Griffins Game #67 * Road Game #33 * AHL Game #1,073

Season Series: 5-1-0-1 Home Series: 3-0-0-1 Road Series: 2-1-0-0
All-Time Series: 78-40-9-14 All-Time Home Series: 45-18-4-4 All-Time Road Series: 33-22-5-10

Griffins at Monsters
Eighth of eight meetings overall, fourth of four at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse…The Griffins are on a six-game point streak against Cleveland with a plus-12 scoring margin (5-0-0-1)…Grand Rapids has points in 26 out of the last 32 games overall (18-6-4-4, .688) against Cleveland...Since the 2020-21 season, the Griffins are 24-9-4-4 (.683) against Cleveland and have outscored them 134-100. On the road during that span, Grand Rapids is 10-7-1-2 (.575) against the Monsters with a plus-seven scoring margin (58-51)...The Griffins are 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 games and the Monsters are 5-4-0-1 in their last 10...Both teams are on a two-game win streak...Cleveland is 15-11-3-5 at home this season and Grand Rapids is 18-12-2-0 on the road...Cleveland’s power play is tied for 21st in the AHL at 17.7% and its penalty kill is tied for 17th at 82.0%...The Griffins’ power play ranks 24th at 17.3% and their penalty kills is tied for 17th at 82.0%...Cleveland ranks 23rd with 2.89 goals per game and 15th in goals against per game (3.02)...Cleveland’s Trey Fix-Wolansky is tied for 11th in the AHL with 57 points (25-32—57). Netminder Jet Greaves is tied for ninth in wins (20) and fifth in save percentage (.921)...All-time against Grand Rapids, Trey Fix-Wolansky has 33 points (13-20—33) in 32 games, which includes 27 points (9-18—27) in his last 20 meetings against the Griffins. Since the 2021-22 season, Rocco Grimaldi has posted 29 points (9-20—29) in his last 28 games against the Griffins...Head coach Dan Watson suited up for the Cleveland Barons from 2002-04 and calls Cleveland home during the offseason...Tim Gettinger is a native of Cleveland and played for the Cleveland Barons’ U14-16 AAA teams in the T1EHL from 2011-14 before joining the OHL. 

Last Time Out
Three-point games from Nate Danielson (0-3—3), Anton Johansson (0-3—3), Amadeus Lombardi (2-1—3) and Austin Watson (2-1—3) led the Griffins to a 7-5 victory over the Rockford IceHogs on Saturday at the BMO Center. Lombardi has scored six goals in the last four games, bringing his season total to 18. Watson’s two tallies extended his goal streak to six, the longest by a Griffin in more than 10 years, dating back to Teemu Pulkkinen’s eight-game run from Dec. 19-Jan. 17, 2014. Danielson posted six points (2-4—6) across the weekend series sweep and Johansson earned his first points in the AHL. During his fourth game with the Griffins this season, Emmitt Finnie secured his first professional goal. Meanwhile, veteran netminder Jack Campbell manned the crease for his 450th professional game and saved 30 shots in the win. 

This Date in Griffins History
2003: Grand Rapids becomes the first AHL team in 13 years to garner the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award in back-to-back seasons, as Marc Lamothe is named the league’s outstanding goaltender.

The Lombardi Trophy
Second-year pro Amadeus Lombardi has recorded three straight multi-point games for the first time in his career, securing seven points (5-2—7) in three outings last week. He scored at least one goal in each game, totaling five on just seven shots, and also has six goals in the last five games (6-2—8). He enjoyed a career-high four-game assist streak from March 8-15 (0-5—5) and now has points in eight of the last 10 outings (6-7—13). Lombardi was sidelined for 28 games due to rehabbing an upper-body injury from Dec. 6-Feb. 15. Since his return, the Aurora, Ontario, native has 19 points (9-10—19) in 18 outings, which includes two career-best four-game point streaks. Through 38 appearances, Lombardi has a career-high 34 points (18-16—34) after showing 26 points (5-21—26) in 70 games as a rookie last season. Despite his limited games, Lombardi still ranks among the team leaders in points (6th), assists (7th) and goals (4th). The 21-year-old was selected 113th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. 

