Griffins Game #32 * Road Game #18 * AHL Game #470

Season Series: 3-1-0-0 Home Series: 2-0-0-0 Road Series: 1-1-0-0
All-Time Series: 76-40-9-13 All-Time Home Series: 44-18-4-3 All-Time Road Series: 32-22-5-10

Griffins at Monsters
Fifth of eight meetings overall, third of four at the Rocket Mortgage FIeldHouse…This will be the third straight game against Cleveland for the Griffins, as they claimed back-to-back 5-1 victories on Dec. 28 and Dec. 31...Grand Rapids has points in 23 out of the last 29 games overall (16-6-4-3, .672) against Cleveland...Since the 2020-21 season, the Griffins are 22-9-4-3 (.671) against Cleveland and have outscored them 125-93. On the road during that span, Grand Rapids is 9-7-1-2 (.553) against the Monsters with a plus-six scoring margin (57-51)...The Griffins are 5-3-2-0 in their last 10 games and the Monsters are 4-4-1-1 in their last 10...Cleveland is 9-4-1-2 at home this year and Grand Rapids is 10-5-2-0 on the road...Cleveland’s power play ranks fourth in the AHL at 21.4% and its penalty kill places 16th at 83.3%...The Griffins’ power play ranks 12th at 18.5% and their penalty kills places fourth at 86.7%...On Dec. 1, the Griffins halted the Monsters’ franchise-record 10-game win streak...The Monsters are the fourth-most frequent opponent of the Griffins, as this game marks the 139th meeting between the two franchises...Cleveland is tied for the sixth-highest scoring team in the AHL with 3.32 goals per game and 22nd in goals against per game (3.16)...Trey Fix-Wolansky ranks fourth in the AHL with 32 points (14-18—32) in 29 games, Luca Del Bel Belluz ranks first with 35 points (17-18—35) in 31 games, Rocco Grimaldi is tied for fifth with 31 points (8-23—31) in 27 outings, and Denton Mateychuk ranks third among rookies with 25 points (9-16—25) in 27 contests. All-time against Grand Rapids, Fix-Wolansky has 31 points (12-19—31) in 30 games, which includes 25 points (8-17—25) in his last 18 meetings against the Griffins. Since the 2021-22 season, Grimaldi has posted 28 points (9-19—28) in his last 25 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
In their 27th Annual New Year’s Eve Celebration on Tuesday, the Griffins used a four-goal first period to defeat the Cleveland Monsters 5-1 at Van Andel Arena. The four goals in the first frame by Grand Rapids tied a period-high this season. Four Griffins tallied two-point games, including Alex Doucet (1-1—2), Tim Gettinger (0-2—2), Antti Tuomisto (1-1—2) and Austin Watson (0-2—2). Eemil Viro collected his first goal of the year and secured the Griffins’ third power-play goal in the last two outings. Dominik Shine increased his point streak to four (3-1—4) and Elmer Soderblom earned a three-game point streak with an assist (1-2—3). Goaltender Jack Campbell manned the crease for Grand Rapids and saved 20 shots in his second win of the year (2-2-0), while sporting a .924 save percentage and a 2.02 goals-against average. 

This Date in Griffins History
2000: A 4-3 shootout win at Manitoba pushes Grand Rapids’ record to 12 games over .500 (23-11-3) for the first time ever. The Griffins go on to finish the season 29 games over the break-even point.

Well Rested
The AHL’s Holiday Break came at a good time for the Griffins, as they entered the break on a season-high three-game winless streak (0-1-2-0) and had dropped five of their last seven outings (2-3-2-0). Since returning from the break, the Griffins have claimed back-to-back 5-1 victories over the Cleveland Monsters. Grand Rapids remains in first place in the Central Division, second in the Western Conference, and tied for second in the AHL with a 19-9-3-0 record and 41 points through 31 games. When Dec. 30 dawned last season, the Griffins stood fourth place in the division with an 11-13-3-1 record. Grand Rapids has faired well against its division rivals with a 12-7-2-0 mark and has remained the top team in the division since Nov. 8. 

The Watson Supercomputer
Dan Watson has been named the coach for the Central Division in the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Spotlight 29 Casino, to be held Feb. 2-3 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, California. The Griffins clinched the top spot in the division through the end of play on Dec. 31 with an 18-9-3-0 record and 39 points, meriting Watson’s selection. The Griffins have gone 12-7-2-0 against their division rivals this season and have remained the top team since Nov. 8. Watson became the first Griffins coach to achieve the honor since Todd Nelson in 2017 and the fourth head coach in franchise history to coach in an all-star game, joining Nelson, Jeff Blashill (2014), and Bruce Cassidy (2002 AHL, 2001 IHL). This will mark Watson’s third all-star appearance, as he was chosen to coach in the ECHL All-Star Game in both 2017 and 2022 with the Toledo Walleye.

