This Week’s Game
Fri., Oct. 24 Lake Erie Monsters at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM/ AHLLive.com

Last Week’s Results
Fri., Oct. 17 GRIFFINS 2 at Charlotte Checkers 1 2-1-0-0, 4 pts. (3rd, Midwest Division)
Sat., Oct. 18 GRIFFINS 4 at Charlotte Checkers 1 3-1-0-0, 6 pts. (3rd)

In Check: Grand Rapids swept its weekend road series against the Charlotte Checkers at Time Warner Cable Arena, winning 2-1 on Friday and 4-1 on Saturday. On Friday, Teemu Pulkkinen scored his second consecutive game-winning goal just 46 seconds into the third period, compounding on defenseman Xavier Ouellet’s first-period tally. Rookie Mark Zengerle had his first assist as a Griffin on Ouellet’s goal. With the teams tallying a combined 34 minutes of penalties, it was the Griffins who controlled most of the game with nine power play opportunities. However, Pulkkinen was Grand Rapids’ only skater to connect on the man-advantage and he did so when it mattered, using his team-leading seven shots to secure the victory. Penalties and fights once again ran rampant in Saturday’s rematch, when the Griffins capitalized on three of six power plays to walk away with a 4-1 win. Pulkkinen, Kevin Porter, Jeff Hoggan and Andy Miele all connected for Grand Rapids.

Friday Night Promotions: This Friday’s game versus Lake Erie gives fans the opportunity to enjoy $2 hot dogs and $2 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last. Fans can also take advantage of College Night specials, where college students can purchase an upper bowl ticket for $14 (or $13 in advance at The Zone) and stop by the McFadden’s concourse table to receive a free pass to the post-game party at McFadden’s. Every Friday night is also a Griffins D-Zone night, where fans can have $2 beers and $2 hot dogs served directly to their seats. D-ZONE tickets are only available by calling 616.774-4585 ext. 2 or at griffinshockey.com/dzone.

Game-Winning: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen has not only recorded a goal in each of Grand Rapids’ last three games, all on the road, but he also scored game-winning goals in back-to-back games (10/11/14 at LE; 10/17/14 at CHA). Since 2010, a Griffin scoring game-winning goals in back-to-back contests has been accomplished by only five others: Andrej Nestrasil (5/13/14-5/14/14 vs. TEX, playoffs), Mitch Callahan (3/21/14-3/22/14 at IA), Cory Emmerton (12/14/14 vs. MIL;12/18/14 at IA), Joakim Andersson (1/17/13 at CHA;1/19/13 at RFD) and Chris Minard (1/28/11 vs. RFD;1/29/11 at PEO).

Three for the Road: After dropping their season debut at home to the Lake Erie Monsters on Oct. 10, the Griffins have won three straight games on the road. Grand Rapids has started the season with a 3-0 road record on six other occasions throughout franchise history:

Hobey Highlights: When Andy Miele made his Griffins debut on Saturday in Charlotte, joining Kevin Porter in Grand Rapids’ lineup, it marked the 13th straight season that either an AHL or NHL team iced a lineup that included a pair of Hobey Baker Award winners (Miele won in 2011, Porter in 2008). Miele and Porter each scored a goal in the 4-1 win over the Checkers, marking the first time that two Hobey Baker winners lit the lamp in the same game for one team since March 11, 2012, when Miele and Ryan Duncan (2007) did the deed for Portland in a 5-4 win over Providence. That duo accomplished the feat two other times that season, meaning that Miele has had a hand in each of the last four occurrences. The last time a pair of Hobey Baker teammates scored goals in the same NHL game was back on Feb. 23, 2003, when Anaheim’s Paul Kariya (1993) and Jason Krog (1999) did it for the third time that season. Since that last NHL instance, the feat has occurred nine times in the AHL.

A Home for Hobey: The Griffins have now had three Hobey Baker Award winners play for their franchise: Kip Miller (1990 winner), Kevin Porter (2008) and Andy Miele (2011). Only three current AHL teams have had more, including Portland (5), Chicago (4) and Rochester (4). In the NHL, Buffalo and New Jersey have the honors, each having iced seven Hobey Baker winners during its history.

Peppered: Through four games, the Griffins have outshot their opponents 141-85, tying for third overall in shots per game (35.25) and second in shots allowed per game (21.25). Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen (18) is tied for first in the AHL in shots with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers’ Anders Lee. Both Pulkkinen and center Kevin Porter (17) had a season-high seven shots in the team’s 4-1 triumph over the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, when the team unleashed 36 times on former Griffins goaltender Drew MacIntyre. On Friday, Grand Rapids peppered MacIntyre with 43 shots, and he turned away 41 of them.