Goals, Goals, Goals
The Griffins scored 18 goals in three games last week, which was highlighted by an eight-goal performance last Friday followed by seven goals last Saturday. In the previous three games before this outburst, Grand Rapids had scored just two totals goals (0.67 goals per game). In comparison, Grand Rapids scored 21 times in 10 games in March. The eight goals last Friday were the most since the team defeated Chicago 8-7 in overtime on Dec. 22, 2022. The only other time the Griffins scored at least seven goals in back-to-back games was Dec. 26-27, 1996 (7-0 W vs. DET, 8-3 W at FTW). The 15 goals last weekend were the most in a two-game span since the team bagged 16 goals from Jan. 19-23, 2013 (11-6 W at RFD, 5-4 SOW vs. OKC). Also, the 18 goals in three games last week were the most since 21 goals from Jan. 17-23, 2013 (5-3 W at CHA, 11-6 W at RFD, 5-4 SOW vs. OKC). The Griffins have gone on cold stretches where they struggle to score more than two goals a game, none more prevalent than being shut out in a franchise-record three consecutive contests from Jan. 31-Feb. 7. Grand Rapids has scored one goal or been shut out in 17 games this season (25.8% of its games). Scoring at least three goals has been key for Grand Rapids, as it has a 28-3-0-1 mark (.891) when reaching at least three goals and a 6-23-4-1 (.250) record when it fails to do so. 

Playoff Picture
The Griffins have clinched their spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. With six games remaining, Grand Rapids is currently in a tie with Chicago for the final first-round bye position in the Central Division with a game in hand. Five teams make the playoffs, with the top three receiving a first-round bye into the Central Division Semifinals. 

Welcome Back
After missing the previous eight and four Griffins games, respectively, while on recall to Detroit, forwards Dominik Shine and Austin Watson returned to Grand Rapids’ lineup last weekend in a tie for second on the team in scoring. They paid immediate dividends, with Shine (2-3—5) and Watson (3-2—5) both showing five points in the two games. Watson extended his point streak to a career-high seven games (7-4—11 from March 5-April 5) and his goal streak to a career-best six games (7-3—10 from March 8-April 5), the latter marking the longest for a Griffin since Teemu Pulkkinen’s eight-game run from Dec. 19-Jan. 7, 2014 that tied Donald MacLean’s franchise record. Grand Rapids’ record without Shine this season is 4-7-0-0 and 1-5-2-0 without Watson. Shine has logged his first nine NHL games with the Red Wings this season, recording one assist and 15 penalty minutes, while Watson shows two goals and 17 PIM in eight appearances with the parent club. Watson was recalled by the Red Wings on Tuesday. 

Damn Daniel, Back At It Again
Rookie Nate Danielson registered three points in both games last weekend against the Rockford IceHogs (2-4—6). This marked the second and third times this season that the 20-year-old has produced three points in a game (0-3—3 on Dec. 28 at CLE). Last Friday versus Rockford, Danielson bagged his first two-goal game as a pro. He has totaled eight multi-point outings this season, including three assists on April 5 at Rockford and Dec. 28 at Cleveland. The ninth overall pick by Detroit in 2023 has 38 points (11-27—38), 33 penalty minutes and a plus-five rating in his rookie campaign. He ranks among the team leaders in points (4th), assists (2nd), and goals (6th). Danielson also places among the AHL rookie leaders in assists (8th), points (14th), and short-handed assists (4, 1st). 

Not Your Average Joe
Joe Snively registered five assists in two games last weekend and tied his single-game career-high three helpers on April 4 against Rockford. The five assists in two games marked a career high for most assists in a two-game span for Snively and the five points also tied his career-best two games (three previous times. MR: Oct. 28-29, 2023: 2-3—5). Snively has 44 points (20-24—44), 24 penalty minutes and a minus-five rating in 66 games with the Griffins. He has already notched a career-high 20 goals, beating his previous best of 15 in 2021-22 with Hershey. The 29-year-old ranks among the team leaders in points (1st), assists (T3rd), and goals (2nd). Throughout 286 AHL regular-season contests, Snively has 216 points (78-138—216) and a plus-52 rating, adding 33 points (6-27—33) in 43 playoff outings. Snively is in search of his third straight Calder Cup, which would put him in rare company, as only 11 players in league history have won three consecutive cups in the AHL and no one has reached this feat since the 1978 season. 

Timmy G
Veteran Tim Gettinger is on a season-high three-game point streak (2-1—3) and scored in consecutive games for the second time this season from April 2-4. Prior to this point streak, the 26-year-old had not scored a goal since Jan. 23 and had just one point (0-1—1) in 24 games from Jan. 25-March 26. Gettinger has 13 points (6-7—13) and 17 penalty minutes in 48 games with the Griffins this season, having missed the first 17 contests due to rehabbing a lower-body injury. Throughout 340 AHL appearances, Gettinger has 171 points (80-91—171) and 163 penalty minutes. 

Power Surge
The Griffins exploded for a season-high three power-play goals on March 15 at Rockford and are now 7-for-22 (31.8%) on the man-advantage in their last eight games, which includes a 3-for-7 mark (42.9%) this past weekend. The power play has also scored in eight of the last 16 games (11-for-53, 20.8%) and is 13-for-65 in its last 18 outings (20.0%). The power play has climbed into 24th place on the circuit at 17.3% (40-for-231) after being ranked 10th at the beginning of February (18.7%). If you break it down further, Grand Rapids’ home power play is 19-for-107 (17.8%, 19th) and its road power play is 21-for-124 (16.9%, 22nd). The Griffins have given up 10 short-handed goals, which is tied for the sixth most. The Griffins’ penalty kill has gone 34-for-42 (81.0%) in its last 16 games and 14-for-18 (77.8%) in the last eight contests. The team has allowed a power-play goal in 15 of the previous 26 games (58-for-77 on PK, 75.3%) and in 21 of its last 35 outings (85-for-110 on PK, 77.3%). The Griffins have the fewest penalty minutes in the AHL this season at 663, 34 minutes less than Coachella Valley (697). The penalty kill is tied for 17th at 82.0% after starting the month of February in seventh place at 85.1%. The Griffins are 21-6-2-2 when scoring on the power play and 14-16-2-1 when they allow a power-play goal. 

Batten Down the Hatches
The Griffins’ defense has allowed 3.67 goals per game in its last six games, which includes 4.00 goals per game in its last two outings. Grand Rapids allowed 2.90 goals per game in the month of March and have now allowed 3.09 goals since the start of the calendar year. The Griffins have dropped to 10th in the AHL with 2.83 goals allowed after starting February ranked first with 2.43 goals allowed. Sebastian Cossa has shown a 2.44 GAA and .911 save percentage through 37 games, and Jack Campbell has a 3.18 GAA and an .879 save percentage in 12 appearances. 

Winning Skills
The Griffins are 7-2 during shootouts this season, as the seven wins are tied for the league lead with Ontario (7-1). The last time Grand Rapids won at least seven games in the skills competition was back in 2006-07 (8-5), and it has not had a winning season in a shootout since 2018-19 (6-4). The Griffins are 125-129 all time during the shootout. Cross Hanas (2-for-2), Ondrej Becher (1-for-2) and Nate Danielson (3-for-6) lead the way for Grand Rapids. In net, Sebastian Cossa is 17-for-22 (77.3%) this season and 31-for-40 (77.5%) all time as a Griffin in the shootout, which ranks fifth in franchise history. 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Shai Buium—Tied for seventh among rookie defensemen in assists (22), 12th among rookie defensemen in points (24), tied for sixth among rookie defensemen in power-play goals (2), tied for sixth among rookie defensemen in power-play assists (8), tied for 11th among rookie defensemen in shots (77)
Sebastian Cossa—13th in minutes played (2,187:58), tied for 12th in games played (37), 12th in GAA (2.44), tied for ninth in wins (20), tied for 13th in save percentage (.911)
Nate Danielson—Eighth among rookies in assists (27), tied for 14th among rookies in points (38), second in short-handed assists (4), first among rookies in short-handed assists (4)
Josiah Didier—Tied for seventh in short-handed assists (2), tied for third among defensemen in short-handed assists (2)
Alex Doucet—Tied for third among rookies in short-handed goals (2) 
Sheldon Dries—Tied for 10th in game-winners (6)
Dominik Shine—Tied for seventh in short-handed assists (2)
x Austin Watson—Tied for first in major penalties (10), tied for seventh in short-handed goals (3) 

Milestones
Jack Campbell secured a victory in his 450th pro game on April 5 at Rockford. 
Brogan Rafferty—Two points from 50 as a Griffin
Dominik Shine—One goal from moving into a tie for seventh place on the franchise’s all-time goals scored list (Landon Ferraro & Kip Miller 75), one assist from moving into a tie for 10th on the franchise’s all-time assist list (Cory Emmerton 107) 

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins