Manitoba Moose (19-18-2-1) vs. GRIFFINS (23-13-3-4)

Griffins Game #44 * Home Game #22 * AHL Game #649

Season Series: 4-1-0-0 Home Series: 1-0-0-0 Road Series: 3-1-0-0
All-Time Series: 60-29-1-1-7 All-Time Home Series: 30-12-1-1-5 All-Time Road Series: 30-17-0-0-2

Griffins vs. Moose
Sixth of eight meetings overall, second of four at Van Andel Arena…Grand Rapids has won nine of the last 10 regular season meetings, including three in a row…The Griffins are outscoring Manitoba 34-16 in the last 10 games…Since the Moose rejoined the AHL in 2015-16 following a four-year hiatus, the Griffins are 16-5 vs. Manitoba, including 9-3 at Bell MTS Place and 7-2 at Van Andel Arena…With a rivalry dating to 1996-97 and the International Hockey League, the Griffins and Moose will meet up for the 99th time in the regular season tonight…In the most recent meeting on Dec. 22 in Winnipeg, Tyler Spezia notched his first AHL goal, Chris Terry scored his 20th and Patrik Rybar made 25 saves as the Griffins earned their 60th all-time win over Manitoba with a 3-1 victory…In the only meeting at Van Andel Arena this season, Carter Camper netted an overtime goal just 35 seconds in to help the Griffins to a 3-2 victory…Terry has six goals among eight points through five meetings this season, both of which are the most for either team…Camper adds a series-high five assists among six points in five games…Rybar is 2-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a 0.962 against Manitoba while Harri Sateri is 2-1-0 to go along with a 2.99 GAA and a 0.880 save percentage…Grand Rapids is 17-for-17 on the penalty kill against the Moose…The Moose are on a seven-game point streak (6-0-0-1)…The league’s leader in saves (870), Eric Comrie was named the AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 20 after showing a 1.72 GAA, a 0.949 save percentage and a 4-0-0 record in four starts last week…Former Michigan State Spartan Mason Appleton and Logan Shaw were selected to the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic…Defenseman Dylan McIlrath hails from Winnipeg…Dominic Turgeon recorded his first career hat trick at Manitoba on Feb. 17, 2018…Axel Holmstrom made his AHL debut at Manitoba on April 4, 2017, and scored his first AHL goal (overtime) at the Moose on April 5, 2017.

Last Game (Saturday): Admirals 0 at Griffins 3 - Read the full recap here
Grand Rapids improved to 4-1-0-1 in the 10-game season series…Patrik Rybar stopped all 24 shots he faced to notch his first shutout in North America…It was the Griffins’ first regular season shutout since March 11, 2018 at Hershey and first at home since Feb. 18, 2017 vs. San Antonio…The capacity crowd of 10,834 marked the Griffins’ third sellout of the season…Matt Puempel produced his 100th career AHL goal and added an assist…Wade Megan tallied his second consecutive multi-point game with a power play goal and an assist…Second-year defenseman Vili Saarijarvi skated in his 100th North American pro game

Status Update
Following their first shutout victory of the season last Saturday, the Griffins are tied with the Iowa Wild atop the Central Division standings with a 23-13-3-4 record (53 points). Grand Rapids is 4-2-0-2 in 2019 and shows points in 11 of its last 13 outings (8-2-1-2). The Griffins wrap up a four-game homestand this week, hosting the Manitoba Moose tonight and the San Jose Barracuda on Friday and Saturday before pausing for the AHL all-star break.

Friendly Confines
The Griffins are on a five-game point streak at Van Andel Arena (4-0-0-1) and have picked up points in 13 of their last 14 (10-1-1-2) on home ice. Grand Rapids is 14-3-1-3 overall inside friendly confines this season, ranking among the AHL’s home leaders with 32 points (T3rd), 14 wins (4th) and a 0.762 points percentage (T2nd). Grand Rapids is a +17 in goal differential at home while averaging 3.48 goals and operating at 21.95% on the power play, compared to -11, 2.68 and 8.25% on enemy ice. In the last four games at the Van, the Griffins’ power play is 7-for-17 (41.2%).

Griffins in General
The Griffins’ 3-0 win against Milwaukee last Saturday marked the franchise’s 950th all-time regular season victory…Grand Rapids is 950-642-27-54-112 (0.586) in the regular season since 1996-97…Grand Rapids’ 290 regular season wins and 627 points since the 2012-13 campaign are both the second-most in the AHL in that time, trailing only Toronto (299 wins, 643 points) and just ahead of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (288 wins, 620 points).

