Ads’ penalty kill too much for Griffins

Milwaukee used 10 successful penalty kills and a pair of shorthanded goals to take a 2-0 series lead with a 2-1 victory over Grand Rapids in Saturday’s Game 2 of the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals.

Pekka Rinne made 41 saves, including 20 in the second period, to improve his record to 6-0 on the postseason.

Kevin Klein and Jordin Tootoo scored as the Admirals tied an AHL record with their fifth and sixth shorthanded goals of the playoffs. All six have come in Milwaukee’s last four games.

Tomas Kopecky scored for the Griffins, who fell to 3-5 on home ice during the 2006 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Only five teams in AHL history have come back from 0-2 down to win a best-of-seven series, most recently Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the first round this spring.

Jimmy Howard returned to the cage after backing up Drew MacIntyre in Game 1 and stopped 23 shots.

Grand Rapids dropped to 0-for-15 on the power play in the series.

Game 3 is set for Monday night at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, with the Admirals two wins away from their second conference championship in the last three years.