Griffins Game #39 * Road Game #20 * AHL Game #601

Season Series: 2-2-0-0 Home Series: 2-2-0-0 Road Series: 0-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 77-46-1-1-10 All-Time Home Series: 42-21-1-1-7 All-Time Road Series: 35-25-0-0-3

Griffins at Moose
Fifth of eight meetings overall, first of four at the Canada Life Centre…Since the Moose rejoined the AHL in 2015-16, Grand Rapids is 33-22-0-3 (.595) against them, including a 14-11-0-1 (.558) ledger at Manitoba...The Griffins are 12-13-0-3 (.482) overall against Manitoba since the 2020-21 season with a minus-12 scoring margin (77-65)...On the road since 2019-20, Grand Rapids is 5-6-0-1 (.458) against the Moose with a minus-six scoring margin (38-32)...Nine of the last 12 meetings have been decided by just one goal, including all four games this season...The Moose are 4-5-1-0 in their last 10 games and 3-12-0-1 at home this season compared to 8-9-1-0 on the road...Manitoba is on a two-game losing skid...The Griffins are 5-3-1-1 in their last 10 outings and 11-6-2-0 on the road...This is the 136th meeting between the two teams, which is the fifth-most encounters by any Grand Rapids opponent...Manitoba ranks last in goals scored per game at 2.15 and fourth-to-last in goals against per game (3.62)...The Griffins rank 20th with 2.92 goals per game and first with 2.47 goals against per outing...The Griffins rank second-to-last with 26.0 shots per game while the Moose place 28th at 26.7...Grand Rapids ranks 14th with 28.5 shots allowed and Manitoba sits at 17th with 29.1...Manitoba’s power play ranks last at 12.5% and its penalty kill places 20th at 81.6%...Manitoba’s Mark Liwiski is tied for 14th among skaters and third among rookies with 68 penalty minutes. Parker Ford is tied for sixth in short-handed goals with two...Former Griffin Drew MacIntyre (2004-06) returns to Grand Rapids as Manitoba’s goaltending coach. MacIntyre was a member of the Griffins’ 2005-06 squad that won the AHL’s regular-season championship, and he remains as Grand Rapids’ career playoff leader in GAA (1.62) and save percentage (.940). 

Last Time Out
In the final outing of their season-high five-game homestand, the Griffins defeated the Cleveland Monsters 4-2 on Saturday at Van Andel Arena. Dominik Shine secured the game-winner for Grand Rapids and his goal moved him into a tie for 10th place in the franchise's all-time goals-scored list (Darryl Bootland, 72). Shine also extended his point streak to three (1-3—4) and Sheldon Dries increased his streak to three with a goal (2-1—3). Elmer Soderblom found the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season and his sixth point in the last five games (3-3—6). Soderblom (2-2—4) and Austin Watson (2-1—3) also extended their point streaks to three. Goaltender Sebastian Cossa saved 24 shots in the win and improved to a .917 save percentage and a 2.31 goals-against average. The Griffins finished the homestand with a 2-2-0-1 record. 

This Date in Griffins History
1995: West Michigan Hockey, Inc. principals Daniel G. DeVos and David L. Van Andel announce plans to bring a professional ice hockey team to the greater Grand Rapids area.

The Ups and Downs
The Griffins returned from the holiday break with a 3-0-0-0 record in their first three games but then dropped three straight outings from Jan. 4-11, averaging just one goal per game during the skid. The offense exploded for four goals in the third period last Wednesday against Chicago and has now scored 13 times in its last three games (4.33 goals per game) with a 2-0-0-1 record. The defense has been solid once again, allowing just 1.89 goals since the break. The offense has averaged 3.00 goals per game since the break and at least four tallies in five of the last nine outings. Grand Rapids remains in first place in the Central Division, tied for second in the Western Conference, and tied for sixth in the AHL with a 22-12-3-1 record and 48 points through 38 games. The Griffins are 13-10-2-0 against their division rivals and have held at least a share of the top spot in the division since Nov. 8. 

Pucks On Net 
The 26 shots by the Griffins in the opening period last Friday against Cleveland were the most ever recorded in a period by either the Griffins or their opponent, spanning 2,359 combined regular season (2,170) and playoff (189) games. Grand Rapids finished the contest with a season-high 44 shots and have now averaged 30.9 shots per game in the month of January. The Griffins outshot their opponent just three times in the first 21 contests (14.3%) but have since outshot their opponent seven times in the last 17 games (41.2%). The Griffins average 26.0 shots per game, which ranks second-to-last in the AHL. Grand Rapids has been held to under 20 shots six times and has exceeded 30 shots nine times. On the flip side, the Griffins’ opponents average 28.5 shots per game (14th in AHL) and have been held to under 30 shots 20 times. The third period has given the Griffins the most problems, as they are being outshot 339-278 compared to being outshot 353-344 in the second and 367-348 in the first. However, Grand Rapids has a 14-7-2-0 ledger when recording 20-29 shots and an 11-5-2-0 mark when allowing 30-39 shots. 

Guess Who’s Back?
Carter Mazur has been sidelined for the past 35 games due to rehabbing an upper-body injury, as his last appearance came on Oct. 18 against the Manitoba Moose. Mazur is expected to make his long-awaited return this week against Manitoba after posting two points (1-1—2) in the first three contests of the season. The 70th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in 2021 has totaled 45 points (21-24—45) in 69 pro games with the Griffins since 2022-23. Last season, Mazur paced the team’s rookies with 37 points (17-20—37) in 60 regular-season games before tying for second among all skaters on the team with eight points (3-5—8) in nine playoff outings. 

Shine Bright
Last Saturday, veteran Dominik Shine moved into a tie for 10th place on the team’s all-time goals scored list with his 72nd tally as a Griffin. Shine ranks first on the roster in points (11-18—29), tied for first in assists (18), tied for third in goals (11), and tied for second in power-play goals (4) in 38 games. Shine collected his seventh multi-point game of the season last Saturday against Cleveland (1-1—2), which set a new career-high mark, beating out his six multi-point games in 2021-22. The 31-year-old now has 10 points (5-5—10) in his last 13 contests. Last year, Shine posted career-high numbers in assists (23), points (33) and plus-minus rating (+8) and is on pace to reach 55 points (21-34—55) this season. The Detroit native has spent his entire career with Grand Rapids since 2016-17 and has accumulated 167 points (72-95—167) and 513 penalty minutes in 460 appearances. In the Griffins’ all-time rankings, Shine places third in games played, sixth in penalty minutes, tied for 10th in goals scored (72), tied for 10th in overtime goals (2), and tied for first in unassisted goals (10). 

Elm Tree
Elmer Soderblom, the tallest player in franchise history at 6-foot-8, is on a three-game point streak (2-2—4) and has six points (3-3—6) in his last five games. During his two-point night last Wednesday, the 23-year-old bagged his 50th assist as a pro after registering his 50th point as a Griffin on Jan. 11 (21-29—50). Last year, Soderblom produced 29 points (13-16—29) in 61 contests before adding two points (1-1—2) in seven playoff games, making his Calder Cup Playoff debut on May 3, 2024 against Rockford. The Gothenburg, Sweden, native also appeared in 21 games with the Detroit Red Wings during his rookie season in 2022-23 and totaled eight points (5-3—8) in 21 games. Through 38 games this year, Soderblom has 17 points (5-12—17), 29 penalty minutes and a plus-four rating. He was recalled by Detroit on Tuesday and made his NHL season debut later that night at the Philadelphia Flyers. 

Come Out Firing
When the Griffins start hot, things usually turn out pretty well for the team, as they have a 14-1-2-1 record when scoring the game’s first goal. They also have yet to suffer a regulation loss when leading after the first period (9-0-2-1) or when leading after the second period (14-0-2-0). When Grand Rapids is trailing after the opening frame, it is 3-8-1-0 and 3-9-0-0 when it trails after the second period. 

Austin Powers
Veteran Austin Watson is on a three-game point streak (2-1—3), his fourth of at least three games or longer this season, and has secured a point in 12 of the past 18 games (7-8—15) since Dec. 1. The all-star ranks second on the roster with 28 points (11-17—28) in 36 games, tied for third in goals (11), third in assists (17), and first in power-play goals (5) and penalty minutes (71). 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 160 points (84-76—160) in 270 outings, as he had spent his entire AHL career with Milwaukee before this season. 

Young Sheldon 
After scoring 12 goals in 20 games from Oct. 27-Dec. 18, veteran Sheldon Dries was held without a goal for the next nine outings from Dec. 20-Jan. 15. Dries is now on a three-game point streak (2-1—3) and scored a goal in consecutive games this past weekend for the first time since Dec. 17-18. The Macomb, Michigan, native is tied for first on the roster with 14 goals in 35 games and fifth with 21 points (14-7—21).  Dries is no stranger to West Michigan, as he spent four seasons at Western Michigan University from 2013-17 and totaled 84 points (44-40—84) in 148 con tests, serving as captain for three campaigns. The 30-year-old has competed in 431 pro games with 251 points (143-108—251) and 225 points (127-98—225) in 309 AHL appearances. 

Home Sweet Home
Grand Rapids concluded a season-high five-game homestand last weekend with a 2-2-0-1 record, which included points in the final three games (2-0-0-1). The Griffins are in a stretch that will see them play eight of 10 games inside Van Andel Arena from Jan. 10-Feb. 1 after playing nine of 12 games on the road from Dec. 7-Jan. 4. The Griffins are 11-6-1-1 at home this season but have won three of their last nine home outings (3-4-1-1). Under head coach Dan Watson, Grand Rapids is 34-13-5-3 (.690) inside Van Andel Arena. On the road, the Griffins are 11-6-2-0 this season with points in five of their last six road contests (4-1-1-0). With Watson at the helm, Grand Rapids is 25-22-6-2 (.527) in foreign territory since 2023-24. 

Rollercoaster Ride
The Griffins ranked 29th in the AHL through the first 10 games with 2.20 goals per contest before showing 4.10 goals per game from Nov. 7-Dec. 1 and going 8-2-0-0 during the run. The Griffins then averaged just 2.33 goals per game from Dec. 6-22 and went 3-4-2-0 in those contests. Grand Rapids has now potted 27 goals across nine games (3.00) since Dec. 28 with a 5-3-0-1 record, which includes 4.33 goals on average in its last three outings. The Griffins rank 20th on the circuit with 2.92 goals per contest, while placing first in goals against per game (2.47). When scoring at least three goals this season, Grand Rapids is 18-0-0-1 compared to 4-12-3-0 when scoring fewer than three goals. 

Lock It Down
The Griffins have allowed just 1.89 goals per game since returning from the holiday break and rank first overall with 2.47 goals allowed per game. Sebastian Cossa has shown a 2.31 GAA and .917 save percentage through 22 games, Jack Campbell has a 2.15 GAA and a .917 save percentage in five appearances, and Ville Husso possesses a 1.86 GAA and a .935 save percentage in eight contests. Dating back to last season, Grand Rapids has allowed just 50 goals in its last 22 regular-season games at Van Andel Arena (2.27 GA per game). Also dating back to last season, the Griffins have allowed 54 goals in their last 21 regular-season road games (2.57 GA per game). 

Power Surge 
The Griffins potted two power-play goals in consecutive games last week for the first time this season. The power play has converted seven of its last 29 opportunities (24.1%) in the previous 10 games. Grand Rapids had its best run when it scored a power-play goal in five straight games from Nov. 24-Dec. 6 (5-for-15, 33.3%). The power play ranks 13th on the circuit at 18.3% (24-for-131). If you break it down further, Grand Rapids’ home power play is 12-for-58 (20.7%, 14th) and its road power play is 12-for-73 (16.4%, 19th). The Griffins have given up six short-handed goals, which is tied for the fifth-most. The Griffins’ penalty kill has struggled as of late, allowing a power-play goal in five of their last six games (18-for-24 on PK, 75.0%). Grand Rapids has also surrendered a power-play goal in 12 of its last 18 outings (53-for-67 on PK, 79.1%). However, the penalty-kill unit remains one of the best in the league, as it ranks eighth at 84.8%. Grand Rapids has also scored six short-handed tallies, which is tied for fifth in the AHL. When scoring on the power play, the Griffins are 12-4-2-1 and 6-9-1-1 when they allow a power-play goal. 

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 12-7-3 mark with a 2.31 GAA and a .917 save percentage in 22 games. Cossa ranks among the AHL leaders in minutes played (1,298:08, 11th), games played (22, T10th), GAA (8th), wins (T5th), and save percentage (10th). 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 made his Griffins debut on Dec. 6 against the Chicago Wolves and later bagged his first win as a Griffin on Dec. 17 at Texas behind 20 saves in a 4-2 decision. Through six games with Grand Rapids, Campbell is 2-3-1 with a 2.15 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Campbell has 444 pro games under his belt with a 2.66 GAA and 231 wins since 2011-12, splitting time between the NHL (176 GP), AHL (241 GP) and ECHL (27 GP). In the AHL, Campbell has shown a 119-85-27 record with a 2.71 GAA and a .911 save percentage. Ville Husso was reassigned by the Red Wings last Saturday and has shown a 6-1-0 mark with two shutouts in eight games with the Griffins this year to go along with a 1.86 GAA and a .935 save percentage. Throughout his nine-game career with Grand Rapids since 2023-24, Husso has a 7-1-0 ledger with three shutouts, a 1.64 GAA and a .942 save percentage. 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Shai Buium—Tied for seventh among rookie defensemen in assists (13), tied for 11th among rookie defensemen in points (13), tied for seventh among rookie defensemen in plus-minus rating (+7), tied for eighth among rookie defensemen in power-play assists (4)
Sebastian Cossa—11th in minutes played (1,298:08), tied for 10th in games played (22), eighth in GAA (2.31), tied for fifth in wins (12), 10th in save percentage (.917)
Nate Danielson—Third among rookies in assists (18), tied for 14th among rookies in plus-minus rating (+8), tied for first in short-handed assists (3), first among rookies in short-handed assists (3), tied for eighth among rookies in power-play assists (7)
Josiah Didier—Tied for fourth in short-handed assists (2), tied for 13th among defensemen in plus-minus rating (+13), tied for second among defensemen in short-handed assists (2)
Alex Doucet—Tied for sixth in short-handed goals (2), tied for first among rookies in short-handed goals (2)
x William Lagesson—Tied for 13th among defensemen in plus-minus rating (+13)
Amadeus Lombardi—Tied for eighth in game-winners (4)
Austin Watson—First in major penalties (9), tied for 11th in penalty minutes (71)

Milestones
Last Friday, Dominik Shine moved into a tie for 10th place on the team’s all-time goals scored list with his 72nd tally (tied with Darrly Bootland).
Sheldon Dries—Two assists from 100 in the AHL
Dominik Shine—One unassisted goal from claiming the franchise record of 11 in a career, one goal from moving into a tie for ninth place in the franchise’s all-time goals scored list (Derek King, 73), five assists from 100 as a Griffin
Joe Snively—Three points from 200 in the AHL 

Photo by Mark Newman/Griffins