Landon Ferraro's two goals helps Griffins down Abbotsford Heat 4-1

Saturday, 04.06.2013 / 12:45 AM The Canadian Press

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - Landon Ferraro scored twice as the Grand Rapids Griffins beat the Abbotsford Heat 4-1 in American Hockey League action Friday.

Ferraro scored the first two goals, while Jeff Hoggan and Tomas Jurco also scored as Grand Rapids (40-23-56) moved within one point of second-place Toronto in the Western Conference standings.

Petr Mrazek made 23 saves to snap a personal five-game losing streak. His best stop was in the third when he robbed Max Reinhart to keep the shutout intact. The rookie sprawled across his crease to get a glove on a backhand shot to deny Reinhart of a sure goal.

Krys Kolanos scored for the Heat, while Barry Brust stopped 15 shots before being pulled in favour of Danny Taylor, who mopped up with 22 saves.

The Heat (31-30-10) trails a playoff spot by just three points, but every team they are trying to catch has multiple games in hand.

Ferraro, with his father Ray Ferraro in attendance for a Heroes of Hockey promotion, opened the scoring for the Griffins at 4:11 of the first. Jurco’s initial shot was stopped but Ferraro raced to the net to snap a loose puck past a sprawling Brust.

Ferraro picked up his second of the game on the power play at 7:12. Calle Jarnkrok found him down low at the side of the net, and when Brust reached out to poke check Ferraro the 21-year-old slipped it through the five-hole.

That was Ferraro’s fourth multi-goal game of the year, though it was just his first tally in his past nine games.

The Griffins chased Brust from the net with another goal just 47 seconds later. Hoggan drove to the front of the net from the corner and outwaited Brust, firing the puck around the goalie for his 18th of the season.

Kolanos got the Heat on the board at 11:16 while on their fifth power play. Blair Jones snapped a shot that deflected first off Ben Walter and then off Kolanos, breaking Mrazek’s shutout bid.

However, Jurco added an empty netter with 96 seconds to play to seal the Heat’s fate.

NOTES: Roman Horak and Brett Carson were called up by the Flames this week.

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