Grand Rapids, MI— Grand Rapids Sebastian Cossa stopped 37 shots to lead the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 4-2 win over the Admirals Sunday at Van Andel Arena.
The loss snapped Milwaukee’s franchise-record 19-game winning streak. The winning streak was the second longest in American Hockey League history. The 2011-12 Norfolk Admirals won 28 consecutive games en route to a Calder Cup Championship.
The game marked the first time in American Hockey League history that two teams faced each other while on points streaks of 14 games or more. The Admirals entered with 19 straight wins. The Griffins were 10-0-2-2 since its last regulation loss Jan. 12.
Grand Rapids scored the only goal in the first period. Josiah Didier’s shot from the right circle bounced off Admirals goalie Yaroslav Askarov into the left circle. Griffins forward Cross Hanas, who came on during a line change, slapped the loose puck into a mostly open net for his fifth goal of the season at 5:38.
Griffins forward Carter Mazur gave the home team a 2-0 lead with a wrist shot from the slot at 2:19 of the second period.
A Marco Kasper power play goal boosted the Griffins lead to 3-0. Kasper’s shot from the right circle bounced off the glove of Askarov into the net at 14:09 of the second frame.
Zach Aston-Reese made it 4-0 for the Griffins when he scored at 14:31 of the second period.
The Admirals finally got on the scoreboard at 16:19. Kevin Gravel spied Liam Foudy behind the defense and sent a pass from the Admirals left corner to the Griffins blue line. Foudy went to the net on a breakaway and backhanded the puck into the goal for his eighth marker of the year. Gravel and Roland McKeown picked up the assists.
The Ads scored again just 15 seconds later. Phil Tomasino skated to the goal with the puck. It bounced behind the net. He tried to jam it in on the left post. He was thwarted, but Cody Hodgson’s attempt was successful. Hodgson’s third goal in as a many games was assisted by Tomasino and Carson Gicewicz.
Askarov stopped 20 shots as he lost for the first time since Dec. 17, a stretch of 14 straight wins which is tied for the Admirals franchise record for a goalie with teammate Troy Grosenick.
Milwaukee remains in first place int he Central Division with 73 points. Second-place Grand Rapids has 58 points.
The Admirals return to UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena Fri., Mar. 1 to host the Rockford IceHogs.
