Griffins Game #71 * Road Game #35 * AHL Game #1,125

Season Series: 6-2-3-0 Home Series: 3-1-2-0 Road Series: 3-1-1-0
All-Time Series: 123-89-7-12-8 All-Time Home Series: 67-41-2-5-3 All-Time Road Series: 56-48-5-7-5

Griffins at Admirals 
Twelve of 12 meetings overall, sixth of six at Panther Arena…Grand Rapids is 21-21-5-0 (.500) against Milwaukee since the 2021-22 campaign...Also dating back to the 2021-22 season, the Griffins are 8-13-2-0 (.391) against the Admirals in Milwaukee...Grand Rapids has faced Milwaukee more than any other opponent – 239th meeting tonight – and the Griffins’ 123 victories against the Admirals are the most against any foe…The Admirals are 6-4-0-0 in their last 10 games and are on a three-game win streak...The Griffins are 6-3-1-0 in their last 10 and have wins in six of their last eight outings...The Admirals are 20-12-2-1 at home compared to 12-18-2-2 on the road...The Griffins are 26-6-1-1 on the road and finished 24-9-3-0 at home...Milwaukee’s power play ranks third at 24.2% and its penalty kill is second at 85.7%...Grand Rapids is 14th on the power play at 18.9% and first on the penalty kill at 86.2%...Milwaukee ranks 22nd with 2.97 goals scored per game and ninth in goals allowed per game (2.97)...Grand Rapids ranks second in goals scored per game (3.47) and first in goals against per game (2.19)...Milwaukee head coach Karl Taylor is in his seventh season as head boss and is the Admirals’ winningest AHL coach. With the Admirals, Taylor has three regular-season division titles and four 40-plus win seasons, in addition to never finishing worse than third place in the Central Division...Austin Watson spent nine seasons within Nashville’s organization and logged 132 points (73-59—132) in 234 games with the Admirals...John Leonard posted 44 points (17-27—44) in 67 games with Milwaukee in 2022-23, adding one goal in six games with Nashville...Admirals’ Andrew Gibson was a second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2023 (#42nd overall)...Milwaukee’s Kyle Marino ranks sixth in penalty minutes (164) and Daniel Carr is tied for ninth in power-play goals (10). Finally, Carr is tied for 11th in game-winners (5). 

Last Time Out
With a 5-2 victory over the Iowa Wild at the Casey’s Center on Wednesday, the Griffins reached 50 wins in the fewest games in the team’s 30-year history (2005-06, 71 games) and their 26 road victories tied the most in franchise history (2002-03). The Griffins’ 50 wins are the most since 2005-06, and their .750 points percentage clinched the best record in franchise history, as they can finish no worse than .729 (2005-06, .719). Tyler Angle tallied a goal and his 20th assist, and Amadeus Lombardi potted his 15th tally and a helper. Ondrej Becher notched the game-winner for his ninth of the season, and Michal Postava’s 24-save performance improved his record to 16-6-0. Former Michigan Wolverine Kienan Draper and the University of North Dakota’s Dylan James both made their pro debuts. 

This Date in Griffins History
1997: Griffins win their first-ever playoff game, claiming a 3-1 decision at Orlando. Danton Cole tallies the first playoff goal in Griffins’ history, scoring at 5:10 of the first period, while Todd Nelson notches the game-winning goal on a power play some 13 minutes later.

Record Watch
The Griffins have already set the best road record in franchise history with a .795 points percentage (26-6-1-1), beating out the previous record of .713 (26-9-3-2) set in 2002-03. Grand Rapids needs just one win in its final two road games to set a new team record for most road victories in a single season. They are currently tied with the 2002-03 team (26 wins), when it played 40 road contests instead of the current 36. Grand Rapids is currently on a five-game win streak on the road and have outscored opponents 28-9 during the run. The Griffins have also set a new franchise mark for the best overall record in team history. The team is currently at .750 (50-15-4-1), and can finish no worse than .729, beating the previous record of .719 (55-20-1-4), set in 2005-06. 

