Griffins Game #64 * Home Game #34 * AHL Game #1,006

Season Series: 5-2-0-1 Home Series: 2-1-0-0 Road Series: 3-1-0-1
All-Time Series: 109-93-2-8-6 All-Time Home Series: 53-41-2-6-4 All-Time Road Series: 56-52-0-2-2

Wolves at Griffins
Ninth of 10 meetings overall, fourth of five at Van Andel Arena…Grand Rapids has faced Chicago 218 times in the regular season dating back to their IHL days, the second-most of any Griffins opponent (Milwaukee, 239)…The Wolves are 16-10-2-3 at home this season compared to 14-9-4-3 on the road...The Griffins are 23-7-3-0 at home and 22-6-1-1 on the road...The Griffins are 4-5-1-0 in their last 10 games and Chicago is 2-7-0-1 in its last 10 outings...In the last five seasons since 2021-22, Grand Rapids is 19-22-2-3 (.467) against the Wolves and has been outscored 149-129. Also since the 2021-22 season, the Griffins are 9-9-2-2 (.500) against the Wolves at Van Andel Arena with a minus-two scoring margin (65-63)...The Wolves ranks 21st with a power-play percentage of 18.0%, while their penalty kill is tied for sixth at 83.9%...Chicago ranks 16th on the circuit with 3.13 goals scored per game and 23rd with 3.20 goals against per game...Chicago’s Yanick Turcotte ranks ninth in the AHL in penalty minutes (128). Justin Robidas (22-50—57) is tied for seventh in points and Felix Unger Sorum (12-42—54) is tied for 14th in points and tied for sixth in assists. Cayden Primeau ranks 11th in GAA (2.51) and sixth in save percentage (.912)...Former Griffins assistant coach Spiros Anastas (2012-14) was named the interim head coach of the Wolves on Dec. 12...Defenseman William Lagesson competed for Chicago during the 2022-23 season and posted a career-high 32 points (10-22—32) in 65 games.

Last Time Out
With a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Monsters on Thursday at Rocket Arena, the Griffins clinched their eighth-overall division title in the franchise’s 30-year history, and their first since 2014-15. The title also marks the Griffins’ sixth as a member of the AHL, and their second-earliest title in franchise history (2002-03, Central — March 9). Wojciech Stachowiak (1-2—3) notched his first points with Grand Rapids, and Eduards Tralmaks bagged the game-winner for his 21st of the season. In his 100th game as a Griffin, Carter Mazur potted two goals, while Axel Sandin-Pellikka tallied his first assist of the season. Carter Gylander (7-0-1) extended his AHL win streak to seven games and tallied 28 saves.

This Date in Griffins History
2003: The Griffins land three players on the AHL postseason All-Star teams. Goaltender Marc Lamothe is tabbed for the First All-Star Team, while left wing Michel Picard and right wing Mark Mowers are Second Team honorees. 

Rewrite the Record Book
With the historic season the Griffins have had, several players have already itched their names into the franchise’s all-time single-season record book. John Leonard ranks among the single-season leaders in shorthanded goals (5, T1st), game-winners (8, 5th), unassisted goals (4, T5th), shootout percentage (.750, T6th) and shooting percentage (.221, 1st). Michael Brandsegg-Nygard is tied for ninth in game-winners (6), Amadeus Lombardi is tied for first in overtime goals (3), and Dominik Shine ranks second in shooting percentage (.210). In net, Sebastian Cossa is tied for eighth in wins (24) and tied for seventh in shutouts (5). Fellow goaltender Michal Postava ranks second in GAA (1.86) and second in save percentage (.932).  

Not Done Yet 
With a 5-2 win at the Cleveland Monsters on Thursday, the Griffins clinched the Central Division title, which marked their sixth division crown as a member of the AHL. It also marked the Griffins’ first division title since 2014-15, when they won the Midwest, and the first Central Division title since 2002-03. The Griffins clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs on Feb. 27, which marked the earliest clinching date in franchise history (previously March 6) and the earliest for an AHL team since 1993, when the Binghamton Rangers clinched on Feb. 24 with 24 games remaining. Grand Rapids now has a magic number of nine to clinch the Western Conference title, a feat not accomplished since the 2005-06 season. The Griffins have led the Central Division for the entire season and trail the Providence Bruins by two points in the race for the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, awarded to the AHL's regular-season champions. Grand Rapids is 34-9-4-1 against its division rivals and has outscored them 169-106, suffering its first regulation defeat against the division on Jan. 9 against Texas. The Griffins’ 34 wins are the most divisional victories since 2016-17 (40-20-1-3). 

Battling Through
The Griffins have lost six of their last nine games and eight of the last 13 contests since Feb. 25. In those 13 games, Grand Rapids has averaged 3.33 goals per game while allowing 3.25 goals. The Griffins have continued their historic campaign with a 45-13-4-1 ledger and 95 points through 63 games and possessed the second-best record in the AHL’s 90-year history through 55 games. Grand Rapids reached 90 points (56 games) for the first time since 2017-18 (93 pts., 76 games). The team saw its franchise-record tying 15-game win streak from Nov. 22-Dec. 27 come to an end in overtime on Dec. 31, which also tied for the sixth-longest run in AHL history. In addition, the Griffins’ 19-game point streak from Nov. 22-Jan. 7 (18-0-1-0) ended on Jan. 9, which tied for the longest run in franchise history. The Griffins are 22-6-1-1 on the road and 23-7-3-0 at home. The 17-game points streak on the road from Oct. 10-Jan. 23 (15-0-1-1) set a new AHL record, eclipsing the 2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals’ 16-game run (10-0-4-2). Grand Rapids ranks second in the AHL in points (95) and has an eight-point cushion over the Ontario Reign for first place in the Western Conference.   

Hitting the Road 
Only three of the final nine games for the Griffins will be in Grand Rapids at Van Andel Arena. In addition, only two of the eight regular-season games in April will be played at home. Grand Rapids has fared well on the road with a 22-6-1-1 record. The Griffins, who have outscored their opponents 110-68 in foreign territory, rattled off a 17-game road points streak from Oct. 10-Jan. 23 (15-0-1-1), which set a new AHL record, eclipsing the 2010-11 Milwaukee Admirals’ 16-game run (10-0-4-2). 

Important Starts
Playing with a lead has been crucial for the Griffins this season, as they are 33-1-1-0 when scoring the game’s first goal compared to 12-12-3-1 when conceding the opening tally. In addition, Grand Rapids is 20-0 when leading after the first period and 3-6-2-1 when trailing after the opening frame. When trailing after the second stanza, the Griffins are just 4-10-0-1 compared to 31-0 when leading after the second. 

What’s The Password?
The Griffins’ defense remains the best in the AHL, as it ranks first with 2.14 goals allowed per contest. Grand Rapids posted its eighth shutout of the season on Feb. 15 against Texas, which are the most since 2016-17 (8). The Griffins shut out their opponent in two straight games from Jan. 17-21 in addition to posting consecutive shutouts from Dec. 21-27. Prior to this season, the last time Grand Rapids logged two straight shutouts was Feb. 15-17, 2018. The Griffins have allowed more than two goals just 21 times all season (33.3%) but have averaged 3.60 goals allowed in their last five outings. In addition, the team’s penalty kill is first in the AHL at 85.8%. In net, Sebastian Cossa sports a 2.25 GAA with a .918 save percentage and five shutouts, while rookie netminder Michal Postava possesses a 1.86 GAA, a .932 save percentage and two shutouts. 

United Nations
The Griffins’ lineup on Tuesday against Milwaukee included players from nine different birth countries, a first in the franchise’s 30-year history: Canada (3 players), Czechia (3), Finland (1), Latvia (1), Norway (1), Poland (1), Sweden (5), Thailand (1), and the United States (4). 

Putting the League on Notice
Rookie netminder Michal Postava is 13-6-0 with a 1.86 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage in 20 games. If he had enough minutes played to qualify (37 short), Postava would rank among the league leaders in GAA (1st) and save percentage (T1st). He tied a franchise record by becoming the 10th netminder in team history to post back-to-back shutouts from Jan. 17-21. Postava collected his first AHL shutout on Jan. 17 with 10 saves in a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee and followed that performance with a 19-save blanking of Milwaukee on Jan. 21. Postava logged a shutout streak of 156:20 from Jan. 9-25, which was 3:47 short of breaking the franchise record by Jared Coreau in 2014-15 (160:06). After beginning the campaign 5-0, the 23-year-old suffered his first AHL defeat on Jan. 9 against Texas. 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, Postava 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.  
 

Ups and Downs
Grand Rapids has been held to under three goals in five of its last nine games and has scored more than three goals five times in its last 13 outings. The Griffins are third in the AHL with 3.40 goals per game. The team has outscored its opponents 214-135 and is 33-1-1-0 when scoring the game’s first goal. The Griffins have outscored their opponents 104-67 at home, while possessing a 110-68 advantage on the road. Grand Rapids has its largest scoring margin against its opponents in the third period (85-42). John Leonard leads the team and third in the AHL with 30 goals, while Dominik Shine and Eduards Tralmaks are tied for second on the roster with 21.

Welcome to the Team 
On March 12, the Detroit Red Wings acquired forwards Michael Milne and Wojciech Stachowiak (VOY-tehk sta-HOH-vee-ak) from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Ian Mitchell. Milne and Stachowiak were both assigned to the Griffins. Milne, a fourth-year pro, has six points (2-4—6), 36 penalty minutes and a minus-14 rating in 39 AHL games this season split between Iowa, Syracuse and Grand Rapids. Throughout his AHL career, Milne has 66 points (32-34—66) and 126 penalty minutes in 196 outings. Stachowiak is in his first AHL season after spending the previous six campaigns in Germany’s top pro league (DEL) with ERC Ingolstadt. Stachowiak has 20 points (10-10—20), 28 penalty minutes and a minus-two rating in 40 games between Grand Rapids and Syracuse this season. Throughout his six-year pro career, Stachowiak has 133 points (59-74—133) and 143 penalty minutes in 292 contests. 

Start Them Young 
Eddie Genborg (YEN-borg), the 44th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wing in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, was signed to an amateur tryout by the Griffins for the remainder of the season and made his AHL debut last Friday at Rockford. The 18-year-old recently finished his Swedish Hockey League campaign with Timra IK, producing 25 points (9-16—25), 24 penalty minutes and a plus-eight rating in 43 outings. Genborg ranked third in points among U20 skaters in Sweden’s top pro league. He also won a gold medal with Team Sweden at this year’s World Junior Championship, logging eight points (3-5—8) in seven games. The Trollhättan, Sweden, native played his entire youth career in his home country with Linkoping from 2020-25. 

Record Setters
Below is a list of team and league records that the Griffins have either set or tied this season. 
- Best record in AHL history through 25 games (23-1-0-1, 47 pts.), 30 games (27-1-1-1, 56 pts.), 40 games (32-5-2-1, 67 pts.) and 50 games (40-7-2-1, 83 pts.), while tying for the best start through 35 games (29-3-2-1, 61 pts.)
- Second-best record in AHL history through 55 games (42-9-3-1, 88 pts.)
- Tied second-best record in AHL history through 45 games (35-7-2-1, 73 pts.)
- Reached the 60-point mark in just 32 games, three games faster than any team in AHL history
- AHL record 17-game road points streak from Oct. 10-Jan. 23 (15-0-1-1)
- Tied franchise-record 15-game winning streak from Nov. 22-Dec. 27, which also tied for sixth-longest in AHL history
- Tied franchise-record 19-game points streak from Nov. 22-Jan. 7 (18-0-1-0)
- Franchise-record start with an 8-0 record and was the league’s last undefeated team for first time since 2000-01 IHL season
- Started 6-0 at home for first time since 2009-10 (8-0)
- Franchise record for largest margin of victory (9) on Nov. 25 at Texas (10-1 W) 
- Franchise record for fewest shots in a game (10) on Jan. 17 versus Milwaukee 
- Earliest playoff clinching date in franchise history on Feb. 27 (previously March 6)
- Second-earliest division title in franchise history on March 26 (previously March 9)

Untouchables
Below are statistical categories in which the Griffins are undefeated in regulation.
- 20-0 when leading after the first period
- 31-0 when leading after the second period 
- 9-0 in games decided by four or more goals
- 38-0-2-1 when scoring at least three goals
- 1-0-1-1 when allowing a shorthanded goal
- 3-0 when allowing 10-19 shots 

The Brick Wall
Sebastian Cossa, the 15th overall pick in 2021, collected his fifth shutout of the season on Feb. 15 against Texas with 26 saves and enjoyed a seven-game point streak from Feb. 3-28 (6-0-1). His career-high five shutouts are the most by a Griffin since 2015-16 (Jared Coreau). Cossa has a 24-7-4 record with a 2.25 goals-against average and a .918 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, and a 14-game point streak from Nov. 25-Jan. 13 (12-0-2). In the AHL rankings, Cossa is tied for fourth in GAA, fourth in save percentage, second in shutouts, second in wins and ninth in minutes played (2080:07). Cossa won two straight AHL Goaltender of the Month awards (November and December), becoming the first netminder in franchise history to receive the honor twice in the same season. 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 parts of four seasons with Grand Rapids since 2022-23, Cossa has notched a 68-32-18 mark with eight shutouts to go along with a 2.44 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 119 outings, becoming just the sixth netminder to reach the century mark with the team. 

AHL Leaderboard Tracker 
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard—Tied for 14th in plus-minus (+23), tied for third in game-winners (6), tied for seventh among rookies in goals (16), tied for 13th among rookies in assists (21), ninth among rookies in points (37), tied for third among rookies in plus-minus (+23), tied for eighth among rookies in power-play goals (5), tied for fourth among rookies in shots (127), first among rookies in game-winners (6)
Sebastian Cossa—Tied for fourth in GAA (2.25), fourth in save percentage (.918), second in shutouts (5), second in wins (24), tied for 11th in games played (35), ninth in minutes played (2080:07)
Alex Kannok Leipert—Tied for ninth in shorthanded assists (2), tied for fourth among defensemen in shorthanded assists (2)
William Lagesson—Fifth in plus-minus (+31), second among defensemen in plus-minus (+31)
John Leonard—Third in goals (30), first in shorthanded goals (5), first in game-winners (8)
Amadeus Lombardi—Tied for ninth in game-winners (5)
x Dominik Shine—11th in plus-minus (+25)
Antti Tuomisto—Tied for 13th among defensemen in plus-minus (+20)
Austin Watson—Fifth in penalty minutes (146) 

Milestones
On Thursday at Cleveland, Carter Mazur scored two goals in his 100th game as a Griffin.  
Tyler Angle—Three assists from 100 as a pro
x Dominik Shine—Four goals from 100 as a Griffin, one unassisted goal from claiming sole possession of the franchise record of 11 
Austin Watson—Three points from 200 in the AHL

Photo by Jon Konstantaras/Chicago Wolves