IceHogs outlast Griffins, pull away late for 5-2 road win

When Sheldon Dries tied it 2-2 just 67 seconds into the third period, Rockford’s response told the whole story. Dmitry Kuzmin snapped home the go-ahead goal at 2:29, and the IceHogs turned a road test at Van Andel Arena into a statement by scoring three unanswered in the final period for a 5-2 win over Grand Rapids.

That third-period burst was only the latest answer in a game Rockford kept flipping back in its favor. Grand Rapids struck first at 2:16 of the opening period when Alex Doucet finished a one-timer past Olivier Rodrigue, tying his AHL career high with his seventh goal of the season. Rockford needed less than eight minutes to answer. Ryan Gagnier took the puck from behind the net and wrapped it through Sebastian Cossa’s legs at 10:16, then Kevin Lombardi followed with a rebound finish from the near circle at 11:38 to put the IceHogs ahead 2-1.

That quick swing mattered because Grand Rapids came in with the stronger season résumé and the better season-series edge, but Rockford never let the game settle into the Griffins’ preferred rhythm. The IceHogs’ penalty kill also did real work in the second period, stopping two Grand Rapids power-play chances and preserving the one-goal margin until Dries got loose early in the third. Dries’ 23rd goal of the season briefly pulled the Griffins even, but only briefly.

Kuzmin’s go-ahead goal at 2:29 changed the temperature of the game. From there, Rockford played with more control and more edge, the kind of finish that matters in late April when every shift starts to look like an audition and every road point can shape the picture around the playoffs. Taige Harding and Rem Pitlick then added empty-net goals in the final 35 seconds and 11 seconds to pad the final score and make the closing stretch look as convincing as it felt.

Rodrigue finished with 26 saves in the win, while the Griffins still had reasons to note beyond the loss. John Leonard extended his point streak to five games with a point in his span, and Jesse Kiiskinen made his AHL debut and collected his first AHL point on an assist. Grand Rapids wrapped its regular-season home schedule at 24-9-3-0, but Rockford left with the more useful takeaway: when the game tightened, the IceHogs had the quicker hands, the steadier kill, and the sharper finish.