Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (24-20-4-1) vs. GRIFFINS (27-15-3-4)

Griffins Game #50 * Home Game #26 * AHL Game #740

Season Series: 0-0-0-1 Home Series: 0-0-0-0 Road Series: 0-0-0-1
All-Time Series: 4-3-0-2 All-Time Home Series: 2-1-0-1 All-Time Road Series: 2-2-0-1

Griffins vs. Penguins
Second of two meetings overall, first and last at Van Andel Arena…In the two teams’ first meeting of the year on Jan. 4 in Pennsylvania, Turner Elson and Matthew Ford scored in regulation and Patrik Rybar made 31 saves, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton won 3-2 in a shootout…After claiming the first four all-time meetings that occurred in the 2001-02 and 2006-07 seasons, the Griffins are winless in the last five matchups (0-3-0-2), finishing 0-1-0-1 in 2008-09, 0-2 last season and showing a 0-0-0-1 record this season…Grand Rapids and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton are facing off in consecutive seasons for the first time ever…Entering this season, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton has qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs in 16 consecutive campaigns, which is the longest active streak in the AHL…The Griffins have advanced to the postseason in six straight seasons…The lone postseason meeting between the Griffins and Penguins came in the 2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals, a series Grand Rapids won 3-1…The Penguins are celebrating their 20th season as a franchise…The Griffins hold a 39-28-1-3 all-time regular season record (0.577) against current teams in the Atlantic Division.

Last Game (Wednesday): Moose 1 at Griffins 2 - Read the full recap here
Wednesday marked the 100th all-time meeting between the former International Hockey League foes...The Griffins improved to 6-1-0-0 in the season series and have won the last five matchups...Grand Rapids has also claimed 11 of the last 12 against Manitoba...Filip Hronek scored two power play goals at 18:39 and 19:35 of the third period...Hronek’s goal at 18:39 snapped the Griffins’ scoreless streak at 119:26...Grand Rapids has not been shut out in consecutive games since Jan. 23, 2016 vs. RCH and Jan. 27, 2016 vs. TOR...Harri Sateri stopped 20 shots to earn his 17th win of the season...Grand Rapids finished 2-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.

Status Update
Following Wednesday’s come-from-behind 2-1 victory versus Manitoba, the Griffins continue to lead the Central Division by two points with 61 to go along with a 27-15-3-4 overall mark. Grand Rapids has totaled points in 15 of its last 19 outings (12-4-1-2), including wins in six of its last eight. The Griffins continue their season-high seven-game homestand this weekend by hosting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton tonight and Chicago tomorrow. After today’s affair with the Atlantic Division’s Penguins, Grand Rapids will play its next 20 games against Central Division foes.

Friendly Confines
The Griffins have points in eight of their last nine contests at Van Andel Arena (7-1-0-1). With a 17-4-1-3 overall mark inside friendly confines, the Griffins rank among the AHL’s home leaders with a 0.760 points percentage (3rd), 38 points (2nd) and 17 wins (T2nd). Grand Rapids is a +16 in goal differential at home while averaging 3.20 goals and operating at 19.42% on the power play, compared to -11, 2.67 and 8.65% on enemy ice.

Filip Hero-nek
Filip Hronek netted two power play goals at 18:39 and 19:35 of the third period on Wednesday to lead the Griffins to a 2-1 victory against Manitoba. Seven of Hronek’s 19 career AHL tallies have been of the GWG variety, including three of seven this year. Among league defensemen, the second-year pro ties for eighth with four power play goals and third with three game-winners. Despite playing only 25 games with the Griffins due to spending 23 with the Red Wings, Hronek leads all team blueliners in points (21), goals (7) and assists (14). Grand Rapids is 11-2-3-4 in one-goal games this season.

Couch Potatoes
Grand Rapids is 1-0 in its season-high seven-game homestand, which continues tonight against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Seven games is the team’s longest since a seven-game stretch from Nov. 29-Dec. 14, 2013. GR will play seven home games in a 17-day period this month, and then close out the campaign with seven home contests spread across the regular season’s final 50 days. Take a look at the longest homestands in GR history and how the club has fared:

Griffins in General
The Griffins’ 3-0 win against Milwaukee on Jan. 19 marked the franchise’s 950th all-time regular season victory…Grand Rapids is 954-644-27-54-112 (0.587) in the regular season since 1996-97…Grand Rapids’ 294 regular season wins and 635 points since the 2012-13 campaign are both the second-most in the AHL in that time, trailing only Toronto (302 / 651) and just ahead of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (292 / 628).

You’re a Wizard, Harri
Harri Sateri is 6-1-0 in his last seven appearances, showing a 1.70 GAA and a 0.941 save percentage (193 of 205) in that span. Sateri has started each of the last four games, the longest stretch by a Griffins goalie this season. His 2.25 GAA in the new year ranks eighth among goalies with 400 or more minutes in that timeframe. The Finnish netminder has points in 15 of his last 18 outings (13-3-2) and in 10 of his last 12 (9-2-1). Sateri’s 17 wins on the season, which is one shy of matching his AHL career best (2013-14 with Worcester), tie for fifth in the league.

Rybar Supports
Patrik Rybar has points in six of his last eight games (4-2-2) and shows a 2.20 GAA and a 0.919 save percentage with one shutout in that span. He places sixth in the AHL with a 2.38 overall GAA.

(Don’t) Put It In Reverse Terr
The AHL’s leading scorer from a season ago, Chris Terry is second on the league’s goal leaderboard with 24. 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. Terry assisted on both of Filip Hronek’s power play goals on Wednesday and with 45 points overall, ties for sixth on the circuit in scoring. Competing for the Central Division at the 2019 AHL All-Star Classic, Terry 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 leveling 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. Elson has all three of the Griffins’ shorthanded goals this season, which ties for second in the AHL.

This Date in Griffins History
2002: Mathieu Chouinard's 1-0 blanking of Hamilton, his second shutout of the season, gives the Griffins three goalies (Martin Prusek and Simon Lajeunesse) with at least two shutouts apiece for the first time in franchise history. Defenseman Julien Vauclair becomes the first active Griffin to participate in the Winter Olympics when he suits up for Switzerland in 3-3 tie with France. Vauclair notches one shorthanded goal during the tournament and helps his country to a 2-1-1 record and an 11th place finish. Seven former Griffins also represent their homelands in Salt Lake City, including Aigars Cipruss (Latvia), Pavol Demitra (Slovakia), Erich Goldmann (Germany), Jani Hurme (Finland), Rastlislav Pavlikovsky (Slovakia), Robert Petrovicky (Slovakia) and Andrei Sryubko (Ukraine).
2004: Despite the presence of Jiri Hudler and captain Travis Richards on their roster, PlanetUSA drops a 9-5 decision to Canada in the AHL All-Star Game at Van Andel Arena. The event concludes a star-studded weekend in Grand Rapids, which welcomed several of hockey’s all-time greats to town, including Scotty Bowman, Willie O’Ree, Grant Fuhr, Billy Smith, Joe Kocur and Adam Graves.
2013: Holding a 3-1 lead heading into the third period at Oklahoma City, the Griffins allow a team record-tying six goals in the final 20 minutes en route to a 7-5 loss.

PROMOTIONS

Game presented by Lake Michigan Credit Union

Time: 7 p.m. at Van Andel Arena (doors open at 6 p.m.).

Anthony Mantha Bobblehead presented by Lake Michigan Credit Union: The first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive an Anthony Mantha bobblehead. Click here to see it.

Superhero Night presented by Lake Michigan Credit Union: Spider-Man, Supergirl, Thor, Captain America, Batgirl, Black Panther, Scarlet Witch and Jesse Quick will be on hand to take photos on the concourse, interact with fans and take part in game-night promotions. A variety of in-game entertainment elements will also highlight superheroes.

Third Annual Comic Book Giveaway: Fans of all ages will receive a third-edition Griffins comic book,
“Un-Finn-Ished Business,” created by local artist Rob O’Neil upon exiting the arena after the game. Click here to see the cover.

Post-Game Open Skate: Bring your skates to the rink and take to the ice for the post-game open skate.

Friends & Family 4-Packs presented by Big E's Sports Grill: Available for all Saturday games, each pack includes four or more tickets and $12 in concession cash for a great low price, plus a coupon for one FREE large, one-topping pizza at Big E's Sports Grill. Visit griffinshockey.com/f4p or call (616) 774-4585 ext. 2.


Photo by Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins