Griffins Game #42 * Home Game #21 * AHL Game #702

Season Series: 4-1-0-0 Home Series: 2-1-0-0 Road Series: 2-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 74-43-1-1-9 All-Time Home Series: 40-19-1-1-6 All-Time Road Series: 34-24-0-0-3

Moose at Griffins
Sixth of eight meetings overall, fourth of four at Van Andel Arena…Since the Moose rejoined the AHL in 2015-16, Grand Rapids is 30-19-0-2 (.608) against them, including a 17-9-0-1 (.648) ledger at Van Andel Arena…The Griffins have won just two times in the past six meetings against the Moose in Grand Rapids (2-4-0-0)...The Griffins are 12-13-0-2 (.481) overall against Manitoba since the 2019-20 season with a minus-nine scoring margin (81-72)...At home since 2019-20, Grand Rapids is 8-6-0-1 (.567) against the Moose with a plus-one scoring margin (38-37)...Four of the five meetings this season have been decided by just one goal...This is the 129th meeting between the two teams, which is tied for the fourth-most encounters by any Grand Rapids opponent...Manitoba is 4-4-1-1 in its last 10 games and has four wins in its past six games...The Griffins are 7-2-1-0 in their last 10 and are on a season-high seven-game winning streak...On foreign ice this season, the Moose are 11-10-0-1, while the Griffins bolster an 12-6-2-0 ledger at home...The Moose are tied 18th in the AHL with a power-play percentage of 17.9%, while the Griffins rank 26th with a penalty kill at 78.9%...Manitoba’s penalty kill ranks 30th at 77.5% and the Griffins’ power play is tied for ninth at 20.1%...Manitoba rookie Nikita Chibrikov (14-18—32) is tied for fourth for scoring among first-year players in the AHL...Manitoba’s Jeffrey Viel ranks fifth in the league with 97 penalty minutes.

Last Time Out
Tim Gettinger's shootout goal put an end to a 10-round shootout while extending the Griffins' win streak to seven games in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Manitoba Moose at Van Andel Arena on Friday. The last time the Griffins won seven consecutive contests was during a 13-game run from Feb. 20-March 19, 2016, while the last time the team won 12 of its last 15 contests was from Jan. 19-Feb. 28, 2018 (12-1-0-2). With its win, Grand Rapids collected back-to-back shootout victories for the first time since 2019 (March 16-19). Both Austin Czarnik and Jonatan Berggren got on the score sheet tonight, as Czarnik potted a goal for his 14th point in his last 13 games (4-10--14) and Berggren bagged an assist for his 17th point in his last 13 games (6-11--17).

Roster Shake Up
- Jan. 31—D Brogan Rafferty recalled by Detroit
- Feb. 1—D Brogan Rafferty reassigned by Detroit

This Date in Griffins History
2007: With a 5-3 win in Iowa, head coach Greg Ireland earns his 96th win to pass Bruce Cassidy for second place on the Griffins’ all-time wins list.

Sea Bass Fishing
Rookie netminder Sebastian Cossa has won a team-high four straight games from Jan. 19-Feb. 2 and is 7-2-1 in his last 10 outings from Dec. 15-Feb. 2. During his last 10 appearances, the 6-foot-7 goaltender has a .915 save percentage and a 2.34 goals against average. Since returning from the holiday break on Dec. 27, Cossa has a 6-1-0 ledger with a 1.72 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. The former 15^th overall pick by the Red Wings in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft has allowed more than two goals just once in his past seven games. Through 20 contests, Cossa is 10-7-3 with a 2.70 goals against average and a .908 save percentage. The 21-year-old ranks seventh among rookie goaltenders in both goals against average and save percentage.

Keep the Good Times Rolling
The Griffins are currently riding a season-high seven-game win streak (Jan. 19-Feb. 9), which is the longest win streak since the team rattled of a 13-game run from Feb. 20-March 19, 2016. Grand Rapids is also on a season-best seven-game road winning streak (Dec. 27-Feb. 2), which is tied for the longest road winning streak in franchise history (Jan. 29-Feb. 28, 2015 and Oct. 16-Dec. 3, 2004). The Griffins have secured at least a point in 15 of their last 18 contests (13-3-2-0) and are now tied with Texas for second place in the Central Division. The Griffins are 12-2-1-0 since Christmas, marking the first time the team has won 12 out of 15 games since Jan. 19-Feb. 28, 2018 (12-1-0-2). Grand Rapids now has a pair of winning streaks of five or more games this season, the first time it had two runs of at least five games in the same season since 2015-16. Grand Rapids has points in 11 of its last 15 games (10-4-1-0) inside Van Andel Arena and has points in eight of its past nine road appearances (7-1-1-0). The Griffins have been solid at home with an 12-6-2-0 mark, outscoring their opponents 62-46. Grand Rapids has started to find a rhythm on the road, earning seven straight victories to even its record away from home (9-9-2-1).

Lock it Down
The Griffins’ defense has been much improved since the holiday break, allowing an average of 2.20 goals per game from Dec. 27-Feb. 9. Prior to the holiday break, Grand Rapids allowed 3.31 goals per game from Oct. 13-Dec. 20. The Griffins have allowed a total of 119 goals through 41 games this season, which ranks second in the Central Division and tied for fourth in the AHL. Grand Rapids also ranks 12^th on the circuit with 2.90 goals against per game, which is second in the division trailing only Milwaukee (2.46). Netminders Sebastian Cossa (2.70) and Michael Hutchinson (2.88) each possess a goals against average below 3.00. Defensemen Albert Johansson (+9), Wyatt Newpower (+6), Antti Tuomisto (+4), Brogan Rafferty (+3), Simon Edvinsson (+2) and William Wallinder (+2) all have a positive plus-minus rating. Last season, none of the Griffins’ blueliners finished with a positive plus-minus rating.

Johnny Bravo
Jonatan Berggren posted back-to-back three-point nights from Jan. 26-27 and enjoyed a season-high six-game point streak (5-5—10) from Jan. 13-27. Berggren also has 17 points (6-11—17) in his last 13 outings and 20 points (8-12—20) in his last 16 games from Dec. 15-Feb. 9. The 23-year-old leads the roster in points (13-22—35), assists (22) and goals (13) through 32 games this season. The Enkoping, Sweden, product became the seventh-fastest player to reach 100 points as a Griffin, doing so in just his 106th game on Jan. 26 against Belleville. Berggren has a combined 106 points (38-68—106) in 109 career AHL appearances from 2021-24, collecting an assist during his 100th game as a Griffin on Jan. 10 against Milwaukee. During his rookie season with the Griffins in 2021-22, Berggren broke Grand Rapids’ rookie single-season scoring record with 64 points (21-43—64) in 70 games, five more points than the previous record held by Teemu Pulkkinen (2013-14). The prospect has appeared in 76 games with the Red Wings throughout two seasons and has 33 points (17-16—33), including five points (2-3—5) in nine contests this campaign. Berggren participated in the 2024 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Tech CU.

The Last Czar
Austin Czarnik enjoyed a season-high six-game point streak from Jan. 13-27 (3-5—8). Since returning to the Griffins from Detroit on Dec. 30, Czarnik has accumulated 14 points (4-10—14) in 13 games. The 31-year-old has made the most of his time in Grand Rapids, showing 21 points (7-14—21) in 22 appearances. Czarnik posted three assists on Dec. 31 against the Cleveland Monsters and logged five assists in three games from Dec. 9-Jan. 5. The Washington Township, Michigan, native signed a two-year deal with the Red Wings on July 7, 2022 and has since gone on to register 58 points (21-37—58) in 65 career games with the Griffins. Czarnik has 283 points (102-181—283) in 292 AHL games from 2014-18 and 2019-24, scoring his 100th AHL goal on Jan. 24 against Rockford. He has also suited up for 18 games with Detroit this season and has one assist, six penalty minutes and a minus-three rating. In total, Czarnik has 51 points (18-33—51) in 189 career NHL outings.

