DETROIT (theahl.com) — Michigan native Kenny Ryan scored the equalizer in the third period and former Detroit Red Wings draft pick Drew MacIntyre shut the door in the shootout as the Toronto Marlies defeated the Grand Rapids Griffins, 4-3, at the Hockeytown Winter Festival at Comerica Park in Detroit on Monday evening.
The Marlies, who defeated Hamilton at Ivor Wynne Stadium in 2012, are the first team to win two AHL outdoor contests.
Ryan, a native of nearby Franklin, Mich., who played his junior hockey across the river in Windsor, Ont., potted his second goal of the season 2:22 into the third period to tie the game at 3-3. After the rest of regulation and overtime were scoreless, Spencer Abbott and Greg McKegg scored in the shootout while MacIntyre denied all four Grand Rapids attempts.
Kevin Marshall and Carter Ashton scored in regulation for the Marlies, who opened up a three-point lead atop the North Division with three games in hand on second-place Hamilton.
East Grand Rapids native and University of Michigan product Luke Glendening, reassigned to the Griffins from the parent Detroit Red Wings on Sunday, scored twice, while Xavier Ouellet also scored and Brennan Evans recorded two assists for Grand Rapids. The Griffins remain in first place in the Midwest Division.
MacIntyre, a 2001 draft choice by the Red Wings who played with Grand Rapids from 2004-06, finished with 23 saves on 26 shots for his 15th win of the season, tied for the AHL lead. Tom McCollum stopped 21 shots for the Griffins.
This was the seventh outdoor game in AHL history. Six of the seven have been decided by one goal, with five of the games requiring overtime.
Attendance was 20,337.
