Griffins Game #31 * Road Game #16 * AHL Game #373

Season Series: 6-2-0-0 Home Series: 3-1-0-0 Road Series: 3-1-0-0
All-Time Series: 60-33-5-10 All-Time Home Series: 34-17-1-2 All-Time Road Series: 26-16-4-8

Griffins at Monsters

Ninth of 10 meetings overall, fifth of five at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse…Grand Rapids and Cleveland finish out the season with a home-and-home set that concludes tomorrow at Van Andel Arena...For what it’s worth, the Griffins can leap-frog the Monsters in the Central Division standings and finish in second place by sweeping these two games, with at least one of the victories being in regulation...Grand Rapids earned its first shutout of the season in 2-0 fashion in this building on Tuesday, improving to 6-2 in the season series...Against all other foes this season, the Monsters are 13-4-0-2 and the Griffins are 9-9-3-1...Riley Barber (5-4—9) is averaging a point per game versus the Monsters...In three games against Cleveland, Kaden Fulcher is 2-1 with a 1.34 GAA, a 0.953 save percentage and one shutout...Pat Nagle has played the other five games in the series, going 4-1 with a 2.21 GAA and a 0.912 save percentage...Cleveland ranks third in the AHL in both goals (3.48 pg, tied) and power play (25.7%)...The Monsters had gone 7-for-17 (41.2%) with the man-advantage over four games against the Griffins before a 0-for-3 performance on Tuesday…Grand Rapids and Cleveland are Central Division foes for the first time since 2017-18, following the Monsters’ two-year foray into the North Division and Eastern Conference...These teams split a four-game series in 2019-20, with each winning and losing once on the other’s ice...Griffins head coach Ben Simon is a native of the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights.

Busy Bodies

After playing just 16 games overall and only four times at home during the first 70 days of this season – owing to both a light early schedule and six postponements since March 16 – the Griffins on April 16 began a brutal stretch of playing their final 16 games and 12 home contests over a span of only 30 days. Grand Rapids tonight plays its fifth game in the last eight days and its 11th game in the last 19 days.

Last Time Out

One night after registering their first shutout of the season, the Griffins suffered their first blanking on Wednesday in a 7-0 loss to Chicago at Van Andel Arena. Chicago only led 2-0 through 39 minutes and 57 seconds of play before a late second-period tally opened the door to a four-goal third for the Wolves, who used a hat trick by David Cotton and 35 saves by rookie Beck Warm to clinch the Central Division crown. Grand Rapids suffered its second 7-0 defeat in 25 seasons (Jan. 3, 2004 at Milwaukee) and its worst shutout ever on home ice, following a trio of 6-0 losses (most recently April 8, 2011 vs. Abbotsford). The seven-goal margin of defeat tied the Griffins’ records both overall and at home. It happened at Van Andel Arena on Nov. 14, 2006 (8-1 loss to Milwaukee) and twice earlier on the road.

Another First for Fulcher

Tuesday’s 22-save shutout at Cleveland, Kaden Fulcher’s first AHL whitewash, was the latest in his line of firsts this season. On April 17, he made his AHL debut and played his first game in more than 15 months, due to an injury that ended his 2019-20 season, the pandemic, and bouncing between the Griffins and Detroit's taxi squad this season. His last game had been on Jan. 4, 2020, when he made 24 saves for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye in a 5-2 home loss to Indy. Fulcher made 25 saves in that 4-3 overtime loss to Iowa, including 12 during the third period to help the Griffins rally from a two-goal deficit and earn a point. On April 21, he earned his first victory in the AHL and first at any level in more than two years, 2-1 over Cleveland. Fulcher, who was limited to two ECHL games last season due to an injury, made 27 saves in his second career AHL contest, logging his first win since making 27 stops in Toledo’s 5-0 home triumph over Indy on March 3, 2019.

That Was Close

The Griffins on Tuesday avoided what could have been their first-ever season – albeit a shortened one – without registering a shutout. Grand Rapids logged a franchise record-low one shutout during the 2009-10 campaign.

This Date in Griffins History

2015: Tyler Bertuzzi scores his second goal of the night 13 seconds into overtime to lift the Griffins to a 2-1 win at Rockford and a commanding 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals. The fastest playoff OT goal in franchise history gives Bertuzzi five goals and three game-winners in just seven playoff games. Tom McCollum finishes with 27 saves and improves to 6-2 on the postseason.

Welcome Back

With the end of the Detroit Red Wings’ season, goalie Kaden Fulcher and forwards Givani Smith and Joe Veleno were reassigned to the Griffins from the taxi squad last Saturday night. Goalie Calvin Pickard was subsequently assigned to Grand Rapids on Monday after clearing waivers.

Life of Riley

Riley Barber has registered points in six of the last nine games (4-6—10) and in 22 of 30 contests this season. His 18 goals are second in the league — three behind Bakersfield’s Cooper Marony, who has played in seven more games — his 32 points (18-14—32) tie for 10th and his 15 power play points pace the circuit. Barber’s projected numbers over a normal 76-game season would be 46 goals and 81 points; in franchise history, only Donald MacLean (56 during his MVP 2005-06 season) and Michel Picard (46 in 1996-97) have scored as many goals while only eight players have registered as many points. He posted a nine-game point streak from Feb. 5-March 11 that was the longest ever to start a player's Griffins career as well as the longest from the start of a Griffins season.

High-Flying Griffins

Chase Pearson has seven points (2-5—7) in his last eight games...Second on the Griffins in scoring with 25 points (5-20—25) in 26 games, Taro Hirose has points in five of eight contests (1-6—7) and 11 of the last 16 games (2-11—13)…Turner Elson has points in eight of the last 14 games (2-7—9).

Youth is Served

On April 29 against Chicago, the Griffins had four rookie defensemen in their lineup – Charle-Edouard D’Astous, Tory Dello, Jared McIsaac and Donovan Sebrango – for the first time in more than four years, dating to a 5-1 win at Milwaukee on April 15, 2017 when five first-year blueliners took to the ice: Hicketts, Dennis Cholowski, Filip Hronek, Patrick McCarron and Dan Renouf. Grand Rapids has now had four rookie D in the lineup during each of its last eight games, with Patrick Holway and Seth Barton making their pro debuts during that stretch.

Congrats Are in Order

Joe Veleno made his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings on April 27 in their 1-0 shootout loss at Columbus, logging two shots and winning 57% (4 of 7) of his faceoffs in 14:59 of ice time. He became the 185th Griffins alum to play in the NHL, after recording 23 points (11-12—23) in 54 games with Grand Rapids last season. Veleno, who last Friday tallied his first NHL goal during a power play to begin a rally from a 0-2 deficit in Detroit’s 5-2 victory at Columbus, played five games with Detroit, totaling one goal, eight shots and four penalty minutes while winning 50% of his faceoffs.

Rarified Air

Brian Lashoff’s 513 games played for the Griffins rank first among active AHL players who have spent their entire AHL career with the same club and tie for eighth in league history among one-team players. Of the players ahead of him on that list, the most recent – and, coincidentally, the record-holder – last played during the 1970-71 season (Bill Needham of the Cleveland Barons, 981 games played). Lashoff, who has been unfit to play the last 17 games, tied No. 8-ranked Stan Smrke (Rochester 1957-67) on March 26 and is now four games behind No. 7 Pete Kapusta (Providence Reds 1946-55).

Powerful Play

Following a 2019-20 campaign in which they finished sixth in the AHL’s power play rankings at 20.9%, the Griffins have been nearly as good this season, currently standing sixth in the league at 20.4% and third on the road at 28.1%. Their home power play, however, ranks 26th, having converted 12.5% of its chances.

Offense Taken

The Griffins have scored more than three goals just once in their last 11 games (5-4 win versus Chicago on May 7). They stand fourth in the AHL in shots per game (32.03) and are tied for 20th in goals per game (2.93).

For the Defense

Grand Rapids is 11th in the league in goals allowed per game (3.00)…The Griffins have been outshot in only eight of their first 30 games, but it’s happened in five of the last 10 contests. Only six times have they allowed 30 or more shots, a total that they have reached on 18 occasions. Grand Rapids ranks third in the AHL in shots allowed per game (26.23).

Upcoming Milestones

Turner Elson—One point from 100 for his Griffins career

Joe Hicketts—One assist from 100 for his Griffins/AHL career

Brian Lashoff – Three assists for 100 as a pro

It’s a Start

The roar of a Griffins crowd was partially restored on March 13 when the team began welcoming up to 750 fans per home game, pursuant to the most recent order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Griffins 2021-22 season ticket members are being given the first opportunity to purchase tickets to home games during the remainder of the 2020-21 season. Other fans can sign up for Griffins Nation, the team’s official email newsletter, to receive priority access to 2020-21 tickets whenever limited seats are made available for sale throughout the season. On occasion, single-game tickets may also be purchased online at griffinshockey.com.

We Miss You, Bob!

On Feb. 8, the beloved 21-year Voice of the Griffins, Bob Kaser, underwent successful heart surgery at the Meijer Heart Center in Grand Rapids to repair several blocked arteries. Released from the hospital on Feb. 14, his recovery at home continues to go well. Everyone in Griffins Nation, the Griffins organization, the AHL, and the Michigan hockey community wishes Bob all the best in his recovery and a quick return to health. We can’t wait until he is back in the booth.

Photo courtesy of the Cleveland Monsters