Oh, It’s You Again
The Griffins are tied for second place in the Central Division with a 21-15-4-1 record and 47 points, 12 points clear of a playoff spot. In the final 31 games of the regular season, Grand Rapids will compete against the Central Division 26 times, with its only games outside of the division coming against Cleveland (5). The Griffins have done well against their division rivals, as they are 15-9-2-0 (.615) with a plus-12 scoring margin against the Central Division. Grand Rapids is undefeated this season against Chicago (3-0-0-0) and Iowa (2-0-0-0), while it has collected just one win against Texas (1-4-1-0). Iowa and Rockford will be the Griffins’ most frequent opponents down the stretch, as there are still six meetings against both franchises. Grand Rapids will also see a lot of Chicago (5) as the season progresses.

Good Things Come in Threes
The Griffins mounted three straight third-period comebacks from Jan. 19-24 and have four third-period comebacks in their last seven outings. From Jan. 19-20 at Manitoba, the Griffins swept the Moose after trailing by three goals each game, while Grand Rapids staged another comeback on Jan. 24 versus Rockford by scoring three goals in the final frame. The Griffins then rallied from a one-goal deficit yet again on Jan. 27 and registered three goals in the final frame to take a 6-4 victory over Belleville. The Griffins have outscored their opponents 54-35 in the third period this season, including a 17-5 margin over their last seven games.

On The Come Up
The Griffins’ power play has been a strong unit this season, as it is tied for ninth in the AHL with an overall conversion rate of 20.1%, while the road power play places fourth at 23.4%. Grand Rapids has scored on the power play in nine of its last 15 games (11-for-46, 23.9%). Carter Mazur leads the team with five power-play goals, while Jonatan Berggren paces the squad with nine power-play assists. After allowing a power-play goal in a season-high five straight games from Dec. 19-31 (7-for-17, 41.2%), the Griffins have allowed just four power-play tallies in their last 12 outings (36-for-40, 90.0%). However, Grand Rapids ranks 26^th in the AHL with a penalty kill rate of 78.9%. At home, the Griffins’ penalty kill ranks sixth in the league at 84.8%, while the road penalty kill ranks 31st on the circuit at 73.7%.

Under Three is Key
Unsurprisingly, the Griffins have done well in games where they have scored four or more goals, going 16-1-1-0 (.917). Although, when scoring three goals or less the team is just 5-14-3-1 (.304). Grand Rapids has surpassed the four-goal mark in 10 of its last 18 outings. On the flip side, Grand Rapids is just 6-12-4-1 (.370) when allowing at least three goals, compared to a 15-3-0-0 mark (.833) when allowing two goals or less. In their last 18 appearances, the Griffins have allowed three or more goals nine times.

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Sebastian Cossa—2.70 GAA places seventh among rookie netminders, .908 save percentage ranks seventh among rookie goaltenders
Simon Edvinsson—Two power-play goals are tied for 13th among defensemen, two game-winners are tied for fifth among defensemen
Carter Mazur—Two game-winners are tied for ninth among rookies, five power-play goals are tied for eighth among rookies
Antti Tuomisto—Three goals are tied for 11th among rookie defensemen, one power-play goal is tied for sixth among rookie defensemen, two game-winners are tied for fifth among defensemen
William Wallinder—Three goals are tied for 11th among rookie defensemen

Milestones
On Jan. 26, Jonatan Berggren bagged his 100th point as a Griffin in just his 106th game, marking the seventh-fastest player to reach 100 points in franchise history. Tyler Spezia skated in his 300th pro game on Jan. 26 against Belleville.
Jonatan Berggren—One point from 200 as a pro
Josiah Didier—Four penalty minutes from 500 as a pro
Simon Edvinsson—One point from 50 as a Griffin and in the AHL
Taro Hirose—Three goals from 50 as a Griffin
Nolan Stevens—Two goals from 50 as a pro

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins