for a quick tap in. Oklahoma City looked tired after three games in three nights, allowing the Griffins to control play. Tatar made a nice move in the corner to ditch his check and take the puck to the net. Andersson came looking for garbage and batted the loose puck in for a two-one lead. Shots on Goal: GR 16 - OKC 4. 

Ringwald let a high shot go from the point and Brule redirected it past Pearce to tie things up. Great moves by Nyquist on the powerplay to go end to end through the Oklahoma City defense to set up deep in the zone. Ferraro scored a nice goal, taking a drop pass from Coetzee and blazing in on net where he wristed a puck over Danis high stick side. The Barons promptly went down the ice and scored again to keep the game deadlocked at three. A minute later O'Marra snuck a puck between Pearce and the post to give OKC their first lead of the game. The Barons had another good chance late in the period, but Tatar knocked the shooter into the net. Shots on Goal: GR 12 - OKC 8. 

Johnson took a pass while fading away from the net and rocketed a wrister over Danis stick side to tie the game at four. Pitlick restored the lead on a powerplay when he jammed the puck past Pearce in front with six minutes to go in the game. The Griffins pulled Pearce with about a minute and a half left, but couldn't get the puck into the Oklahoma City zone with possession, and time ran out on the game. Shots on goal: GR 8 - OKC 9. For the Game: GR 36 - OKC 21. 

Lines:
Brunnstrom - Aubry - Callahan
Tatar - Andersson - Pare
Brunnstrom - Ferraro - Coetzee
Nyquist - Johnson - Conner 

Pairings:
Pyett - Rufenach/Fournier
Amadio/Fournier - Lashoff
Janik - Smith

Starter: Pearce
Backup: McCollum

Scratches:
Ehrhardt - Shoulder (Long Term)
Piche - Concussion
MacDonald - Concussion
Exelby - Suspension
Raedeke
Nestrasil
Parkes

PP:
Brunnstrom - Johnson - Conner
Nyquist - Smith/Janik

Tatar - Andersson - Pare
Smith - Pyett


PK:
Brunnstrom - Ferraro
Janik - Smith

Andersson - Pare
Lashoff - Amadio

Conner - Johnson

Observations:

I thought tonight the Griffins might finally catch a break and catch a tired team at the right time for a win. OKC was just too scrappy and would not go away.

Tomas Tatar played what was probably his best game of the season. He was aggressive and relaxed and really looked to be having fun.

Pearce had an up and down game, at times looking very sharp and at others sloppy and out of position. He certainly does not look like the confident netminder last season who came in and settled things down the second half of last season.