Berggren’s hat trick guides Griffins to Game 5 in Milwaukee

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — This isn’t the first time Jonatan Berggren has come up big for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the playoffs, but Friday night was magical.

The 33rd overall pick in the 2018 draft has been a leader and scorer all season for the Griffins, and on Friday, he proved the moment is never too big for number 48.

In the third period alone, Berggren scored three goals for a hat trick, two of them coming as the game winner and an insurance goal, keeping the Griffins’ playoff hopes alive with a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals.

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After each goal, there wasn’t much celebration — just a focus on advancing to Game 5.

“We have good confidence that we can turn around games,” Berggren said. “I was pretty dialed in, pretty mad. It was a tough game. I’m more happy now that we won.”

Berggren scored two overtime game winners in the first playoff series against the Rockford IceHogs, which Grand Rapids would eventually win 3-1 in the series. Friday night, his hat trick led the Griffins to Game 5 in Milwaukee, which will take place Sunday night.

While he won’t talk much about his moments in the spotlight, head coach Dan Watson knows Berggren is built for them.

“He wants the big stage,” Watson said. “He thrives in it. You can just see how he engages more when stuff is on the line. He showed up in that third period after a selfish penalty that we talked about in the second. He responded and helped our team win.”

The Griffins would change the tone from Game 3, coming out with much more puck flow and generating some good chances in front of the net. However, it did only add up to five shots on goal after 10 minutes of play.

However, Detroit’s top prospect Simon Edvinsson, who returned after missing the previous two games, would pick up a key cross-checking penalty putting the Admirals on a power play. While the Griffins did kill the penalty, it changed the momentum.

With exactly six minutes to play in the first period, the Admirals found a point blank chance in front of the net on the stick of Egor Afanasyev, and he didn’t miss it. Milwaukee was on the board first.

The Griffins would get their first two power plays just after the goal but failed to find the back of the net on either chance. That lack of success with the man advantage would continue.

Grand Rapids went zero-for-four on the power play in the first two periods, while the Admirals tacked on another goal and took a 2-0 lead into the third period.

The frustration was clearly mounting for the Griffins, who couldn’t score on Milwaukee’s goalie Yaroslav Askarov, saving all 19 chances against him in the first two frames. Nearing the end of the third period, Matt Luff had a late crosscheck to the face of an Admiral and created a five-on-three that the Griffins were able to kill off. Then, they would face another five-on-three and kill that off.

It felt like those penalty kills kept the Griffins in the game.

“That’s the game right there,” Watson said. “They score on those five-on-threes and we’re talking about a different story. Give a ton of credit to (Sebastian) Cossa and the killers during that time.”

In the third, the Griffins would finally break through.

On a four-minute, double-minor high sticking penalty, Carter Mazur found Berggren for a wrist shot that went over Askarov’s left shoulder. It was 2-1 Admirals, but Grand Rapids wasn’t finished.

With time still remaining on the double minor, Joel L’Esperance drove to the net and scored. Just like that, it was a tie game at 2 with Van Andel Arena rocking and the rally towels flying in full force.

“We found some emotion,” L’Esperance said of the play in the third period. “We carried it out through the third period. That’s playoff hockey right there. You never know what is going to happen.”

What would happen next started to feel more and more realistic with each Griffin goal. Berggren’s next two goals would ice the game away, and the fans in Grand Rapids rose to their feet and threw hats on the ice.

“It’s been a tough series on the body and mind. Both (series) have been,” Berggren said. “The fans were great and kept us going. Playoff hockey turns it up a little bit.”

It won’t slow down in Game 5 in Milwaukee. The pressure will only mount.

“With this group, we’ve been in this situation,” Watson said. “I’m used to it, and as a staff you can’t get too fired up and keep your players into it. I love it. It was fun and I love the pressure and I can’t wait for Game 5.”

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