No Ordinary Joe
Joe Snively logged his third-career AHL hat trick last Saturday at the Cleveland Monsters, and now has eight points in his last eight games (5-3—8). Snively is tied for second on the roster in points (13-11—24) and first in goals (13) through 31 appearances. His goal count is also tied for 13th in the AHL. The Herndon, Virginia, native has won the last two Calder Cups with the Hershey Bears and showed a combined 33 points (6-27—33) in 40 games during the postseason with a 28-12 record in the past two playoffs. Snively also aided Hershey to a regular-season title last year with a 53-14-0-5 mark (111 pts., .771), the second-best regular-season record in AHL history and the most wins by an AHL team in a 72-game season. The 29-year-old is in search of his third straight Calder Cup, as only 11 players in league history have won three consecutive cups in the AHL and no one has achieved this feat since the 1978 season. 

Road Trip
The Griffins concluded their season-high six-game road trip on Dec. 18 at the Texas Stars and finished the stretch of games with a 3-2-1-0 mark. Grand Rapids has hit the pavement once again, as it is in the midst of a stretch that will see it play nine of 12 games on the road, which began on Dec. 7 at Chicago and will end on Jan. 4 in Milwaukee. The Griffins are 10-5-2-0 (.647) in foreign territory with 22 points, which ranks third in the AHL on the road. Through the first 17 road games last season, Grand Rapids sported a 5-9-2-1 record (.382). 

Damn Daniel, Back At It Again
Rookie Nate Danielson, selected ninth overall by Detroit in 2023, secured his first three-point night (0-3—3) as a pro last Saturday at the Cleveland Monsters. Danielson is tied for first on the roster with 16 assists, which is also tied for second among first-year players in the AHL. The 20-year-old made his pro debut with Grand Rapids on May 20 at Milwaukee during the Calder Cup Playoffs last year and finished the postseason with two appearances. Prior to turning pro, Danielson spent four campaigns in the WHL from 2020-24 and amassed 217 points (83-134—217) in 199 regular-season games. 

Shine Bright
Veteran Dominik Shine is tied for second on the roster in points (9-15—24) and third in assists (15) in 31 games. Shine collected his sixth multi-point game of the season on Dec. 7 at Chicago (0-2—2), which tied for his career-high mark set in 2021-22, and now has five points (3-2—5) in his last six contests. Last year, Shine posted career-high numbers in assists (23), points (33) and plus-minus rating (+8) and is on pace to reach 56 points (21-35—56) this season. The Detroit native has spent his entire career with Grand Rapids since 2016-17 and has accumulated 162 points (70-92—162) and 509 penalty minutes in 453 appearances. In the Griffins’ all-time rankings, Shine places third in games played, sixth in penalty minutes, tied for 10th in overtime goals (2), and tied for third in unassisted goals (9). 

Rollercoaster Ride
Through the first 10 games of the season, the Griffins scored more than two goals just three times and averaged 2.20 goals per game, which ranked 29th in the AHL as of Nov. 4. Grand Rapids then averaged 4.10 goals per game from Nov. 7-Dec. 1 and went 8-2-0-0 during the run. The Griffins then averaged 2.33 goals per game from Dec. 6-22 and went 3-4-2-0 in those contests. Grand Rapids has now potted five goals in consecutive outings since Dec. 28 with a 2-0-0-0 record. The Griffins are tied for 15th on the circuit with 3.03 goals per outing, while tying for second in goals against per game (2.55). When scoring at least three goals this season, Grand Rapids is 16-0-0-0 compared to 3-9-3-0 when scoring fewer than three goals. 

Austin Powers
Veteran Austin Watson enjoyed a team-high four-game point streak from Dec. 1-8 (2-2—4), and has secured a point in 11 of the past 14 games (7-7—14). Watson ranks first on the roster with 25 points (9-16—25) in 29 games and is tied for the team lead in assists (16) and power-play goals (4). The Ann Arbor, Michigan, native has spent the majority of his career in the NHL, showing 118 points (60-58—118) in 518 appearances. At the AHL level, Watson possesses 157 points (82-75—157) in 263 outings, as he had spent his entire AHL career with Milwaukee before this season. 

Lock it Down
Through the months of October and November, the Griffins averaged 2.32 goals against per game, which ranked first in the AHL. In the month of December, Grand Rapids has allowed 2.92 goals per game. The Griffins remain one of the top defensive teams in the AHL, as they are tied for second with 2.55 goals against per game. Dating back to last season, Grand Rapids has allowed just 37 goals in its last 17 regular-season games at Van Andel Arena (2.18 GA per game). Also dating back to last season, the Griffins have allowed 51 goals in their last 19 regular-season road games (2.68 GA per game). 

