GRIFFINS (13-7-0-2) vs. San Antonio Rampage (9-14-1-0)

Griffins Game #23 * Home Game #13 * AHL Game #342

Season Series: 1-1-0-0 Home Series: 1-0-0-0 Road Series: 0-1-0-0
All-Time Series: 45-27-1-5-2 All-Time Home Series: 23-12-1-3-1 All-Time Road Series: 22-15-0-2-1

Griffins vs. Rampage
Third of eight meetings overall, second of four at Van Andel Arena…Grand Rapids has won nine of the last 10 meetings overall, including an eight-game winning streak from Feb. 17, 2017-April 12, 2018…The Griffins have claimed five in a row against the Rampage at Van Andel Arena, outgunning San Antonio 23-10 in that stretch…In the first meeting of the season in Texas on Oct. 6, San Antonio blanked the Griffins 4-0…In the most recent matchup last Friday in West Michigan, Grand Rapids finished 3-for-6 on the power play and 7-for-7 on the penalty kill and won 4-3…Five Griffins tie for the team lead in the season series with two points…San Antonio is second to last in the AHL averaging 2.50 goals per game…The Rampage are in their first season as the primary affiliate of the St. Louis Blues after spending the previous three with the Colorado Avalanche…San Antonio is also in its first campaign in the Central Division…Second-year Griffin Turner Elson spent the 2016-17 season with San Antonio and scored three points (1-2—3) while being limited to 13 games due to injury.

Last Game (Saturday): Stars 3 at Griffins 6
Colin Campbell and Chris Terry both contributed two goals…Dylan McIlrath made his return to the lineup after missing nine games due to injury…The five goals allowed by goaltender Landon Bow are the most he’s given up against Grand Rapids in seven career appearances…Harri Sateri won his fourth straight game in goal…Grand Rapids claimed its third straight victory at the Van.

Status Update
The Griffins are on a five-game winning streak and a seven-game point streak (6-0-0-1), both of which are season highs. Grand Rapids shows points in 13 of its last 15 games (11-2-0-2) and has climbed to third in the Central Division with a 13-7-0-2 overall mark. Grand Rapids concludes its four-game homestand tonight against San Antonio before hitting the road for weekend games at Rockford and Iowa on Friday and Saturday, respectively. The Griffins are in the midst of facing 14 straight Central Division opponents. Grand Rapids is 7-2-0-1 in its last 10, the best mark in the Western Conference in that span.

Friendly Confines
The Griffins have points in 10 of their first 12 home games (8-2-0-2), including wins in three straight and points in five consecutive (4-0-0-1). Grand Rapids’ eight wins at home tie for the most in the AHL. Grand Rapids is a +10 in goal differential at home while averaging 3.67 goals, compared to -5 and 2.90 on enemy ice.

‘Tis the Season
Grand Rapids has suffered just two regulation losses at home in December since Dec. 10, 2014, going 16-2-2-3 (0.804) in its last 23 games on home ice during the last month on the calendar. The Griffins have notched a winning mark in December in eight consecutive seasons, showing a 60-29-7-7 (0.650) record since 2010-11.

Terr-ing It Up
The AHL’s leading scorer from a season ago, Chris Terry shows points in five straight games, seven of the last eight and 10 of the last 12. Since the Griffins’ stretch of 13 points in their last 15 games began on Oct. 27, Terry paces the league with 12 goals while his 19 points in that time tie for fourth. The 10th-year pro’s team-high 14 goals are second in the AHL. Terry recorded his second three-point game of the season in last Saturday’s win vs. Texas, and his second goal marked his 500th career point as a pro.

Page Turner
Sixth-year pro and second-year Griffin Turner Elson is on a three-game point streak and shows points in eight of the last 10 games, accumulating 13 in that span (6-7—13). He notched a pair of goals in last Wednesday’s win vs. Chicago, his first two-goal game since Oct. 13, 2017. Elson ties for the league lead with two shorthanded goals, which are the team’s only two, and both have come against the Wolves. He shows 19 points – which is third on the team – through the first 22 tilts and is on pace for 65, which would more than double his previous best of 30.

Rybar Supports
Goaltender Patrik Rybar (pronounced REE-bar) shows points in seven of nine starts this season (5-2-2) and is fifth in the league with a 2.30 goals against average. He claims a 1.97 GAA since Oct. 27, tying for second in the AHL among goalies who have played more than 400 minutes in that span. The 25-year-old is in his first season in North American and led the Czech Extraliga in both GAA (1.73) and shutouts (7) in 36 games with Hradec Kralove last season.

A Harri Situation
Goalie Harri Sateri has been victorious in six of his last seven starts, including wins in four straight. During his four-game streak, the Finnish netminder owns a 2.47 goals against average and a 0.911 save percentage and has won twice in overtime. He made a season-high 33 saves in last Wednesday’s 5-2 win vs. Chicago.

No Shots for You
Grand Rapids has held foes to 25 or less shots in regulation in 10 of 22 games this season and allowed 30 or more in just seven instances. The Griffins have out shot 15 of 22 opponents and rank fifth on the circuit in shots against (27.0). Grand Rapids’ penalty killers have gone 24-for-24 in the last seven games, including 7-for-7 last Friday, after finishing 2-for-5 against Ontario on Nov. 16.

Z-Score
The sixth overall selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by Detroit, Filip Zadina is on a three-game point streak (0-4—4), matching a season-high. He ties for the team lead in both multi-goal games (3) and power play goals (2), while placing fourth in goals (7) and fifth in points (15). The newly minted 19-year-old (birthday was last Tuesday) is the highest Red Wings draft pick ever to suit up for the Griffins. Only three players in Griffins history were drafted higher than No. 6: Jason Spezza (No. 2 by Ottawa in 2001), Darrin Shannon (No. 4 by Pittsburgh in 1988) and Stephen Weiss (No. 4 by Florida in 2001). Dylan Larkin (selected 15th overall in the 2014 Draft) was the previous highest Red Wings draft selection to play for Grand Rapids.

Filip Hero-nek
Filip Hronek became the first player in franchise history to record an overtime goal in back-to-back games when he provided the theatrics in Nov. 24’s 4-3 win at Chicago and Nov. 26’s 3-2 victory at Iowa. Hronek is the first AHL player to notch OT goals in consecutive games since… well... Nov. 18-23, 2018, when Toronto’s Mason Marchment did so. A second-year defenseman, six of Hronek’s 16 career AHL goals have been of the game-winning variety, including three coming in overtime. Two overtime goals ties for the third most in a single season in club history, while his three career OT winners tie for third in the team’s all-time top 10 list. Drafted 53rd overall by Detroit in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Hronek is on a career-high six-game point streak, notching an assist in each contest. He’s found the scoresheet in eight of the last nine contests and his 11 points (3-8—11) since Nov. 14 tie for the most among league defensemen in that span.

Puemped Up
Matt Puempel banked his 10th goal of the season in last Friday’s victory to become the second Griffin to reach the double-digit goal plateau. He ties for the team lead in both multi-goal games (3) and multi-point games (7).

This Date in Griffins History
1998: The Griffins’ one-millionth fan, Tom Schafer, passes through Van Andel Arena’s turnstiles.
2003: Michel Picard logs his 1,000th game as a professional in Grand Rapids’ 2-1 win over Milwaukee.
2015: Thanks to a virtuoso performance by Tom McCollum, the Griffins overcome a monstrous 42-17 disadvantage in shots to post their eighth consecutive victory, a 4-1 decision over Lake Erie.

No. 174
Goaltender Eddie Pasquale became the 174th Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL when he made his debut with the Tampa Bay Lightning in last night’s 6-5 shootout win against the Red Wings. Pasquale finished the night with 19 saves. Pasquale spent the 2016-17 campaign with Grand Rapids, showing a 15-9-3 record in 29 GP, a 2.43 GAA, a 0.919 save percentage and four shutouts, and helped the Griffins win the Calder Cup.

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. All fans who were in attendance for the Griffins’ win against the Chicago Wolves on Nov. 28 can redeem their ticket stub for a free ticket to this 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.

Pepsi Reading Goals Redemption Date: Children with Griff’s Reading Goals bookmarks who have completed the required three hours of reading can redeem their bookmark for two free upper level tickets to any one of the following games: Dec. 5 or Dec. 19.

Photo by Sam Iannamico/Griffins