April 12, 2019

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Despite dropping a 4-1 decision to the Manitoba Moose on Friday at Van Andel Arena, the Grand Rapids Griffins still control their own destiny for clinching both a playoff spot and home-ice advantage in the Central Division Semifinals, heading into Saturday’s regular season finale at Milwaukee.

With the Griffins’ magic number stuck on one point over the trio of Iowa, Milwaukee and Manitoba, there are five AHL results this weekend that would each secure Grand Rapids’ seventh consecutive playoff berth: on Saturday, a Griffins win at Milwaukee, a Rockford victory at Iowa, or a Chicago win versus Manitoba; or on Sunday, either a Chicago victory against Manitoba or a Rockford win versus Milwaukee. In addition, one point earned by Grand Rapids in tomorrow’s 7 p.m. EDT road tilt against the Admirals would cement second place in the Central Division for the Griffins along with home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Regardless, this marks just the second time in the Griffins’ 23-year history that their playoff fate will be determined on or after the date of their final regular season game. In 2006-07, Grand Rapids lost its finale 5-1 at Toronto but still qualified for the postseason thanks to Peoria’s 4-0 loss to Milwaukee that day.

Following a scoreless opening period, the Moose capitalized on a carryover 5-on-3 power play to jump ahead 41 ticks into the second period. Harri Sateri denied two point-blank chances by Marko Dano at the right post, but Mason Appleton rushed in to pop the loose puck between Sateri and the iron before the defense could locate it.

An impressive individual effort by Jansen Harkins increased the visitors’ advantage to two at the 3:36 mark. Taking a pass in the neutral zone, he skated down the right side, rounded the net and continued up through the left circle before turning on a dime, striding down the slot and ripping a shot past a screened Sateri from between the circles.

With less than three minutes left in the frame, Moose captain Peter Stoykewych received only a two-minute penalty for slashing after deliberately pitchforking his stick into Chris Terry’s groin, and Grand Rapids failed to convert on what was at the time its fifth power play chance of the game.

Logan Stanley made it a 3-0 game 4:10 into the third, taking a drop pass from Felix Girard above the left circle and blistering a one-timer inside the far post, before Harkins all but put it away at 13:14 by blowing a shot past Sateri from the right circle for his second goal of the evening.

Martin Frk avoided the shutout for Grand Rapids by connecting from the top of the circles with 45 seconds remaining, but that would stand as the only goal allowed by Eric Comrie on 29 Griffins shots. Sateri finished with 24 saves in his first game back after missing nearly seven full games due to an injury.

The Griffins’ special teams continue to struggle, as the penalty killers have allowed a goal in 10 consecutive games – two shy of the franchise record – after Manitoba’s 1-for-4 performance tonight. Meanwhile, Grand Rapids went 0-for-6 on the power play.

Notes: Grand Rapids’ eight-game winless streak (0-7-1-0) is its longest since the 2007-08 season, when it went 10 games (0-8-0-2) without a victory from Oct. 28-Nov. 23…The team’s six-game winless streak at home (0-5-1-0), which came after a 22-5-2-3 start to the Van Andel Arena campaign, is its longest since 2013-14, when it went 0-5-0-1 from Jan. 18-Feb. 21…The sellout crowd of 10,834 was the Griffins’ eighth of the season and seventh since New Year’s Eve. Their season attendance of 311,813 (8,206 avg.) ranks fifth in the AHL, represents an increase of 3.1% over 2017-18 (302,471 / 7,960 avg.), and marks the fifth time in the last six seasons that they finished with an average of more than 8,000.

Three Stars: 1. MB Harkins (two goals); 2. MB Comrie (W, 28 saves); 3. MB Spacek (two assists)

Photo by Sam Iannamico/Griffins