Battle for Power
The Griffins scored a power-play goal in five straight games from Nov. 24-Dec. 6 (5-for-15, 33.3%) and have now converted on seven of their past 38 man-advantages (18.4%) since Dec. 7. The power play ranks 12th on the circuit at 18.5% (20-for-108). If you break it down further, Grand Rapids’ home power play is 8-for-41 (19.5%, 14th) and its road power play is 12-for-67 (17.9%, T16th). The Griffins have also given up the five short-handed goals, which is tied for the sixth-most. The Griffins’ penalty kill ranks fourth in the AHL at 86.7% and their four short-handed goals are tied for sixth. Grand Rapids has surrendered a power-play goal in seven of its last 11 outings (32-for-40 on PK, 80.0%).   

Holy Goalies 
Sebastian Cossa, the 15th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in 2021, has been the go-to netminder for the Griffins this season, as he has a 10-5-3 mark with a 2.31 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 18 games. Cossa ranks among the AHL leaders in minutes played (1,063:16, 6th), games played (T7th), GAA (10th) wins (T5th), and save percentage (9th). The 22-year-old collected his first NHL victory during his debut on Dec. 9 at the Buffalo Sabres with a 6-5 shootout victory behind 12 saves and two stops in the shootout. Cossa became the first netminder in NHL history to win his debut via a shootout in a relief effort. Veteran Jack Campbell was assigned to Grand Rapids on Nov. 18 and made his Griffins debut on Dec. 6 against the Chicago Wolves. He later bagged his first win as a Griffin on Dec. 17 at Texas behind 20 saves in a 4-2 victory. Through four games with Grand Rapids, Campbell is 2-2-0 with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. Campbell has 442 pro games under his belt with a 2.67 GAA and 231 wins since 2011-12, splitting time between the NHL (176 GP), AHL (239 GP) and ECHL (27 GP). Ville Husso was reassigned to the Griffins by Detroit on Dec. 19. Husso has a 5-1-0 ledger with one shutout to go along with a 2.18 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage in seven appearances with the Griffins this season. Through eight career games with Grand Rapids, Husso has a 6-1-0 record with two shutouts, a 1.88 goals-against average, and a .933 save percentage. 

Keep It Close
The Griffins have excelled at winning close games, as they are 7-1-3-0 when a game is decided by one goal. Grand Rapids is 12-8-0-0 when the contest is decided by two or more tallies. The seven wins in one-goal games are tied for ninth in the AHL. The Griffins have struggled in overtime thus far with a 1-3 mark compared to a 3-0 ledger in a shootout. When leading or tied after the first period, Grand Rapids is 17-2-2-0 compared to 3-7-1-0 when trailing after the first. 

Shoot Your Shot
The Griffins have outshot their opponent just seven times in the first 31 contests, with three of those seven coming against Chicago. The Griffins average 24.9 shots per game, which ranks last in the AHL. Grand Rapids has been held to under 20 shots six times and has exceeded 30 shots seven times. On the flip side, the Griffins’ opponents average 29.0 shots per game (16th in AHL) and have been held to under 30 shots 14 times. The third period has given the Griffins the most problems, as they are being outshot 278-219 compared to being outshot 296-277 in the second and 307-261 in the first. However, Grand Rapids has a 12-4-2-0 ledger when recording 20-29 shots and a 10-5-2-0 mark when allowing 30-39 shots. 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Shai Buium—Tied for ninth among rookie defensemen in assists (10), tied for 14th among rookie defensemen in points (10), tied for sixth among rookie defensemen in plus-minus rating (+6), tied for 12th among rookies in plus-minus rating (+6)
Sebastian Cossa—Sixth in minutes played (1,063:16), tied for seventh in games played (18), 10th in GAA (2.31), tied for fifth in wins (10), and ninth in save percentage (.919)
Nate Danielson—Tied for second in short-handed assists (2), tied for first among rookies in short-handed assists (2), tied for second among rookies in assists (16), tied for ninth among rookies in power-play assists (6)
Alex Doucet—Tied for fourth in short-handed goals (2), tied for first among rookies in short-handed goals (2)
Amadeus Lombardi—Tied for fourth in game-winners (4)
Joe Snively—Tied for 13th in goals (13)
Austin Watson—First in major penalties (7) 

Milestones
Alex Doucet earned his 50th point as a pro on New Year’s Eve with a two-point night (1-1—2) against Cleveland. Last Saturday, Joe Snively bagged his third-career hat trick during his 250th AHL game at Cleveland. 
Sheldon Dries—Three assists from 100 in the AHL, two points from 250 as a pro 
Joe Snively—Four points from 200 in the AHL
Elmer Soderblom—Two assists from 50 as a pro, two points from 50 as a Griffin and in the AHL 

Photo by Mark Newman/Griffins