Monsters fall to Griffins in a thriller

Monsters goalie Roman Will was almost perfect after letting up the first goal in a shootout on Dec. 20, but almost perfect when one goal decides the game isn’t good enough.

Griffins right wing Teemu Pulkkinnen, fourth in the AHL in scoring, ended the shootout in the sixth round when he beat Will just under the crossbar to end a thrilling game at Quicken Loans Arena and make Grand Rapids a 4-3 winner.

As they have so often this month, the Monsters had to climb out of a hole. At one point, they trailed, 3-1, but they continued to attack the Griffins’ net and the more they did, the louder the crowd of 11,056 got.

The Monsters had a chance to take a 2-1 lead in the shootout and would have won with one more save by Will, but their third shooter, Joey Hishon, moved right and hit the right post when he had a wide-open shot.

“To battle back and get a point — it could go either way in the shootout,” Coach Dean Chynoweth said.

“We did a lot of good things again late in the game where we had sustained pressure. We just couldn’t capitalize on them.”

The Monsters

(14-10-2-2)

Griffins 4, Monters 3 (SO) Grand Rapids 2 1 0 0 — 4 Lake Erie 1 1 1 0 — 3

First period: 1, Lake Erie, Agozzino 5 (Sgarbossa, Noreau), 10:54. 2, Grand Rapids, Pulkkinen 14 (Callahan), 17:31. 3, Grand Rapids, Ferraro 9 (Nosek), 19:05.

Second period: 4, Grand Rapids, Aubry 3 6:23. 5, Lake Erie, Noreau 7 (Smith, Sgarbossa), 11:12 (PP).

Third period: macher), 15:19.

Shootout: Grand Rapids 2 (Miele G, Mantha NG, Callahan NG, Tvrdon NG, Paetsch NG, Pulkkinen G), Lake Erie 1 (Sgarbossa NG, Vincour G, Hishon NG, Smith NG, Rendulic NG, Elliott NG).

Shots on Goal: Grand Rapids 6-9-8-5-1-29. Lake Erie 10-7-16-4-0-37.

Power Play: Grand Rapids 0 of 1; Lake Erie 1 of 3; Goalies: Grand Rapids, Coreau 37 shots, 34 saves. Lake Erie, Will 28, 25 saves

6, Lake Erie, Smith 8

(Schu- took three of a possible four points in the last two games after playing poorly in two straight losses. They have had a tremendous December heading into the Christmas break — 13 of a possible 18 points so far with three games, all on the road, to play before the calendar flips to January.

“Obviously you’d like to eliminate (slow starts) but we got some key points against division rivals,” Chynoweth said. “It’s been a real good month. Now we have to go home and re-energize and get ready for the second half.”

Andrew Agozzino got the Monsters on the board first when he gained control of a rebound from a shot by Michael Sgarbossa and lifted it past Griffins goalie Jared Coreau 10:54 into the first period. Coreau is 6-0.

Monsters goalie Roman Will withstood early tests by Grand Rapids but then gave up three straight goals — two late in the first period and one 6:23 into the second.

Will hung his head when Grand Rapids tied the game, 1-1, on a shot by Pulkkinnen (14 goals) that Will partially blocked with his left pad.

The Griffins made it 2-1 on a shot that deflected off a skate and slid into the net in an opening between Will’s right pad and the left post.

Grand Rapids built a 3-1 lead when center Louis MarcAubry got control of a loose puck, skated across the blue line and snapped it into the top left corner.

The Monsters did not quit. They checked hard most of the night and drew two quick penalties around the Griffins’ net in the second period.