The Time is Now 
On March 3, the Griffins claimed the Western Conference regular-season title, which marked their third regular-season conference championship as members of the AHL (2005-06, 2002-03) and the fifth in franchise history, including IHL Eastern Conference crowns in 2000-01 and 1999-00. Grand Rapids also clinched the Central Division title on March 26, which marked their sixth division crown as a member of the AHL. It also marked the Griffins’ first division title since 2014-15, when they won the Midwest, and the first Central Division title since 2002-03. The Griffins clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs on Feb. 27, marking the earliest clinching date in franchise history (previously March 6) and the earliest for an AHL team since 1993, when the Binghamton Rangers clinched on Feb. 24 with 24 games remaining. The Griffins will return to the Calder Cup Playoffs for the third straight season under head coach Dan Watson. Watson, who has never missed the postseason as a pro head coach, has a 5-7 playoff record in the previous two seasons with Grand Rapids, which includes a trip to the 2024 division finals. Grand Rapids, which has won two Calder Cups (2017 and 2013), is 86-71 (.548) all time during the AHL’s postseason. Grand Rapids is 39-11-4-1 against its division rivals, which are the most divisional wins since 2016-17 (40-20-1-3). The Griffins have the possibility of playing either Texas, Manitoba or Milwaukee in the Central Division Semifinals, as they will play the winner of the best-of-three first-round series between the fourth and fifth seeds. 

Ups and Downs 
The Griffins have wins in six of their last eight games and are 4-2-0-0 in April. In the six games in April, Grand Rapids has averaged 4.33 goals per game while allowing 2.67 goals. The Griffins have continued their historic campaign with a 50-15-4-1 ledger and 105 points through 70 games. Grand Rapids reached at least 100 points for the first time since 2016-17 and the 105 points are the fifth-most in franchise history. The Griffins also reached the 100-point mark (66 games) faster than any team in franchise history (previously 69 games in 2005-06). Grand Rapids also has 50 wins for the first time since 2005-06. The Griffins reached the 50-win mark in their 70th game, which is the fewest games in team history (2005-06, 71st game). The team saw its franchise-record tying 15-game win streak from Nov. 22-Dec. 27 come to an end in overtime on Dec. 31, which also tied for the sixth-longest run in AHL history. In addition, the Griffins’ 19-game point streak from Nov. 22-Jan. 7 (18-0-1-0) ended on Jan. 9, which tied for the longest run in franchise history. The Griffins are 26-6-1-1 on the road and finished 24-9-3-0 at home. The 17-game points streak on the road from Oct. 10-Jan. 23 (15-0-1-1) set a new AHL record, eclipsing the 2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals’ 16-game run (10-0-4-2). 

Rewrite the Record Book
With the historic season the Griffins have had, several players have joined the franchise’s all-time single-season record book. John Leonard ranks among the single-season leaders in goals (32, T9th), shorthanded goals (5, T1st), game-winners (8, T5th), unassisted goals (4, T5th), shootout percentage (.750, T6th) and shooting percentage (.200, T4th). William Lagesson is seventh in plus-minus (+32), Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is tied for fifth in game-winners (8), Amadeus Lombardi is tied for first in overtime goals (3), Dominik Shine is first in shooting percentage (.210), and Eduards Tralmaks is tied for fourth in shooting percentage (.200). In net, Sebastian Cossa is eighth in wins (26) and tied for seventh in shutouts (5). Fellow goaltender Michal Postava ranks first in GAA (1.79) and second in save percentage (.934). In addition, Leonard (32) is the Griffins’ first 30-goal scorer since Eric Tangradi (31) in 2017-18, and his 32 goals are the most by a Griffin since 2014-15 (Teemu Pulkkinen 34). Leonard, Tralmaks (25), Sheldon Dries (23), Shine (21) and Brandsegg-Nygard (20) have all hit the 20-goal mark this season, which marks the first time since 2017-18 that Grand Rapids has at least five 20-goal scorers. Brandsegg-Nygard is also the 11th Griffins rookie to score 20 goals and the first since Jonatan Berggren (21) in 2021-22. 

Welcome to Grand Rapids
Below is a list of players who have recently joined the Griffins following their European or collegiate seasons. 
- Trey Augustine (from Michigan State (NCAA)): Made pro debut on April 10 against Chicago (L, 26 saves)
- Kienan Draper (from Michigan (NCAA)): Made pro debut on April 15 at Iowa 
- Eddie Genborg (from Timra (Sweden)): Two points (1-1—2) in nine AHL games. Made AHL debut on March 20 at Rockford. First AHL goal on April 4 at Manitoba
- Anton Johansson (from Leksands (Sweden)): Three points (1-2—3) in five AHL games. First AHL goal on April 4 at Manitoba
- Dylan James (from North Dakota (NCAA)): Made pro debut on April 15 at Iowa 
- Jesse Kiiskinen (from HPK (Finland)): Made AHL debut on April 11 against Rockford (one assist)

The Return
Below is a list of players who were reassigned to the Griffins following the conclusion of the Detroit Red Wings’ season.  
- Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (Last AHL game: April 11): 44 points (20-24—44) in 58 games
- Carter Mazur (Last AHL game: March 26): 15 points (11-4—15) in 14 games
- Dominik Shine (Last AHL game: Feb. 25): 37 points (21-16—37) in 38 games
- Axel Sandin-Pellikka (Last AHL game: April 1): Three points (2-1—3) in four games

Record Setters 
Below is a list of team and league records that the Griffins have either set or tied this season. 
- Best record in AHL history through 25 games (23-1-0-1, 47 pts.), 30 games (27-1-1-1, 56 pts.), 40 games (32-5-2-1, 67 pts.) and 50 games (40-7-2-1, 83 pts.), while tying for the best start through 35 games (29-3-2-1, 61 pts.)
- Second-best record in AHL history through 55 games (42-9-3-1, 88 pts.)
- Tied second-best record in AHL history through 45 games (35-7-2-1, 73 pts.) 
- Reached the 60-point mark in just 32 games, three games faster than any team in AHL history
- AHL record 17-game road points streak from Oct. 10-Jan. 23 (15-0-1-1)
- Tied franchise-record 15-game winning streak from Nov. 22-Dec. 27, which also tied for sixth-longest in AHL history
- Tied franchise-record 19-game points streak from Nov. 22-Jan. 7 (18-0-1-0)
- Franchise-record start with an 8-0 record and was the league’s last undefeated team for first time since 2000-01 IHL season
- Started 6-0 at home for first time since 2009-10 (8-0)
- Franchise record for largest margin of victory (9) on Nov. 25 at Texas (10-1 W) 
- Franchise record for fewest shots in a game (10) on Jan. 17 versus Milwaukee 
- Earliest playoff clinching date in franchise history on Feb. 27 (previously March 6)
- Second-earliest division title in franchise history on March 26 (previously March 9) 
- Fastest to 100 points in franchise history in game 66 (previously game 69 in 2005-06) 
- Franchise record for most home wins (24) in a 36-game slate (previously 23 in 2023-24)
- Franchise record for most road points (52) in a 36-game slate (previously 42 in 2024-25)
- Franchise record for most road wins (26) in a 36-game slate (previously 20 in 2024-25); tied franchise record for most road wins among all seasons
- Franchise record for best road points percentage (.794) across all 30 seasons (previously .713 in 2002-03)
- Franchise record for most overall points (105) in a 72-game season (previously 86 in 2023-24)
- Franchise record for most overall wins (50) in a 72-game season (previously 37 in 2024-25 & 2023-24)
- Franchise record for best points percentage (.750) in a 72-game season (previously .597 in 2023-24)
- Franchise record for best overall record (.750) across all 30 seasons (previously .719 in 2005-06)
- Fastest to 50 wins in franchise history in game 70 (previously game 71 in 2005-06)

Important Starts
Playing with a lead has been crucial for the Griffins this season, as they are 37-3-1-0 when scoring the game’s first goal compared to 13-12-3-1 when conceding the opening tally. In addition, Grand Rapids is 23-0 when leading after the first period and 4-7-2-1 when trailing after the opening frame. When trailing after the second stanza, the Griffins are just 5-11-0-1 compared to 34-0 when leading after the second. 

Putting the League on Notice 
Rookie netminder Michal Postava is 16-6-0 with three shutouts, a 1.79 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage in 24 games. In a 5-0 victory at Rockford on April 1, Postava logged his third shutout of the campaign behind 18 saves, which tied for the most shutouts by a Griffins rookie in a single season. If he had enough minutes played to qualify (38 short), Postava would rank first in the league in GAA and save percentage, and tie for eighth in shutouts. He tied a franchise record by becoming the 10th netminder in team history to post back-to-back shutouts from Jan. 17-21. Postava collected his first AHL shutout on Jan. 17 with 10 saves in a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee and followed that performance with a 19-save blanking of Milwaukee on Jan. 21. Postava logged a shutout streak of 156:20 from Jan. 9-25, which was 3:47 short of breaking the franchise record by Jared Coreau in 2014-15 (160:06). Last season, Postava became a Czech Extraliga champion with Kometa Brno, showing a league-best .940 save percentage with a 1.97 GAA and a 10-7 record in 17 playoff games. During the regular season with Kometa Brno, Postava ranked among the Czech Extraliga leaders in save percentage (.921, 5th), GAA (2.39, 11th), wins (23, 4th), games played (42, T2nd) and shutouts (3, T7th). As an undrafted free agent, Postava signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings last summer. 

What’s The Password? 
The Griffins’ defense remains the best in the AHL, as it ranks first with 2.19 goals allowed per contest. Grand Rapids posted its ninth shutout of the season on April 1 at Rockford, which are the most since 2008-09 (9). The Griffins shut out their opponent in two straight games from Jan. 17-21 in addition to posting consecutive shutouts from Dec. 21-27. Prior to this season, the last time Grand Rapids logged two straight shutouts was Feb. 15-17, 2018. The Griffins have allowed more than two goals just 24 times all season (34.3%) but have averaged 3.20 goals allowed in their last five outings. In addition, the team’s penalty kill is first in the AHL at 86.2%. In net, Sebastian Cossa sports a 2.28 GAA with a .917 save percentage and five shutouts, while rookie netminder Michal Postava possesses a 1.79 GAA, a .934 save percentage and three shutouts. 

Pucks on Net 
Grand Rapids has posted at least four goals in six of its last 10 games and has averaged 4.33 goals per game in the six games in April. The Griffins now rank second in the AHL with 3.47 goals per game. The team has outscored its opponents 243-153 and is 37-3-1-0 when scoring the game’s first goal. The Griffins have outscored their opponents 110-78 at home, while possessing a 133-75 advantage on the road. Grand Rapids has its largest scoring margin against its opponents in the third period (98-48). John Leonard leads the team and is tied for second in the AHL with 32 goals, while Eduards Tralmaks ranks second on the roster with 25 and Sheldon Dries places third with 23. Leonard, Tralmaks, Dries, Dominik Shine (21) and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (20) have all hit the 20-goal mark this season, which marks the first time since 2017-18 that Grand Rapids has at least five 20-goal scorers. Brandsegg-Nygard is also the 11th Griffins rookie to score 20 goals and the first since Jonatan Berggren (21) in 2021-22. 

The Leader
John Leonard was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team for the second consecutive season (Charlotte in 2024-25). He became the first Griffin selected to an AHL All-Star Team since 2020-21 (Riley Barber) and the first named to the Second All-Star Team since 2015-16 (Robbie Russo). Leonard enjoyed a five-game point streak from April 1-11 (2-5—7) and has 13 points in his last 14 AHL outings (6-7—13). The 27-year-old leads the team in points (32-21—53) and goals (32), while tying for fourth in assists. Leonard ranks among the AHL leaders in goals (32, T2nd), shorthanded goals (5, T1st) and game-winners (8, T2nd). Among the two other AHL players he is tied with in goals scored (32), Leonard has played at least 17 fewer games. He also places third in points-per-game (1.15) among players with at least 40 games played. Leonard logged a team-best six-game goal streak from Oct. 11-Nov. 2, which marked a career high, and showed a 10-game point streak from Oct. 10-Nov. 19, which set a career high and a new franchise record to begin a season. 

Road Warriors
The Griffins have already set the best road record in franchise history with a .795 points percentage (26-6-1-1), beating out the previous record of .713 (26-9-3-2) set in 2002-03. Grand Rapids needs just one win in its final two road games to set a new team record for most road victories in a single season. They are currently tied with the 2002-03 team (26 wins), when it played 40 road contests instead of the current 36. Grand Rapids is currently on a five-game win streak on the road and have outscored opponents 28-9 during the run. The Griffins have also scored at least five goals in five straight road contests since March 26, and has a plus-58 scoring margin in foreign territory (133-75). 

The Well is not Dry
Sheldon Dries enjoyed a season-high six-game point streak (2-5—7) from March 7-April 4 and has 10 points (5-5—10) in his last 12 AHL outings. Throughout 56 AHL games this season, Dries has 44 points (23-21—44) and a career-high plus-19 rating. The Macomb, Michigan, native is tied for second on the roster in points, tied for fourth in assists, and third in goals. He was selected as the Howies Hockey Tape/ AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Dec. 21 when he logged six points (2-4—6) and a plus-eight rating in three games. Throughout his nine-year AHL career, Dries has 288 points (161-127—288), 270 penalty minutes and a plus-46 rating in 395 games. He made his Red Wings debut on March 12 at Tampa Bay and has appeared in five games with Detroit this season. 

Untouchables
Below are statistical categories in which the Griffins are undefeated in regulation.
- 23-0 when leading after the first period
- 34-0 when leading after the second period 
- 11-0 in games decided by four or more goals
- 43-0-2-1 when scoring at least three goals
- 4-0 when allowing 10-19 shots 

The Brick Wall
Sebastian Cossa, the 15th overall pick in 2021, collected his fifth shutout of the season on Feb. 15 against Texas with 26 saves and enjoyed a seven-game point streak from Feb. 3-28 (6-0-1). His career-high five shutouts are the most by a Griffin since 2015-16 (Jared Coreau). Cossa has a 26-8-4 record with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. He enjoyed a career-high 10-game win streak from Nov. 25-Dec. 27, showing a 1.51 GAA and a .939 save percentage, and a 14-game point streak from Nov. 25-Jan. 13 (12-0-2). In the AHL rankings, Cossa ranks fifth in GAA, tied for third in save percentage, second in shutouts, second in wins and 11th in minutes played (2261:50). Cossa won two straight AHL Goaltender of the Month awards (November and December), becoming the first netminder in franchise history to receive the honor twice in the same season. The 23-year-old also became just the third goaltender in team history to win the award twice in any fashion, joining Jared Coreau (Feb. 2018, Dec. 2015) and Jimmy Howard (Dec. 2007, March 2006). In parts of four seasons with Grand Rapids since 2022-23, Cossa has notched a 70-33-18 mark with eight shutouts to go along with a 2.44 GAA and a .911 save percentage in 122 outings, becoming just the sixth netminder to reach the century mark with the team. 

United Nations
The Griffins’ roster is comprised of nine different nationalities. Grand Rapids’ lineup on March 24 included players from nine different birth countries, which was a first in the franchise’s 30-year history. 
USA (8): Sheldon Dries, John Leonard, Austin Watson, Shai Buium, Trey Augustine, Kienan Draper, Carter Mazur, Dominik Shine
Sweden (7): Gabriel Seger, Eddie Genborg, William Wallinder, Anton Johansson, William Lagesson, Erik Gustafsson, Axel Sandin-Pellikka
Canada (6): Nate Danielson, Alex Doucet, Tyler Angle, Amadeus Lombardi, Sebastian Cossa, Dylan James 
Czechia (3): Ondrej Becher, Jakub Rychlovsky, Michal Postava
Finland (2): Antti Tuomisto, Jesse Kiiskinen
Norway (1): Michael Brandsegg-Nygard 
Latvia (1): Eduards Tralmaks
Poland (1): Wojciech Stachowiak
Thailand (1): Alex Kannok Leipert 

Milwaukee/Grand Rapids Player Connections
- Magnus Chrona, Massimo Rizzo, Antti Tuomisto, Carter Mazur, and Shai Buium were teammates at Denver (NCAA), winning a national title in 2021-22
- Matt Murray and John Leonard were teammates at UMass (NCAA) from 2017-20, winning the Hockey East in 2018-19
- Jordan Oesterle and Sheldon Dries were teammates at Western Michigan (NCAA) in 2013-14. Oesterle also played for the Red Wings from 2021-23
- Dalton Bancroft and Gabriel Seger were teammates at Cornell (NCAA) from 2022-24, winning the ECAC in 2023-24
- Josh Davies and John Leonard were teammates with Charlotte (AHL) in 2024-25
- Jake Lucchini and Michael Milne were teammates with Iowa (AHL) in 2023-24
- Austin Roest is the son of Stacy Roest, who played for Grand Rapids in 2002-03 and three seasons with Detroit from 1998-2000 and 2002-03
- Ryder Rolston, Jacob Truscott, Carter Mazur, and Kienan Draper were teammates with USNTDP Jrs. (USHL) in 2018-19
- Ben Strinden and Dylan James were teammates at North Dakota (NCAA) from 2022-26
- Joey Willis and Trey Augustine won a gold medal with Team USA U20 at the 2025 World Junior Championship

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard—Tied for second in game-winners (8), tied for fifth among rookies in goals (20), tied for 12th among rookies in assists (24), tied for seventh among rookies in points (44), sixth among rookies in plus-minus (+19), tied for fifth among rookies in power-play goals (7), tied for eighth among rookies in shots (139), first among rookies in game-winners (8)
Sebastian Cossa—Fifth in GAA (2.28), tied for third in save percentage (.917), second in shutouts (5), second in wins (26), tied for 12th in games played (38), 11th in minutes played (2261:50)
Erik Gustafsson—Tied for 11th among defensemen in assists (31) 
Alex Kannok Leipert—Tied for 13th in shorthanded assists (2), tied for fifth among defensemen in shorthanded assists (2)
William Lagesson—Tied for third in plus-minus (+32), tied for first among defensemen in plus-minus (+32)
John Leonard—Tied for second in goals (32), tied for first in shorthanded goals (5), tied for second in game-winners (8)
Amadeus Lombardi—Tied for 11th in game-winners (5)
Dominik Shine—Tied for 15th in plus-minus (+25)
Eduards Tralmaks—Tied for 15th in plus-minus (+25)
Antti Tuomisto—Tied for 10th in plus-minus (+27), tied for sixth among defensemen in plus-minus (+27)
Austin Watson—Seventh in penalty minutes (146) 

Milestones 
In a 5-2 win at Iowa on Wednesday, Kienan Draper and Dylan James both made their professional debuts.  
Tyler Angle—One assist from 100 as a pro
Jakub Rychlovsky—Three assists from 100 as a pro
Dominik Shine—Four goals from 100 as a Griffin, one unassisted goal from claiming sole possession of the franchise record of 11 
Wojciech Stachowiak—One game from 300 as a pro
Antti Tuomisto—Two points from 100 as a pro
Austin Watson—Three points from 200 in the AHL 

Photo by Brianna Nevins/Milwaukee Admirals