Griffins Game #33 * Home Game #18 * AHL Game #520

Season Series: 5-0-0-0 Home Series: 1-0-0-0 Road Series: 4-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 50-32-7-5 All-Time Home Series: 25-14-2-4 All-Time Road Series: 25-18-5-1

Stars at Griffins
Sixth of eight meetings overall, second of four at Van Andel Arena...Grand Rapids is 5-0 against Texas this season with a 26-11 scoring margin...The Griffins posted a 10-1 win at the Stars on Nov. 25, which set a franchise record for largest margin of victory...In the last five seasons since 2021-22, the Griffins are 18-14-4-1 (.554) against Texas with a minus-four scoring margin (119-115)...Also since 2021-22, Grand Rapids is 7-8-1-1 (.471) against the Stars at home with a minus-10 margin (50-40)...Texas is 6-8-2-0 at home this season compared to 7-8-1-1 on the road...The Stars are 5-4-1-0 in their last 10 games and have wins in three of their last four contests...The Griffins are 9-0-1-0 in their last 10 outings and are on a 19-game point streak (18-0-1-0), which is tied for the franchise record...Texas’ power play ranks 29th in the AHL at 14.0% (13-for-93), while Grand Rapids is tied for 11th at 20.4% (20-for-98)...The Stars’ penalty kill ranks 29th at 77.5% and the Griffins place first at 87.2%...The Griffins rank first with 3.88 goals per game and Texas is 27th at 2.64 goals...Defensively, the Stars rank 20th at 3.21 goals allowed per game and Grand Rapids ranks first at 1.75...A six-year captain of the Stars, Curtis McKenzie is in his 10th campaign with Texas. With Texas, McKenzie has 382 points (157-225—382) in 528 regular-season games...Sheldon Dries made his pro debut with the Stars on Oct. 6, 2017 at Chicago and totaled 30 points (19-11—30) in 70 games during his rookie season with the club...Texas’ Cross Hanas was a second-round pick by the Red Wings in 2020 (55th overall) and played in three seasons with the Griffins from 2022-25, showing 50 points (26-24—50) in 146 games...Texas’ Antonio Stranges hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spent his youth career with Little Caesars in Detroit. 

Last Time Out
Driven by a two-goal night from Ondrej Becher, the Griffins grabbed a 3-2 victory over the Texas Stars at Van Andel Arena on Wednesday. With the win, the Griffins became the fastest team to reach 60 points in the AHL’s 90-year history. The Griffins eclipsed the 2005-06 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (29-3-2-1, 61 pts.) by reaching 60 points three games faster, and improved to 29-1-1-1 on the season. Grand Rapids extended its point streak to 19 games (18-0-1-0), which tied the longest run in franchise history and tied the seventh-longest streak in league history. Sebastian Cossa received the nod in net and notched 21 saves to improve to 17-1-1, while Austin Watson tallied his 100th goal in the AHL.

This Date in Griffins History
2003: In a press conference at Van Andel Arena, AHL president David Andrews awards the 2004 AHL All-Star Classic to the Griffins and the city of Grand Rapids. The dates for the event are later set for Feb. 8 (skills competition) and Feb. 9 (game). 

Leaders of the Pack 
The Griffins currently lead the Central Division and are 24 points above second-place Chicago and 31 points up on a playoff spot. Grand Rapids is 22-0-1-1 against its division rivals and has outscored them 97-44. Last season, it took the Griffins 46 games to reach 22 wins against the division (22-20-3-1) compared to 24 games this season. Thirty-two of the remaining 41 games for Grand Rapids will be against the Central Division (78.0%), which includes the next seven contests. The Griffins will see the most games against the Milwaukee Admirals (9) followed by the Chicago Wolves (6).   

A Happy New Year
The Griffins have continued their league-record start with a 29-1-1-1 ledger and 60 points through 32 games. The Griffins have three more wins and five more points than any AHL team has ever had through its first 32 games (2005-06, W-B/Scranton, 26-3-2-1, 55 pts.) Grand Rapids also reached 60 points three games faster than any team in the AHL’s 90-year history (2005-06, W-B/Scranton, 29-3-2-1, 61 pts. in 35 games). The team saw its franchise-record tying 15-game win streak from Nov. 22-Dec. 27 come to an end in overtime last Wednesday, which also tied for the sixth-longest run in AHL history. The Griffins remain on a 19-game point streak from Nov. 22-Jan. 7 (18-0-1-0), which is tied for the franchise record. The Griffins are 14-0-0-1 on the road and 15-1-1-0 at home, which both are franchise records to begin a season. The 15-game point streak on the road is one game shy of tying the league record of 16 set by the Milwaukee Admirals in 2010-11. Grand Rapids ranks first in the AHL in points (60), has a 24-point cushion over Chicago for first place in the Central Division, and is 31 points up on a playoff spot. 

Going Back to Back
Last Friday, Sebastian Cossa was selected as the AHL Goaltender of the Month for December. Cossa also won the award for November, becoming the first netminder in franchise history to receive the honor twice in the same season and the first AHL goalie to win consecutive awards since Henderson’s Logan Thompson in Feb.-March 2021. The 23-year-old also became just the third goaltender in team history to win the award twice in any fashion, joining Jared Coreau (Feb. 2018, Dec. 2015) and Jimmy Howard (Dec. 2007, March 2006). In December, Cossa went 7-0-1 with two shutouts to go along with a 1.76 GAA and a .929 save percentage. He went 7-0 from Dec. 3-27 with two shutouts, a 1.59 GAA and a .937 save percentage. In addition, Cossa held opponents to two goals or less in six of his eight appearances. Cossa enjoyed a career-high 10-game win streak from Nov. 25-Dec. 27, showing a 1.51 GAA and a .939 save percentage, and is currently on a 13-game point streak (12-0-1). With the Griffins this season, Cossa is 17-1-1 with four shutouts, a 1.68 GAA and a .937 save percentage in 19 appearances. 

Going for Gold 
On Tuesday, Team Latvia announced that forward Eduards Tralmaks will represent the country at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games from Feb. 6-22. Tralmaks becomes the seventh player to participate in an Olympics while playing for the Griffins. Tralmaks is the fourth current or former Griffin to be named to an Olympic roster for 2026, joining USA’s Dylan Larkin, Germany’s Moritz Seider and Czechia’s Filip Hronek. Tralmaks, a native of Riga, Latvia, has 19 points (14-5—19), six penalty minutes and a plus-16 rating in 32 games with the Griffins this season. He ranks among the team leaders in goals (T2nd), points (6th), and plus-minus rating (T7th), while tying for 11th in the AHL in goals and tying for 14th in plus-minus rating. Tralmaks has competed for Team Latvia at the two previous World Championships in 2024 and 2025, showing a combined nine points (4-5—9) in 14 games. At last year's World Championship, Tralmaks led Latvia in points (3-4—7) and assists, while ranking second in goals in seven games. Also in 2024-25, he potted one goal in three Olympic qualifying games with Latvia. 

The Brick Wall
Sebastian Cossa, the 15th overall pick in 2021, collected his fourth shutout of the season on Dec. 27 at Milwaukee in just his 16th game. His four shutouts are the most by a Griffin since 2016-17 (Eddie Pasquale). He then showed a career-high 47 saves last Friday against Chicago, which tied Jared Coreau’s franchise record for saves in a home game. Cossa has a 17-1-1 record with a 1.68 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage. He enjoyed a career-high 10-game win streak from Nov. 25-Dec. 27, showing a 1.51 GAA and a .939 save percentage. In addition, Cossa’s seven-career shutouts tie Petr Mrazek for seventh on the team’s all-time list. In the AHL rankings, Cossa ranks first in GAA, first in save percentage, first in shutouts and first in wins. Last season, Cossa was named to his first AHL All-Star Classic and ranked among the AHL regular-season leaders in games played (41, T8th), minutes played (2,424:37, 7th), GAA (2.45, 11th), save percentage (.911, T13th), and wins (21, T10th). In parts of four seasons with Grand Rapids since 2022-23, Cossa has notched a 61-26-15 mark with seven shutouts to go along with a 2.36 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 103 outings, becoming just the sixth netminder to reach the century mark with the team.   

A Warm Welcome Back 
After rehabbing a lower-body injury that kept him sidelined from Nov. 12-Dec. 14, goaltender Michal Postava returned to the crease last Saturday and collected a 4-1 victory with 21 saves at Chicago. The rookie is undefeated in the AHL with a 5-0-0 record, a 1.93 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in six games. Last season, Postava became a Czech Extraliga champion with Kometa Brno, showing a league-best .940 save percentage with a 1.97 GAA and a 10-7 record in 17 playoff games. During the regular season with Kometa Brno, the 23-year-old ranked among the Czech Extraliga leaders in save percentage (.921, 5th), GAA (2.39, 11th), wins (23, 4th), games played (42, T2nd) and shutouts (3, T7th). As an undrafted free agent, Postava signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Detroit Red Wings last summer. 

What’s the Password?
The Griffins’ defense is the best in the AHL, as it ranks first with 1.75 goals allowed per contest. Providence is the closest to Grand Rapids with 2.03 goals allowed per game. Grand Rapids shut out its opponent in two straight games from Dec. 21-27 for the first time since Feb. 15-17, 2018. The Griffins have allowed more than two goals just four times in their last 26 games and have averaged just 1.30 goals allowed in their last 10 outings, which includes three shutouts. In fact, the team has allowed more than two goals just six times all season (18.8%). In addition, the team’s penalty kill is first in the AHL at 87.2% (82-for-94). In net, Sebastian Cossa sports a 1.68 GAA with a .937 save percentage, while first-year netminder Michal Postava possesses a 1.93 GAA and a .939 save percentage. Grand Rapids also has six of the top 13 plus-minus ratings in the AHL and four of the top five ratings among defensemen. The Griffins have four defensemen who have played at least 100 games in the NHL in Erik Gustafsson (516), Justin Holl (396), Ian Mitchell (110), and William Lagesson (107), totaling 1,129 appearances. 

The Well is Not Dry
Sheldon Dries had two points in four straight games from Dec. 17-27 (3-5—8) and was selected as the Howies Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Dec. 21 when he logged six points (2-4—6) and a plus-eight rating in three games. Dries now has nine points (4-5—9) and a plus-nine rating in his last seven games from Dec. 17-Jan. 7. The Macomb, Michigan, native ranks third on the roster with 25 points (11-14—25) in 26 games, while also tying for second in assists and placing fourth in goals. In addition, his career-high plus-16 rating is tied for seventh on the team and tied for 14th in the AHL. Throughout his nine-year AHL career, Dries has 269 points (149-120—269), 259 penalty minutes and a plus-43 rating in 365 games. 

Veteran Presence
Erik Gustafsson, a 15-year veteran, has 20 points (2-18—20) and a plus-20 rating in 20 games with Grand Rapids. He also has 11 points (2-9—11) and a plus-11 rating in his last eight games with the Griffins. Among AHL defensemen, Gustafsson is tied for sixth in points, fifth in assists, and tied for first in plus-minus rating. He has competed in 516 NHL games since 2015-16 after being selected with the 93rd overall pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. In his NHL career, Gustafsson has notched 240 points (47-193—240) and 163 penalty minutes in 516 regular-season games, adding 12 points (2-10—12) and 10 penalty minutes in 49 Stanley Cup Playoff outings. Prior to this season, the Nynashamn, Sweden, native last played in the AHL during the 2017-18 campaign with the Rockford IceHogs. In his four-year AHL career, Gustafsson has 78 points (13-65—78) and 117 penalty minutes in 140 outings. 

Fill Up the Tank
Grand Rapids has 31 goals in its last eight contests (3.88 per game) and ranks first in the AHL with 3.88 goals per game. The team has outscored its opponents 124-56 and is 21-0 when scoring the game’s first goal. Last season, it took Grand Rapids 36 games to eclipse 100 goals compared to just 26 outings this campaign. The Griffins have outscored their opponents 58-27 at home, while possessing a 66-29 advantage on the road. Grand Rapids has its largest scoring margin against its opponents in the third period (50-20). In addition to ranking first in goals, the Griffins are 12th in shots per game (29.5). John Leonard, who is on recall to Detroit, leads the team and ranks third in the AHL with 20 goals, while Dominik Shine and Eduards Tralmaks are tied for second on the roster with 14.

Be Like Mike
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard was one of three rookies to make the Detroit Red Wings’ opening-night roster out of training camp. The 15th overall pick in 2024 showed one assist in nine games with Detroit before being assigned to the Griffins on Oct. 27. The Oslo, Norway, native enjoyed a career-high six-game point streak (3-4—7) from Dec. 17-Jan. 2. Brandsegg-Nygard has 21 points (8-13—21) and a plus-17 rating in 27 AHL games this season. Among AHL rookies, he is tied for 12th in points, tied for eighth in assists, and second in plus-minus. Last year, Brandsegg-Nygard tied for the team lead with three points (2-1—3) in three Calder Cup Playoff games, following his SHL season with Skelleftea. The 20-year-old has also competed with Team Norway in the last two World Championships, totaling a combined nine points (3-6—9) in 12 outings. 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard—Tied for ninth in plus-minus (+17), tied for third in game-winners (5), tied for 15th among rookies in goals (8), tied for eighth among rookies in assists (13), tied for 12th among rookies in points (21), second among rookies in plus-minus (+17), first among rookies in game-winners (5)
Sebastian Cossa—First in GAA (1.68), first in save percentage (.937), first in shutouts (4), first in wins (17)
Sheldon Dries—Tied for 14th in plus-minus (+16)
Erik Gustafsson—Tied for third in plus-minus (+20), tied for sixth among defensemen in points (20), fifth among defensemen in assists (18), tied for first among defensemen in plus-minus (+20)
Justin Holl—Tied for third in plus-minus (+20), tied for first among defensemen in plus-minus (+20)
William Lagesson—Tied for third in plus-minus (+20), tied for first among defensemen in plus-minus (+20)
x John Leonard—Third in goals (20), tied for 11th in points (32), tied for first in shorthanded goals (3), first in game-winners (7)
Ian Mitchell—Tied for 14th in plus-minus (+16), sixth among defensemen in plus-minus (+16)
Dominik Shine—Tied for 11th in goals (14), tied for ninth in plus-minus (+17)
Eduards Tralmaks—Tied for 10th in goals (14), tied for 14th in plus-minus (+16)
Antti Tuomisto—Tied for ninth in plus-minus (+17), tied for fourth among defensemen in goals (6), tied for 13th among defensemen in points (18), fifth among defensemen in plus-minus (+17)
William Wallinder—Tied for 13th among defensemen in plus-minus (+11) 

Milestones
On Wednesday, Austin Watson bagged his 100th goal in the AHL.  
Sheldon Dries—Five points from 300 as a pro, one goal from 150 in the AHL
William Lagesson—Four assists from 100 as a pro
Dominik Shine—One unassisted goal from claiming sole possession of the franchise record of 11

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins