CLEVELAND -- Despite falling to the Cleveland Monsters 6-4 on Sunday at Rocket Arena, the Grand Rapids Griffins finished the regular season by securing a franchise-best .743 points percentage, paired with a 51-16-4-1 overall record (2005-06, .719).

The Griffins concluded the regular-season with a franchise-best 27-7-1-1 road record, and in their last seven road contests outscored their opponents 40-15. Dylan James recorded his first two professional goals in his second pro game, while Jesse Kiiskinen potted his first AHL tally. Gabriel Seger tallied a helper to extend his point streak to three games, while Jakub Rychlovsky’s assist also boosted his point streak to three (2-2—4). Alex Doucet potted his eighth of the campaign, and Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine combined for 29 saves in a scheduled goaltender change. 

Cleveland opened scoring 2:26 into the first period while shorthanded when Mikael Pyyhtia picked up a loose puck in the Monsters’ zone and fired it past Cossa from the left circle. James’ wrister from the top of the right circle bounced off Zach Sawchenko and past the goal line at 4:33 to tie the contest. Grand Rapids was outshot by Cleveland 16-2 in the slate.

Just 21 seconds into the second frame, William Wallinder centered it to James in the slot, and he swiped it under the pads of Sawchenko to claim a 2-1 lead. Grand Rapids extended its advantage to two when Anton Johansson passed one from the high slot to Kiiskinen in the left circle and he snapped it in with 15:15 on the clock. Ivan Fedotov replaced Sawchenko after the tally. The Monsters inched within one with 12:03 to play when Pyyhtia slammed the puck home on the doorstep while on the power play, and 2:20 later Justin Pearson tapped one past the goal line from the backdoor to tie the contest. At 10:35, Augustine replaced Cossa in a pre-planned goalie change. The Griffins reclaimed a one-goal lead with 5:32 to go when Austin Watson fed one from down low to Doucet, who popped it past Fedotov.

Luca Pinelli tucked the puck over Augustine’s shoulder from the left dot 7:09 into the final stanza to tie the contest at 4-4. The Monsters grabbed a one-goal edge with 6:31 to go when former Griffin Zach Aston-Reese sent a wrister into the right-hand corner. Augustine hit the bench with 2:09 left, and Brendan Gaunce threw one into the empty net with 1:48 remaining to take down Grand Rapids 6-4. 

Notes

• The American Hockey League on Sunday named Grand Rapids Griffins goaltenders Cossa and Michal Postava the winners of the 2025-26 Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award, given annually since 1972 to the goaltender(s) on the team that allows the fewest goals per game in the regular season. This marks the third time the Griffins have won the award and the first since the 2002-03 season.
• The Griffins will face the winner of Manitoba vs. Milwaukee in the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs after clinching the Central Division title and earning a first-round bye.
• Grand Rapids finished 5-3-0-0 against Cleveland in the regular season.
• The Griffins played without Amadeus Lombardi, Sheldon Dries, John Leonard, Erik Gustafsson, Wojciech Stachowiak, Eduard Tralmaks, William Lagesson and Postava, who were rested before the playoffs.
• Tyler Angle recorded his 100th pro assist. 

Box Score

Grand Rapids 1 3 0 - 4

Cleveland 1 2 3 - 6

1st Period-1, Cleveland, Pyyhtiä 20 (Svozil), 2:26 (SH). 2, Grand Rapids, James 1 (Kannok Leipert), 4:33. Penalties-Pearson Cle (holding), 1:36.

2nd Period-3, Grand Rapids, James 2 (Wallinder, Angle), 0:21. 4, Grand Rapids, Kiiskinen 1 (Johansson, Rychlovský), 4:45. 5, Cleveland, Pyyhtiä 21 (Del Bel Belluz, Williams), 7:57 (PP). 6, Cleveland, Pearson 12 (Fasching, Svozil), 10:17. 7, Grand Rapids, Doucet 8 (Watson, Seger), 14:28. Penalties-Angle Gr (holding the stick), 6:54.

3rd Period-8, Cleveland, Pinelli 14 (Gaunce, Butcher), 7:09. 9, Cleveland, Aston-Reese 8 (Pinelli, Ceulemans), 13:29. 10, Cleveland, Gaunce 16   18:12 (EN). Penalties-Brandsegg-Nygård Gr (roughing), 7:54; Svozil Cle (roughing), 7:54; Tuomisto Gr (interference), 11:04; Aston-Reese Cle (major - slashing, game misconduct), 19:46.

Shots on Goal-Grand Rapids 3-10-5-18. Cleveland 17-8-10-35.

Power Play Opportunities-Grand Rapids 0 / 1; Cleveland 1 / 2.

Goalies-Grand Rapids, Cossa 26-8-4 (22 shots-19 saves); Augustine 0-2-0 (12 shots-10 saves). Cleveland, Sawchenko 14-10-3 (6 shots-3 saves); Fedotov 23-16-6 (12 shots-11 saves).

A-15,340

Three Stars

1. CLE Pyyhtia (two goals) 2. GR James (two goals) 3. CLE Pinelli (goal, assist)

Record/Next Game

Grand Rapids: 51-16-4-1 (105 pts.) / TBD

Cleveland: 37-26-6-3 (83 pts.) / TBD

Photo by Cleveland Monsters