Griffins Game #14 * Road Game #10 * AHL Game #193

Season Series: 1-0-0-0 Home Series: 0-0-0-0 Road Series: 1-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 34-14-3-2 All-Time Home Series: 16-6-2-2 All-Time Road Series: 18-8-1-0

Griffins at Wild

Second of four meetings overall, second of two at Wells Fargo Arena…Grand Rapids claimed a 5-2 road win last night in the first clash of the season with the Wild...The suspension and eventual cancelation of the 2019-20 season prevented a potential first-round playoff meeting between the Wild and Griffins, as they finished second and third, respectively, in the Central Division standings…Iowa proved to be Grand Rapids’ final opponent in 2019-20, with the Griffins defeating the Wild 4-1 at home on March 11…2019-20 will remain the only season that the Griffins posted a losing record at Wells Fargo Arena, as they went 0-2-1-0. Following last night’s victory, the Griffins are 18-8-1-0 all time at the Wild’s home…Grand Rapids returned the favor with a 2-0-1-0 mark at Van Andel Arena last year to finish the campaign against Iowa with an even slate…Iowa ranks 28th (last) in the AHL in goals allowed (4.33 pg) and 26th in goals scored (2.53 pg)…Nineteen of the last 31 matchups, dating to the start of the 2016-17 season, have been decided by one goal, including 13 that were tied after regulation.

Keep It Rollin’

The Griffins have won four consecutive road games and have earned points in all six outings in March (4-0-2-0) and 10 of their last 11 contests overall (8-1-2-0). They’ve also grabbed points in all four home games (2-0-2-0) this season.

Another Rung Up The Ladder

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 tied No. 8-ranked Stan Smrke (Rochester 1957-67) last night, and he’s now four games behind No. 7 Pete Kapusta (Providence Reds 1946-55).

This Date in Griffins History

2009: In a game overshadowed by two serious injuries, Jimmy Howard backstops the Griffins to a 2-1 win at Norfolk, turning aside a career-high 47 shots and clinching a playoff spot for Grand Rapids. Both Ryan Oulahen and referee Chris Cozzan leave the game on stretchers, with Cozzan suffering a cut to his neck from a skate and Oulahen later sustaining a dislocated left hip from a hit along the boards. It ends up being the last game ever played by Grand Rapids’ alternate captain, who is forced to retire after 302 games as a Griffin.

Last Time Out

Three-point nights by Riley Barber (1-2—3), Taro Hirose (2-1—3) and Joe Hicketts (0-3—3) spearheaded the Griffins’ 5-2 win at Iowa, their fourth consecutive victory on the road. Dominic Turgeon and Chase Pearson each scored on the power play, while Kevin Boyle turned in 15 saves during the second period and 27 for the game to mark season-highs in both categories for a Grand Rapids netminder. The Griffins were oushot (25-29) and held to fewer than 30 shots for just the third time each this season, breaking a run of eight straight games in which the league’s shot leaders had reached that total.

Life of Riley

After registering a season-high three points (1-2—3) in last night’s 5-2 win, Riley Barber now has goals in consecutive games and points in 11 of 13 games this season. 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. Barber is tied for second in the AHL with 10 goals while his 17 points are tied for fifth. He also is tied for first with eight power play points.

High Flyers

With his power play goal last night, Chase Pearson extended his goal streak to three games (four goals) and has now recorded points in six of the last seven games (4-4—8)…Taro Hirose notched his second three-point game of the season in the win over the Wild (Feb. 28 at CHI)...Joe Hicketts’ three assists against Iowa were the most by a Griffin since Hirose tallied three on Jan. 24, 2020 versus San Diego...Givani Smith (2-1—3) and Dominic Turgeon (1-2—3) each have points in consecutive games...Kevin Boyle has not lost in regulation since his Griffins debut on Feb. 11, going 4-0-1 in his five most recent decisions.

Try This Again

The Griffins recently experienced their first two schedule disruptions of the season, as their home games on Friday, March 19 and Tuesday, March 23 were both postponed due to league COVID-19 protocols affecting Chicago. The contests have been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 13 and Monday, April 20, respectively.

“Let’s Play Two…More”

The AHL on Thursday announced two additions to the Griffins’ schedule, increasing the team’s number of regular season games to 32. In addition to their eight previously scheduled clashes, the Griffins will now face the Cleveland Monsters on Friday, April 9 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, before hosting the Monsters on Tuesday, April 20 at Van Andel Arena. Both games will face off at 7 p.m. With the addition of the April 20 contest, the Griffins will have an eight-game homestand (April 10-28) that will be their longest since an eight-game stretch from Jan. 10-25, 2020 (5-1-0-2 record) and tie for the second-longest in franchise history. Grand Rapids staged nine straight games at Van Andel Arena from Oct. 26-Nov. 18, 2004 (4-4-1-0 record). Prior to this season, the Griffins’ high-water mark for regular season home games during April had been five, established in 2015.

Pack Your Suitcase

Given the recent postponements of those home games against Chicago plus the addition of the April 9 game at Cleveland, Grand Rapids is in the midst of playing six consecutive games on the road. By the time they return to Van Andel Arena on April 10 to host Rockford, the Griffins to that point will have played 13 of their 17 games within unfriendly confines.

No Chance

The Griffins’ potent power play did not receive a single opportunity in last Saturday’s 5-2 win at Cleveland, their first such game in more than five years (a 4-1 win at Texas on March 16, 2016). Grand Rapids had received at least one power play chance in 316 consecutive regular season games. Brian Lashoff is the only current Griffin who played in that game against the Stars. Following a 2019-20 campaign in which they finished sixth in the AHL’s power play rankings at 20.9%, the Griffins are off to an even better start this season, currently sitting third in the league at 26.5% and first on the road at 36.7%. After being held scoreless in 10 opportunities over the previous four games, Grand Rapids enjoyed a 2-for-3 performance last night and has now has scored at least one power play goal in eight of its 13 games.

Choosing Cholo

On March 19, Detroit reassigned defenseman Dennis Cholowski to their taxi squad from the Griffins. Cholowski, 23, has since played in his first two games of the season with the Red Wings, averaging 14:26 in ice time. The blueliner has contributed eight points (3-5—8) in 11 games with the Griffins this season and is currently tied for 19th among AHL defensemen in scoring.

Welcome to the Club

Earlier this week, the Griffins signed forward Albin Grewe and defenseman Patrick Holway to amateur tryouts. Grewe, who turned 20 on Monday, made his Griffins, AHL and North American debuts in last night’s 5-2 win at Iowa. Grewe was Detroit’s fifth pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, selected in the third round (66th overall). Signed by the OHL's Saginaw Spirit last summer, he has been playing in his native Sweden for Djurgardens of the SHL while the OHL season has been delayed, contributing six points (3-3--6) and 29 penalty minutes in 39 games. He has totaled 73 games in the SHL over the last three seasons, scoring his first goal for Djurgardens in 2019-20. Born in Marsta, Sweden, the 6-0, 176-pound Grewe enjoyed his most prolific junior campaign in 2018-19 with Djurgardens' J20 SuperElit squad, totaling 34 points (13-21--34) and 102 PIM in 25 games. He also helped host Sweden win the gold medal at the 2019 IIHF U18 World Championship, marking his country's first-ever championship at that tournament. Holway, 24, was the fifth pick of the Red Wings in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, chosen 170th overall in the sixth round. He spent the last two seasons at Merrimack College and finished the 2020-21 campaign with nine points (3-6--9) and 22 penalty minutes in 18 appearances. The 6-5, 220-pound native of Cohasset, Mass., played his freshman and sophomore seasons at the University of Maine. In all, Holway's collegiate career consisted of 101 games, during which he compiled 51 points (16-35--51) and 84 PIM.

March Like a Lion

The Griffins posted a winning record for March during each of the previous 12 years – accumulating an 88-48-7-8 mark (0.632) from 2009 to 2020 – and have clinched a 13th straight year with a 4-0-2-0 record with one game remaining. Despite traditionally playing the majority of their games away from Van Andel Arena during March, they’ve managed at least a 0.500 road record for the month during each of those dozen years, going a combined 53-29-5-6 (0.629).

Offense Taken

The Griffins lead the AHL in shots per game (34.69) and are tied for ninth in goals per game (3.31). They’ve racked up at least 43 shots in three of their last six outings, including a season-high 49 on March 3 in Rockford.

Stingy D

The Griffins, who have allowed just one goal in regulation in seven of their last 11 games, rank fifth in the AHL in goals allowed per game (2.46)…The Griffins have been outshot in only three of their first 13 games, and only once have they allowed 30 or more shots, a total that they have reached on 10 occasions — including eight straight outings before last night. Grand Rapids ranks second in the AHL in shots allowed per game (24.38).

200 Club

Dylan McIlrath appeared in his 200th game as a Griffin on March 13 against Rockford, Turner Elson hit the milestone on March 16 versus the IceHogs, and Dominik Shine did it last Saturday at Cleveland. Of the 532 players in Griffins history, 48 have reached that total. Other upcoming milestones include:
Brian Lashoff – Three assists for 100 as a pro
Gustav Lindstrom - One point for 50 as a pro
Dominik Shine – Three points from 50 for his Griffins/AHL/pro career
Dominic Turgeon – One point from 100 for his Griffins/AHL/pro career

It’s a Start

The roar of a Griffins crowd was partially restored on March 13 when the team began welcoming 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.

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 is going well but he is expected to miss the better part of this 30-game shortened season. 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 Iowa Wild