Griffins Game #42 * Home Game #21 * AHL Game #649

Season Series: 1-1-0-0 Home Series: 0-0-0-0 Road Series: 1-1-0-0
All-Time Series: 3-3-0-0 All-Time Home Series: 2-0-0-0 All-Time Road Series: 1-3-0-0

Eagles at Griffins
Third of four meetings overall, first of two at Van Andel Arena…This marks just the second season that the Griffins will play Colorado, as they met for the first-ever time on Oct. 13, 2023...Grand Rapids is 2-0-0-0 against the Eagles all-time at home with a plus-four scoring margin (8-4)…The Eagles joined the AHL in 2018 and are the primary affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche...Colorado has qualified for each of the four AHL postseasons since joining the league...The Griffins are 18-21-2-1 (.464) all-time against current Pacific-Division foes in the regular season, including 10-9-0-0 (.526) at home...Grand Rapids is on a four-game win streak and a six-game point streak (5-0-0-1)...Colorado has one win in its last four games (1-2-1-0)...The Eagles are 5-3-2-0 in their last 10 games and the Griffins are 6-3-0-1 in their last 10...Colorado is 7-8-2-0 on the road compared to 15-4-1-2 at home...Grand Rapids is 12-6-1-1 at home compared to 13-6-2-0 on the road...The Eagles rank 5th in the AHL with 3.41 goals per game and seventh with 2.72 goals allowed...Colorado’s power play places 24th at 16.9% and its penalty kill is tied for sixth at 84.8%...Eagles’ Wyatt Aamodt paces the AHL with a plus-30 rating and Tye Felhaber is tied for eighth with 79 penalty minutes...Defenseman Josiah Didier hails from Littleton, Colorado and played his collegiate years at the University of Denver from 2011-15. In addition, defensemen Antti Tuomisto (2020-22) and Shai Buium (2021-24), and forward Carter Mazur (2021-23) also competed at the University of Denver...Sheldon Dries was part of the Avalanche organization from 2018-21 and showed 56 points (29-27—56) in 93 games with the Eagles...Eagles’ second-year head coach Aaron Schneekloth competed for Grand Rapids from 2002-04 and showed eight points (1-7—8) in 58 games

Last Time Out
The Griffins extended their win streak to four and their point streak to six (5-0-0-1) with a 4-1 win over the Rockford IceHogs on Wednesday at Van Andel Arena. William Wallinder posted his second two-point game of the season (1-1—2) and Alex Doucet found the back of the net, good for his fifth point in the last five contests (2-3—5). Carson Bantle earned his first AHL goal in his seventh appearance for the Griffins, while Joe Snively tallied his 200th AHL point with an assist. A helper from Carter Mazur marked his fourth point in six contests this season (1-3—4). Goaltender Sebastian Cossa extended his win streak to four, stopping 21 shots while improving to a .921 save percentage and a 2.20 goals-against average. Over its six-game point streak, Grand Rapids has averaged four goals a game while allowing 2.50 tallies. 

This Date in Griffins History
2003: Travis Richards becomes the first player to appear in 500 regular season games as a Griffin in Grand Rapids’ 4-3 win at Milwaukee. Jason Williams nets the Griffins’ lone hat trick of the season. 

Hot Run
The Griffins are on a four-game win streak and are currently on a season-high six-game point streak from Jan. 15-29 (5-0-0-1). During the point streak, Grand Rapids has averaged four goals per game while giving up 2.50 tallies. In the four games before the point streak from Jan. 4-11, the Griffins averaged just one goal per game with a 1-3-0-0 mark. The defense has been solid once again, allowing just 1.92 goals per game since the holiday break. The offense has averaged 3.17 goals per game since the break and at least four tallies in five of the last six outings. Grand Rapids remains in first place in the Central Division, second in the Western Conference, and tied for fourth in the AHL with a 25-12-3-1 record and 54 points through 41 games. The Griffins are 16-10-2-0 against their division rivals with a plus-nine scoring margin and have held at least a share of the top spot in the division since Nov. 8. 

Guess Who’s Back? 
Carter Mazur was sidelined for 35 games from Oct. 19-Jan. 22 due to rehabbing an upper-body injury. Mazur made his long-awaited return last Thursday at Manitoba, collecting an assist, and now has four points (1-3—4) in the first six contests of his season. The 70th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in 2021 has totaled 47 points (21-26—47) in 72 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. 

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 enjoyed a team-high five-game point streak (5-1—6) from Jan. 15-25 and scored a goal in four straight outings from Jan. 17-25, which is tied with Joe Snively for the longest run by a Griffin. The Macomb, Michigan, native ranks first on the roster and tied for 12th in the AHL with 17 goals in 38 games. 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 contests, serving as captain for three campaigns. The 30-year-old has competed in 434 pro games with 254 points (146-108—254) and 228 points (130-98—228) in 312 AHL appearances. 

Bonjour
Alex Doucet, a native of Sherbrooke, Quebec, has five points (2-3—5) in his last five games from Jan. 17-29. The 23-year-old had a similar run from Nov. 13-24 when he showed six points (2-4—6) in five outings. The rookie has 15 points (6-9—15), eight penalty minutes and a plus-five rating in 36 games. He has scored two short-handed goal this season, which is tied for sixth among all skaters and tied for first among AHL rookies. Doucet competed in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye last campaign and totaled 41 points (19-22—41) and a plus-19 rating in 52 regular-season games before adding six points (1-5—6) in 14 playoff contests. Doucet was signed by the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 28, 2023 as an undrafted free agent out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. 

Come Out Firing
When the Griffins start hot, things usually turn out pretty well for the team, as they have a 15-1-2-1 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 4-9-0-0 when it trails after the second period. 

Home Sweet Home
Grand Rapids concluded a season-high five-game homestand on Jan. 18 with a 2-2-0-1 record, which included points in the final three games (2-0-0-1). This week, the Griffins will finish a stretch that saw 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 12-6-1-1 at home this season but have won four of their last 10 home outings (4-4-1-1). Under head coach Dan Watson, Grand Rapids is 35-13-5-3 (.696) inside Van Andel Arena. 

Lock It Down
The Griffins have allowed just 1.92 goals per game since returning from the holiday break and rank first overall with 2.44 goals allowed per game. Sebastian Cossa has shown a 2.20 GAA and .921 save percentage through 24 games, Jack Campbell has a 2.15 GAA and a .917 save percentage in five appearances, and Ville Husso possesses a 2.12 GAA and a .931 save percentage in nine contests. Dating back to last season, Grand Rapids has allowed just 51 goals in its last 23 regular-season games at Van Andel Arena (2.22 GA per game). Also dating back to last season, the Griffins have allowed 59 goals in their last 23 regular-season road games (2.57 GA per game). 

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 38 goals across 12 games (3.17) since Dec. 28 with an 8-3-0-1 record, which includes four goals on average in its last six outings. Grand Rapids has a plus-14 scoring margin in the third period (45-31) despite being outshot 363-309. The Griffins rank 18th on the circuit with 2.98 goals per contest, while placing first in goals against per game (2.44). When scoring at least three goals this season, Grand Rapids is 20-0-0-1 (.976) compared to 5-12-3-0 (.325) when scoring fewer than three goals. 

Career Year
Dominik Shine is just one point from tying his career best of 33 points and is on pace to reach 58 (20-38—58) this season. The veteran is also two assists from tying his career high of 23 (2023-24) and six goals from tying his career best of 17 (2021-22). He has already notched career-high totals in power-play goals (4), game-winners (3), and multi-point outings (8). On Jan. 18, Shine moved into a tie for 10th place on the team’s all-time goals scored list with his 72nd tally as a Griffin and is currently on a team-high five-game point streak (1-6—7). The 31-year-old also has 13 points (5-8—13) in his last 15 contests. Shine ranks first on the roster in points (11-21—32) and assists (21), fourth in goals (11), and third in power-play goals (4) in 40 games. The Detroit native has spent his entire career with Grand Rapids since 2016-17 and has accumulated 170 points (72-98—170) and 513 penalty minutes in 462 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). On Monday, Shine signed his first NHL contract, a two-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Later that evening, he made his NHL debut against the Los Angeles Kings. 

Pucks On Net
The 26 shots by the Griffins in the opening period on Jan. 17 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 29.6 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 eight times in the last 20 games (40.0%). The Griffins average 26.0 shots per game, which ranks third-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 28.9 shots per game (16th in AHL) and have been held to under 30 shots 21 times. The third period has given the Griffins the most problems, as they are being outshot 363-309 compared to being outshot 390-378 in the second and 405-363 in the first. However, Grand Rapids has a 17-7-2-0 ledger when recording 20-29 shots and a 12-5-2-0 mark when allowing at least 30 shots. 

Power Surge
The Griffins potted two power-play goals in consecutive games from Jan. 15-17 for the first time this season and have scored on the man-advantage in four of the past six games (6-for-15, 40.0%). The power play has also converted nine of its last 35 opportunities (25.7%) in the previous 13 games. The power play is tied for ninth on the circuit at 19.0% (26-for-137). If you break it down further, Grand Rapids’ home power play is 12-for-60 (20.0%, T15th) and its road power play is 14-for-77 (18.2%, 16th). 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 six of their last nine games (23-for-30 on PK, 76.7%). Grand Rapids has also surrendered a power-play goal in 13 of its last 21 outings (58-for-73 on PK, 79.5%). However, the penalty-kill unit remains one of the best in the league, as it is tied for sixth at 84.8%. Grand Rapids has also scored six short-handed tallies, which is tied for seventh in the AHL. When scoring on the power play, the Griffins are 14-4-2-1 and 7-9-1-1 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 14-7-3 mark with a 2.20 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 24 games. Cossa ranks among the AHL leaders in minutes played (1,417:48, 8th), games played (24, T6th), GAA (6th), wins (T5th), and save percentage (8th). 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 on Jan. 18 and has shown a 7-1-0 mark with two shutouts in nine games with the Griffins this year to go along with a 2.12 GAA and a .931 save percentage. Throughout his 10-game career with Grand Rapids since 2023-24, Husso has an 8-1-0 ledger with three shutouts, a 1.89 GAA and a .937 save percentage. 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Shai Buium—Tied for sixth among rookie defensemen in assists (15), tied for ninth among rookie defensemen in points (15), tied for second among rookie defensemen in plus-minus rating (+9), tied for ninth among rookie defensemen in power-play assists (4)
Sebastian Cossa—Eighth in minutes played (1,417:48), tied for sixth in games played (24), sixth in GAA (2.20), tied for fifth in wins (14), eighth in save percentage (.921)
Nate Danielson—Tied for fifth among rookies in assists (18), tied for first in short-handed assists (3), first among rookies in short-handed assists (3), tied for ninth among rookies in power-play assists (7)
Josiah Didier—Tied for fourth in short-handed assists (2), 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)
Sheldon Dries—Tied for 12th in goals (17), tied for second in game-winners (5)
x William Lagesson—Tied for 11th among defensemen in plus-minus rating (+13)
Amadeus Lombardi—Tied for 11th in game-winners (4)
Austin Watson—First in major penalties (9), tied for 13th in penalty minutes (71), tied for 14th in plus-minus rating (+14)

Milestones
Joe Snively collected his 200th point in the AHL on Wednesday with an assist against Rockford and Carson Bantle scored his first AHL goal. 
Sheldon Dries—Two assists from 100 in the AHL, four goals from 150 as a pro
Carter Mazur—Three points from 50 as a pro
x 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), two assists from 100 as a Griffin

Photo by Colorado Eagles