Griffins Game #65 * Road Game #31 * AHL Game #1,032

Season Series: 6-2-0-0 Home Series: 3-1-0-0 Road Series: 3-1-0-0
All-Time Series: 80-54-11-11 All-Time Home Series: 46-21-6-5 All-Time Road Series: 34-33-5-6

Griffins at IceHogs
Ninth of 10 meetings overall, fifth of five at the BMO Center…Grand Rapids has wins in 13 of the last 18 games against Rockford...The Griffins are 28-18-2-0 (.604) since the 2021-22 season against Rockford and have a plus-17 scoring margin (142-125). On the road since 2021-22, Grand Rapids is 15-9-0-0 (.625) against the IceHogs with an even scoring margin (68-68)...Rockford is Grand Rapids’ third-most frequent opponent, as tonight’s game marks the 157th meeting between the two franchises...The IceHogs are 12-18-1-2 at home this season compared to 14-15-2-0 on the road...Grand Rapids is 24-7-3-0 at home compared to 22-6-1-1 on the road...Rockford is 7-2-1-0 in its last 10 games and is on a four-game winning streak, which is tied for its season best...Grand Rapids is 4-5-1-0 in its last 10 outings and is on a two-game winning streak...Rockford’s power play is tied for 30th at 13.0% and its penalty kill is 26th at 80.0%...Grand Rapids’ penalty kill ranks first at 85.9% and its power play places 16th at 19.0%...The IceHogs place 26th with 2.78 goals per game while the Griffins are tied for fourth with 3.39 goals per outing...Defensively, Rockford ranks 25th with 3.31 goals allowed per game and Grand Rapids is first with 2.14 goals allowed...Rockford’s Connor Mylymok ranks fourth in penalty minutes (165), which also places first among rookies.

Last Time Out
Sheldon Dries (1-1—2) earned the overtime-winner and extended his point streak to three games, as the Grand Rapids Griffins scored three unanswered goals to defeat the Chicago Wolves 3-2 on Saturday at Van Andel Arena. Axel Sandin-Pellikka notched the game-tying goal with two minutes left in the third period on the power play, and Eduards Tralmaks recorded his 22nd of the campaign. The Griffins improved to 46-13-4-1 through 64 games (97 pts.), and 24-7-3-0 on home ice. Eddie Genborg potted an assist for his first AHL point, while Erik Gustafsson tallied two helpers. Wojciech Stachowiak bagged a helper for his fourth point in two outings, and Sebastian Cossa recorded 22 saves to move to 25-7-4. 

This Date in Griffins History
2016: The Griffins score six unanswered goals – including four third-period tallies – to snap a four-game losing streak, defeating the Rochester Americans 6-1 at Blue Cross Arena. With 38 points (5-33–38), Robbie Russo sets a Griffins' franchise record for most points by a rookie defenseman, passing Clay Wilson (2005-06) and Chad Billins (2012-13). 

Rewrite the Record Book  
With the historic season the Griffins have had, several players have already itched their names into the franchise’s all-time single-season record book. John Leonard ranks among the single-season leaders in shorthanded goals (5, T1st), game-winners (8, 5th), unassisted goals (4, T5th), shootout percentage (.750, T6th) and shooting percentage (.210, 1st). Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is tied for ninth in game-winners (6), Amadeus Lombardi is tied for first in overtime goals (3), and Dominik Shine ranks second in shooting percentage (.210). In net, Sebastian Cossa is eighth in wins (25) and tied for seventh in shutouts (5). Fellow goaltender Michal Postava ranks second in GAA (1.86) and second in save percentage (.932). 

Not Done Yet
With a 5-2 win at the Cleveland Monsters last Thursday, the Griffins clinched the Central Division title, 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, which marked 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. Grand Rapids now has a magic number of six to clinch the Western Conference title, a feat not accomplished since the 2005-06 season. The Griffins have led the Central Division for the entire season and trail the Providence Bruins by two points in the race for the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, awarded to the AHL's regular-season champions. Grand Rapids is 35-9-4-1 against its division rivals and has outscored them 172-108, suffering its first regulation defeat against the division on Jan. 9 against Texas. The Griffins’ 35 wins are the most divisional victories since 2016-17 (40-20-1-3). 

Battling Through
The Griffins have lost six of their last 10 games and eight of the last 14 contests since Feb. 25. In those 14 games, Grand Rapids has averaged 3.07 goals per game while allowing 2.93 goals. The Griffins have continued their historic campaign with a 46-13-4-1 ledger and 97 points through 64 games and possessed the second-best record in the AHL’s 90-year history through 55 games. Grand Rapids reached 90 points (56 games) for the first time since 2017-18 (93 pts., 76 games). 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 22-6-1-1 on the road and 24-7-3-0 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). Grand Rapids ranks second in the AHL in points (97) and has a 10-point cushion over the Ontario Reign for first place in the Western Conference.   

Hitting the Road
Only two of the final eight games for the Griffins will be in Grand Rapids at Van Andel Arena. Grand Rapids has fared well on the road with a 22-6-1-1 record. The Griffins, who have outscored their opponents 110-68 in foreign territory, rattled off a 17-game road points streak from Oct. 10-Jan. 23 (15-0-1-1), which set a new AHL record, eclipsing the 2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals’ 16-game run (10-0-4-2). 

Important Starts 
Playing with a lead has been crucial for the Griffins this season, as they are 33-1-1-0 when scoring the game’s first goal compared to 13-12-3-1 when conceding the opening tally. In addition, Grand Rapids is 20-0 when leading after the first period and 4-6-2-1 when trailing after the opening frame. When trailing after the second stanza, the Griffins are just 5-10-0-1 compared to 31-0 when leading after the second. 

The Ax Man
Rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka joined the Griffins on March 23 and has three points (2-1—3) in three games with Grand Rapids. He scored his first AHL goal during his season debut on March 24 against Milwaukee. Sandin-Pellikka made the Red Wings’ roster out of training camp and produced 19 points (6-13—19), 16 penalty minutes and a minus-21 rating in 63 games with Detroit. The 21-year-old made his NHL debut on Oct. 9 against Montreal and later bagged his first NHL point with a goal on Oct. 17 against Tampa Bay. Last spring, Sandin-Pellikka joined the Griffins and competed in two regular-season games with one assist, adding three appearances in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. In 2024-25, he was named the Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year when he paced all SHL juniors in goals (12) and points (29). 

The Well is not Dry
Sheldon Dries is on a three-game point streak (1-3—4) and has six points (3-3—6) in his last six AHL outings. Throughout 50 AHL games with this season, Dries has 40 points (21-16—40) and a career-high plus-22 rating. The Macomb, Michigan, native ranks second on the roster in points, tied for fourth in assists, and tied for 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 284 points (159-125—284), 270 penalty minutes and a plus-49 rating in 389 games. He made his Red Wings debut on March 12 at Tampa Bay and has appeared in five games with Detroit this season.  

Putting the League on Notice
Rookie netminder Michal Postava is 13-6-0 with a 1.86 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage in 21 games. If he had enough minutes played to qualify (97 short), Postava would rank among the league leaders in GAA (1st) and save percentage (1st). 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). After beginning the campaign 5-0, the 23-year-old suffered his first AHL defeat on Jan. 9 against Texas. 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 2.14 goals allowed per contest. Grand Rapids posted its eighth shutout of the season on Feb. 15 against Texas, which are the most since 2016-17 (8). 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 21 times all season (32.8%) but have averaged 3.60 goals allowed in their last five outings. In addition, the team’s penalty kill is first in the AHL at 85.9%. In net, Sebastian Cossa sports a 2.24 GAA with a .918 save percentage and five shutouts, while rookie netminder Michal Postava possesses a 1.86 GAA, a .932 save percentage and two shutouts. 

Ups and Downs 
Grand Rapids has been held to under three goals in five of its last 10 games and has scored more than three goals five times in its last 14 outings. The Griffins are now tied for fourth in the AHL with 3.39 goals per game. The team has outscored its opponents 217-137 and is 33-1-1-0 when scoring the game’s first goal. The Griffins have outscored their opponents 107-69 at home, while possessing a 110-68 advantage on the road. Grand Rapids has its largest scoring margin against its opponents in the third period (87-42). John Leonard leads the team and ranks fourth in the AHL with 30 goals, while Eduards Tralmaks ranks second on the roster with 22 and Sheldon Dries and Dominik Shine are tied for third with 21. 

Welcome Back  
On Sunday, the Red Wings reassigned defenseman Anton Johansson to the Griffins from the SHL’s Leksands IF. The 21-year-old recently finished his SHL season and accumulated career-high totals in goals (5), assists (12) and points (17) in 42 regular-season games, adding 49 penalty minutes and an even plus-minus rating. He ranked among the 2025-26 SHL U22 defensemen leaders in points (2nd), goals (3rd), and assists (2nd). Johansson made his AHL debut with Grand Rapids last campaign and showed five assists, 12 penalty minutes and a plus-one rating in 11 regular-season games in 2024-25, adding one assist in three Calder Cup Playoff appearances. The 6-foot-4 blueliner was selected with the 105th overall pick by the Red Wings in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.  

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) 

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 25-7-4 record with a 2.24 goals-against average and a .918 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, fourth in save percentage, second in shutouts, second in wins and ninth in minutes played (2142:31). 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 69-32-18 mark with eight shutouts to go along with a 2.44 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 120 outings, becoming just the sixth netminder to reach the century mark with the team. 

Untouchables
Below are statistical categories in which the Griffins are undefeated in regulation.
- 20-0 when leading after the first period
- 31-0 when leading after the second period 
- 9-0 in games decided by four or more goals
- 39-0-2-1 when scoring at least three goals
- 1-0-1-1 when allowing a shorthanded goal
- 3-0 when allowing 10-19 shots 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker 
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard—Tied for third in game-winners (6), tied for ninth among rookies in goals (16), tied for 14th among rookies in assists (21), tied for 10th among rookies in points (37), fifth among rookies in plus-minus (+22), tied for ninth among rookies in power-play goals (5), eighth among rookies in shots (128), first among rookies in game-winners (6)
Sebastian Cossa—Fifth in GAA (2.24), fourth in save percentage (.918), second in shutouts (5), second in wins (25), tied for 10th in games played (36), ninth in minutes played (2142:31)
Erik Gustafsson—Tied for 15th among defensemen in assists (25)
Alex Kannok Leipert—Tied for 10th in shorthanded assists (2), tied for fourth among defensemen in shorthanded assists (2)
William Lagesson—Fifth in plus-minus (+30), second among defensemen in plus-minus (+30)
John Leonard—Fourth in goals (30), first in shorthanded goals (5), first in game-winners (8)
Amadeus Lombardi—Tied for ninth in game-winners (5)
x Dominik Shine—Tied for 11th in plus-minus (+25)
Antti Tuomisto—Tied for 14th among defensemen in plus-minus (+20)
Austin Watson—Fifth in penalty minutes (146) 

Milestones
On Thursday at Cleveland, Carter Mazur scored two goals in his 100th game as a Griffin.  
Tyler Angle—Three assists from 100 as a pro
Shai Buium—Two games from 100 as a Griffin
Michael Milne—Three games from 200 as a pro 
Jakub Rychlovsky—Two games from 100 as a Griffin
x Dominik Shine—Four goals from 100 as a Griffin, one unassisted goal from claiming sole possession of the franchise record of 11 
Austin Watson—Three points from 200 in the AHL 

Photo by Kristin Ostrowski/Rockford IceHogs