Lucky Number Six: Sixth-year veteran goaltender Tom McCollum continues to produce for the Griffins, ranking ninth among AHL netminders with a 1.51 goals against average, in addition to a 2-0-0 record and a 0.927 save percentage. In his 119:29 minutes in net so far this season, he has blocked 38 of 41 shots. Last season, McCollum ranked fourth among AHL goaltenders with a 2.30 GAA, alongside a 24-12-4 record, two shutouts and a 0.922 save percentage. In his 2013-14 campaign, McCollum set career bests in games played (46), wins and save percentage. Only six other players have spent all or parts of at least six seasons in Grand Rapids: 10-Travis Richards; 7-Joey MacDonald; and 6-Cory Emmerton, Jakub Kindl, Jan Mursak and Michel Picard.

Griffins Leaders: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen leads the Griffins in scoring with three goals and an assist in four games, while defenseman Nathan Paetsch ranks second on the team with three assists in three games. Seven skaters are tied for third place, having tallied two points each, but Michigan native Kevin Porter (2-0—2) has scored the second-most goals on the team. Both Pulkkinen and Paetsch are currently averaging one point per game. Left wing Chris Bruton has been the team’s ironman thus far after tallying 12 penalty minutes in his four games with the team. Ten of those PIM came from fighting minors (10/10/14 vs. LE; 10/18/14 at CHA). Defenseman Brennan Evans (8) and Porter (7) rank second and third, respectively.

The Midwest: Competition in the Midwest Division is off to a tight start, with only three points separating each of the top four teams from one another. The Milwaukee Admirals (4-0-0-0) have gone undefeated in their first four outings, outscoring their opponents 17-8 and sitting at the top of the division and Western Conference with eight points. Following closely behind are the Chicago Wolves (3-0-1-0, 7 pts.), the Griffins (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) and the Rockford IceHogs (2-1-0-1, 5 pts.). Since defeating Grand Rapids in its home opener on Oct. 10, the Lake Erie Monsters (1-3-0-0, 2 pts.) have dropped three consecutive contests and sit at the bottom of the division.

Light Week: The Griffins face the lightest portion of their 2014-15 regular season schedule this week, as it’s the only one-game week of the campaign. Next week will also see the Griffins only play at Van Andel Arena on Wednesday and Friday, with no Saturday or Sunday game.

Special Teams: Through four games, Grand Rapids’ power play (29.4%) is tied with the Oklahoma City Barons’ for second in the AHL. Only the Lehigh Valley Phantoms rank higher with a power play record of 33.3%. The Griffins have also been solid on the penalty kill, ranking sixth (94.1%) and allowing only one power play goal while being shorthanded 17 times. Defenseman Nathan Paetsch (0-3—3) leads league defensemen in power play points and assists, having tallied a power play assist in each of his three games so far.

Rating Disparity: Despite being 3-1, the Griffins are minus-16 as a team. Three players are tied with a team-high plus-1 rating: Andy Miele, Xavier Ouellet and Mattias Backman.

Walleye World: The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye made their 2014-15 season debut on Saturday at the Huntington Center, dropping a 4-1 decision to the Cincinnati Cyclones. Toledo forward Dane Walters, who participated in the Griffins’ 2013-14 training camp, had Toledo’s only goal at 4:19 of the third period to cut the Cyclones’ lead to 2-1. Upon the Walleye pulling goaltender Jeff Lerg, the visitors notched two empty net goals (18:28, 18:54) to earn a 4-1 victory. Griffins-contracted forwards Tyler Barnes, Shane Berschbach and Kyle Bonis and defenseman Scott Czarnowczan all appeared in the contest.

Scouting Report

Fri., Oct. 24 vs. Lake Erie Monsters (1-3-0-0) – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 27-17-2-6 Overall, 16-9-0-1 Home. Season Series: 1-1-0-0 Overall, 0-1-0-0 Home. Third of 10 meetings overall, second of five at Van Andel Arena. NHL Affiliation: Colorado Avalanche. Head Coach: Dean Chynoweth (2nd season). Notes: Since their season-opening victory at Van Andel Arena on Oct. 10, the Monsters have dropped three games in a row and rank last in the Midwest Division with two points…Center Mike Sgarbossa, who picked up two assists against Grand Rapids, leads the team in scoring with four points (0-4—4)…Monsters goaltender Calvin Pickard is currently with the Colorado Avalanche, making room for rookie Roman Will to fill the pipes in his stead. Will has allowed 11 goals and produced a 5.50 goals against average in his two games with the team…Friday’s game will mark the third time the two teams have met in each of their first five games. They’ll play a total of eight times before Christmas.

This Week’s Game
Fri., Oct. 24 Lake Erie Monsters at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM/ AHLLive.com

Last Week’s Results
Fri., Oct. 17 GRIFFINS 2 at Charlotte Checkers 1 2-1-0-0, 4 pts. (3rd, Midwest Division)
Sat., Oct. 18 GRIFFINS 4 at Charlotte Checkers 1 3-1-0-0, 6 pts. (3rd)

In Check: Grand Rapids swept its weekend road series against the Charlotte Checkers at Time Warner Cable Arena, winning 2-1 on Friday and 4-1 on Saturday. On Friday, Teemu Pulkkinen scored his second consecutive game-winning goal just 46 seconds into the third period, compounding on defenseman Xavier Ouellet’s first-period tally. Rookie Mark Zengerle had his first assist as a Griffin on Ouellet’s goal. With the teams tallying a combined 34 minutes of penalties, it was the Griffins who controlled most of the game with nine power play opportunities. However, Pulkkinen was Grand Rapids’ only skater to connect on the man-advantage and he did so when it mattered, using his team-leading seven shots to secure the victory. Penalties and fights once again ran rampant in Saturday’s rematch, when the Griffins capitalized on three of six power plays to walk away with a 4-1 win. Pulkkinen, Kevin Porter, Jeff Hoggan and Andy Miele all connected for Grand Rapids.

Friday Night Promotions: This Friday’s game versus Lake Erie gives fans the opportunity to enjoy $2 hot dogs and $2 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last. Fans can also take advantage of College Night specials, where college students can purchase an upper bowl ticket for $14 (or $13 in advance at The Zone) and stop by the McFadden’s concourse table to receive a free pass to the post-game party at McFadden’s. Every Friday night is also a Griffins D-Zone night, where fans can have $2 beers and $2 hot dogs served directly to their seats. D-ZONE tickets are only available by calling 616.774-4585 ext. 2 or at griffinshockey.com/dzone.

Game-Winning: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen has not only recorded a goal in each of Grand Rapids’ last three games, all on the road, but he also scored game-winning goals in back-to-back games (10/11/14 at LE; 10/17/14 at CHA). Since 2010, a Griffin scoring game-winning goals in back-to-back contests has been accomplished by only five others: Andrej Nestrasil (5/13/14-5/14/14 vs. TEX, playoffs), Mitch Callahan (3/21/14-3/22/14 at IA), Cory Emmerton (12/14/14 vs. MIL;12/18/14 at IA), Joakim Andersson (1/17/13 at CHA;1/19/13 at RFD) and Chris Minard (1/28/11 vs. RFD;1/29/11 at PEO).

Three for the Road: After dropping their season debut at home to the Lake Erie Monsters on Oct. 10, the Griffins have won three straight games on the road. Grand Rapids has started the season with a 3-0 road record on six other occasions throughout franchise history:

Hobey Highlights: When Andy Miele made his Griffins debut on Saturday in Charlotte, joining Kevin Porter in Grand Rapids’ lineup, it marked the 13th straight season that either an AHL or NHL team iced a lineup that included a pair of Hobey Baker Award winners (Miele won in 2011, Porter in 2008). Miele and Porter each scored a goal in the 4-1 win over the Checkers, marking the first time that two Hobey Baker winners lit the lamp in the same game for one team since March 11, 2012, when Miele and Ryan Duncan (2007) did the deed for Portland in a 5-4 win over Providence. That duo accomplished the feat two other times that season, meaning that Miele has had a hand in each of the last four occurrences. The last time a pair of Hobey Baker teammates scored goals in the same NHL game was back on Feb. 23, 2003, when Anaheim’s Paul Kariya (1993) and Jason Krog (1999) did it for the third time that season. Since that last NHL instance, the feat has occurred nine times in the AHL.

A Home for Hobey: The Griffins have now had three Hobey Baker Award winners play for their franchise: Kip Miller (1990 winner), Kevin Porter (2008) and Andy Miele (2011). Only three current AHL teams have had more, including Portland (5), Chicago (4) and Rochester (4). In the NHL, Buffalo and New Jersey have the honors, each having iced seven Hobey Baker winners during its history.

Peppered: Through four games, the Griffins have outshot their opponents 141-85, tying for third overall in shots per game (35.25) and second in shots allowed per game (21.25). Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen (18) is tied for first in the AHL in shots with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers’ Anders Lee. Both Pulkkinen and center Kevin Porter (17) had a season-high seven shots in the team’s 4-1 triumph over the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, when the team unleashed 36 times on former Griffins goaltender Drew MacIntyre. On Friday, Grand Rapids peppered MacIntyre with 43 shots, and he turned away 41 of them.

Lucky Number Six: Sixth-year veteran goaltender Tom McCollum continues to produce for the Griffins, ranking ninth among AHL netminders with a 1.51 goals against average, in addition to a 2-0-0 record and a 0.927 save percentage. In his 119:29 minutes in net so far this season, he has blocked 38 of 41 shots. Last season, McCollum ranked fourth among AHL goaltenders with a 2.30 GAA, alongside a 24-12-4 record, two shutouts and a 0.922 save percentage. In his 2013-14 campaign, McCollum set career bests in games played (46), wins and save percentage. Only six other players have spent all or parts of at least six seasons in Grand Rapids: 10-Travis Richards; 7-Joey MacDonald; and 6-Cory Emmerton, Jakub Kindl, Jan Mursak and Michel Picard.

Griffins Leaders: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen leads the Griffins in scoring with three goals and an assist in four games, while defenseman Nathan Paetsch ranks second on the team with three assists in three games. Seven skaters are tied for third place, having tallied two points each, but Michigan native Kevin Porter (2-0—2) has scored the second-most goals on the team. Both Pulkkinen and Paetsch are currently averaging one point per game. Left wing Chris Bruton has been the team’s ironman thus far after tallying 12 penalty minutes in his four games with the team. Ten of those PIM came from fighting minors (10/10/14 vs. LE; 10/18/14 at CHA). Defenseman Brennan Evans (8) and Porter (7) rank second and third, respectively.

The Midwest: Competition in the Midwest Division is off to a tight start, with only three points separating each of the top four teams from one another. The Milwaukee Admirals (4-0-0-0) have gone undefeated in their first four outings, outscoring their opponents 17-8 and sitting at the top of the division and Western Conference with eight points. Following closely behind are the Chicago Wolves (3-0-1-0, 7 pts.), the Griffins (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) and the Rockford IceHogs (2-1-0-1, 5 pts.). Since defeating Grand Rapids in its home opener on Oct. 10, the Lake Erie Monsters (1-3-0-0, 2 pts.) have dropped three consecutive contests and sit at the bottom of the division.

Light Week: The Griffins face the lightest portion of their 2014-15 regular season schedule this week, as it’s the only one-game week of the campaign. Next week will also see the Griffins only play at Van Andel Arena on Wednesday and Friday, with no Saturday or Sunday game.

Special Teams: Through four games, Grand Rapids’ power play (29.4%) is tied with the Oklahoma City Barons’ for second in the AHL. Only the Lehigh Valley Phantoms rank higher with a power play record of 33.3%. The Griffins have also been solid on the penalty kill, ranking sixth (94.1%) and allowing only one power play goal while being shorthanded 17 times. Defenseman Nathan Paetsch (0-3—3) leads league defensemen in power play points and assists, having tallied a power play assist in each of his three games so far.

Rating Disparity: Despite being 3-1, the Griffins are minus-16 as a team. Three players are tied with a team-high plus-1 rating: Andy Miele, Xavier Ouellet and Mattias Backman.

Walleye World: The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye made their 2014-15 season debut on Saturday at the Huntington Center, dropping a 4-1 decision to the Cincinnati Cyclones. Toledo forward Dane Walters, who participated in the Griffins’ 2013-14 training camp, had Toledo’s only goal at 4:19 of the third period to cut the Cyclones’ lead to 2-1. Upon the Walleye pulling goaltender Jeff Lerg, the visitors notched two empty net goals (18:28, 18:54) to earn a 4-1 victory. Griffins-contracted forwards Tyler Barnes, Shane Berschbach and Kyle Bonis and defenseman Scott Czarnowczan all appeared in the contest.

Scouting Report

Fri., Oct. 24 vs. Lake Erie Monsters (1-3-0-0) – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 27-17-2-6 Overall, 16-9-0-1 Home. Season Series: 1-1-0-0 Overall, 0-1-0-0 Home. Third of 10 meetings overall, second of five at Van Andel Arena. NHL Affiliation: Colorado Avalanche. Head Coach: Dean Chynoweth (2nd season). Notes: Since their season-opening victory at Van Andel Arena on Oct. 10, the Monsters have dropped three games in a row and rank last in the Midwest Division with two points…Center Mike Sgarbossa, who picked up two assists against Grand Rapids, leads the team in scoring with four points (0-4—4)…Monsters goaltender Calvin Pickard is currently with the Colorado Avalanche, making room for rookie Roman Will to fill the pipes in his stead. Will has allowed 11 goals and produced a 5.50 goals against average in his two games with the team…Friday’s game will mark the third time the two teams have met in each of their first five games. They’ll play a total of eight times before Christmas.