Wading Back In
Since being assigned by Detroit on Jan. 3, Wade Megan has collected points in six of his eight games back in Grand Rapids’ lineup. His 10 points (5-5—10) in 2019 are tops on the team while his plus-seven rating ties Matthew Ford for a club high. The first-year Griffin shows five points (3-2—5) in the previous two games, and his three-point effort at Rockford last Friday marked his first three-point outing since Dec. 30, 2017 (1-2—3, CHI vs. RFD). Megan has either scored or assisted on five of Grand Rapids’ last six goals. The 172nd Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL when he debuted with Detroit on Nov. 1 vs. New Jersey, Megan has appeared in 11 games with the Red Wings this season over two stints and picked up one assist while averaging 7:52 of ice time.

Puemped Up
Matt Puempel collected his team-leading 13th multi-point game of the season in last Saturday’s victory against Milwaukee and his first-period goal marked his 100th career AHL tally. The sixth-year pro also notched his 100th career AHL assist and his 200th AHL point on Jan. 12 vs. Belleville. He places second on the team in both goals (17) and points (35). Puempel’s team-high 137 shots tie for second in the league.

Rybar Supports
Patrik Rybar has points in six of his last seven games (4-1-2) and shows a 1.95 GAA and a 0.929 save percentage in that stretch. Rybar, who led the Czech Extraliga with seven shutouts last season, recorded his first shutout on North American soil after stopping 24 shots in last Saturday’s victory. He ranks third in the AHL with a 2.30 overall GAA.

You’re a Wizard, Harri
Harri Sateri has points in 11 of his last 13 starts (9-2-2) and has allowed two goals or fewer in four of his last six. He’s stopped 70 of 73 shots (0.959) in his last two. Sateri’s 13 wins on the season tie for 10th in the league.

(Don’t) Put It In Reverse Terr
The AHL’s leading scorer from a season ago, Chris Terry sits atop the league’s goal leaderboard with 23. The 10th-year pro has reached the 20-goal plateau for the sixth time in his AHL career and is on pace to become just the third Griffin ever to bank 40 or more goals in a single season. He is bidding to join Teemu Pulkkinen (34 in 2014-15) and Donald MacLean (56 in 2005-06) as the only Griffins to lead the league in goals. He ties for seventh in the league with 41 points overall. Selected to play for the Central Division at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic, Terry has earned his third consecutive AHL All-Star bid and fourth overall (2012).

Page Turner
Turner Elson places fourth on the team with 28 points (12-16—28) and is just two shy of matching his career high of 30, which he has attained twice previously (2014-15 with Adirondack and 2015-16 with Stockton). Sixteen assists has already equaled his career best total from 2015-16. He has also bettered his output from his first season with the Griffins in 2017-18 (9-12—21 in 57 GP). Elson has all three of the Griffins’ shorthanded goals this season, which ties for second in the AHL. Three shorties is the most by a Griffin in a single season since Landon Ferraro and Tomas Nosek both collected three in 2014-15.

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.
2001: Griffins rally for a 4-3 shootout win after trailing Kansas City 3-0. Derek King scores the game-tying goal while the goalie was pulled with just nine seconds left in regulation.
2004: In the third period of a 5-0 win over San Antonio, Darryl Bootland sets a team record with 29 penalty minutes and Jiri Hudler ties a franchise mark with three points during the frame.
2013: NHL veteran and Kentwood native Mike Knuble plays his only game in a Griffins uniform, earning his first AHL point in almost 16 years with an assist in the Griffins’ 5-4 shootout win over Oklahoma City.

PROMOTIONS

Winning Wednesday presented by Farm Bureau Insurance: Every time the Griffins win at home on Wednesday, each fan in attendance will receive a free ticket to the next Wednesday game. To redeem a Winning Wednesday ticket, please visit the box office following the Winning Wednesday game, The Zone during normal business hours, or the Van Andel Arena box office prior to the next Wednesday game beginning at 5:30 p.m. Fans who exchange their Winning Wednesday ticket at The Zone on a non-game day will receive 20% off the purchase of one item (excluding
jerseys). One discount per person present.

Post-Game Parties at Peppino’s: After every Wednesday game, join Griffins players and staff for the official post-game party at Peppino’s Sports Grille downtown.

Library Nights: For all Wednesday and Sunday games, fans can present their Grand Rapids Public Library card or Kent District Library card at the Van Andel Arena box office on the night of the game or at The Zone anytime during the store’s regular business hours to purchase either an Upper Level Faceoff ticket for $14, an Upper Level Center Ice ticket for $17, or a Lower Level Faceoff ticket for $20. Limit four tickets per card per person, subject to availability.


Photo by Mark Newman/Griffins