This Week’s Games
Thu., Jan. 29 GRIFFINS at Iowa Wild 8 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Fri., Jan. 30 GRIFFINS at Milwaukee Admirals 8 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Sat., Jan. 31 Milwaukee Admirals at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com

Last Week’s Results
Wed., Jan. 21 Chicago Wolves 4 at GRIFFINS 2 19-16-3-1, 42 pts. (4th, Midwest Division)
Fri., Jan. 23 Utica Comets 1 at GRIFFINS 5 20-16-3-1, 44 pts. (4th)
Sat., Jan. 24 Iowa Wild 3 at GRIFFINS 4 21-16-3-1, 46 pts. (4th)

Four of Six: The Griffins kicked off their three-game home week last Wednesday with a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Wolves. Kevin Porter opened the scoring before Chicago bounced back with three unanswered goals. Jeff Hoggan put the Griffins within one at 8:37 of the second period until the Wolves took advantage of Grand Rapids’ empty net with just 1:04 remaining in the third to prevent a potential comeback. The Utica Comets made their first-ever visit to Van Andel Arena on Friday, when the Griffins took home a decisive 5-1 victory over the North Division leader. The action was back-and-forth for a portion of the game, as Mark Zengerle scored at 10:48 of the first period and Dustin Jeffrey responded at 8:14 of the second. With just 0.7 seconds remaining in the middle frame, however, Mitch Callahan poked the puck through the pads of Joacim Eriksson to put Grand Rapids up by one heading to the locker room. Marek Tvrdon eventually put the Griffins ahead 3-1 at 9:18 of the third, before Tomas Nosek potted two empty-net goals to end the game in favor of Grand Rapids. On Saturday, the Iowa Wild got off to an early two-goal lead just 6:37 into the first period. Three unanswered goals, two from Callahan and one from Landon Ferraro, put the Griffins back on top before Iowa evened the game with only 32 seconds to go in the second period. The score remained knotted for 15:40 of the third period before Teemu Pulkkinen tossed a seemingly harmless wrist shot on net that squeaked past John Curry to give Grand Rapids the final 4-3 victory.

Griffins Leaders: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen continues to lead the Griffins in scoring with 43 points (21-22—43) in 36 games. Although Pulkkinen had his eight-game goal streak snapped in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to Chicago, he rebounded for back-to-back two-point games on Friday (0-2—2) and Saturday (1-1—2). Pulkkinen ranks second overall in the league in both goals and scoring. Center Andy Miele sits in second on the team with 35 points (13-22—35) in 36 games, while left wing Mitch Callahan ranks third (15-17—32). Right wing Chris Bruton (78) leads the team in penalty minutes and defenseman Brennan Evans (54) ranks second. Defenseman Alexey Marchenko registers the highest plus/minus rating on the team (plus-15). The next-highest ranking skater is defenseman Nick Jensen with a plus-nine rating.

The Midwest: Ranking second in the Western Conference, the Rockford IceHogs (25-13-4-2, 56 pts.) sit atop the Midwest Division and own a 6-2-1-1 record in their last 10 outings. However, the IceHogs are quickly being approached by the second-place Milwaukee Admirals (24-12-2-3, 53 pts.), who the Griffins will face twice this week. The Ads are currently on a nine-game winning streak and have two games in hand to Rockford. The Chicago Wolves (21-17-4-1, 47 pts.) are third in the Midwest, while Grand Rapids (21-16-3-1, 46 pts.) ranks fourth, just one point behind with two games in hand. The Lake Erie Monsters (18-16-3-3, 42 pts.) rank fifth and have picked up five points in their last three games.

All-Star Performance: Teemu Pulkkinen took part in the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic, along with Griffins athletic trainer Jon Bernal and equipment manager Brad Thompson, who both helped out from behind the bench. In Sunday’s skills competition, the Eastern Conference earned a 15-11 victory over the Western Conference. Pulkkinen participated in the rapid fire competition, pass and score competition and breakaway relay. On Monday, Pulkkinen notched a goal and assist in a 14-12 victory for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. He also tied for a team-high seven shots.

Top Rookie Goalies: In terms of rookie goaltenders throughout Griffins franchise history, Jared Coreau currently ranks fourth all-time. While he has only played in 14 games so far this season, the second-year netminder owns a 2.37 goals against average alongside a 7-6-1 record and a 0.919 save percentage. In comparison:

Fourth-Year Fighters: Both in their fourth professional seasons, Mitch Callahan and Landon Ferraro have been major influences for the Griffins during the 2014-15 campaign, especially as of late. Callahan has picked up four goals and an assist in his last four games, while Ferraro has tallied seven goals in his last 10 games since the beginning of January. In Saturday’s 4-3 comeback victory over Iowa, the Wild got off to an early 2-0 lead before Callahan notched a goal at 12:39 of the first. Ferraro evened the score 3:37 into the second before Callahan put home a go-ahead goal just over a minute later. Despite Iowa tying the score late in the middle frame, the Griffins earned a victory with the game-winning goal coming from Teemu Pulkkinen. Callahan owns 105 points (58-47—105) in 230 career games with Grand Rapids and Ferraro has 121 points (65-56—120) in 241 games with the Griffins.

Race to 100: With his assist on Mitch Callahan’s game-winning goal in Friday’s 5-1 victory over the Utica Comets, right wing Teemu Pulkkinen earned his 100th point as a Griffin in his 108th career game with Grand Rapids. Pulkkinen is the eighth-fastest player in franchise history to hit the century mark, just two spots behind Gustav Nyquist, who achieved the feat on Jan. 17, 2013 in his 102nd game with Grand Rapids. Callahan achieved the same milestone earlier this month when he hit 100 points on Jan. 10 in his 224th game. The all-time leader in this category is Michel Picard, who accomplished the deed on April 12, 1997 after only 81 games with the team.

Discipline: The Griffins average just 12.41 penalty minutes per game which is the fourth-best average in the AHL. They are led only by Providence (11.95), Texas (11.36) and Worcester (10.02). Grand Rapids also ranks fifth in goals for per game (3.07) and 11th for goals against per game (2.63).

Thank You, Fans: Fans flocked to Van Andel Arena on Saturday for Superhero Night, which featured a Jeff Hoggan superhero-themed lunch box giveaway for the first 2,500 kids 12 and under. It was the season’s fourth home sellout of 10,834.

Don’t Be Blashful: Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Iowa Wild at Van Andel Arena was the 109th victory for Jeff Blashill (109-61-9-10) in his three seasons behind Grand Rapids’ bench, tying Greg Ireland (109-65-8-10) for third place on the Griffins’ head coaching list.

Nagle Impresses: Signed to a professional tryout by Grand Rapids on Jan. 12, goaltender Pat Nagle earned both his first start and first victory for the Griffins in Friday’s game versus the Utica Comets. The Bloomfield, Mich., native turned away 29 of 30 shots to backstop the Griffins to a 5-1 win over the North Division-leading Comets. It was his first AHL triumph after brief tours with the Syracuse Crunch (2012-13) and Rochester Americans (2014-15). In a 5-2 loss to the Hamilton Bulldogs on Jan. 17, Jared Coreau was pulled in the third period after allowing his fifth goal to make way for Nagle, who blocked all five shots he faced in his 17:26 of ice time. Nagle, 27, owns a 2.42 goals against average alongside a 0.910 save percentage and a 17-4-1 record in 22 games with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets this season. He has also appeared in one game with the Rochester Americans on Jan. 3, when he made 39 saves on 42 shots in a 4-0 loss to the Adirondack Flames. Before joining the professional ranks, Nagle spent four seasons at Ferris State University from 2007-11 and accumulated a 2.32 GAA and a 45-42-11 record.

Walleye World: The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye (27-6-3-2, 59 pts.) secured four of six points in last week’s three-game home week. On Friday, the Walleye extended their point streak to nine games with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Kalamazoo Wings at the Huntington Center. Martin Frk and Tyler Barnes earned the first and second assists, respectively, on Toledo’s second-period tying goal at 13:51, while Barnes struck in the fifth round of the shootout to secure the win for the Walleye. On Saturday, Toledo suffered its first regulation loss since Dec. 27, dropping a 3-1 decision to the Allen Americans. The team bounced back on Sunday, however, with a decisive 5-2 victory over the Wheeling Nailers. Frk opened the scoring for the home team, while Alden Hirschfeld picked up three assists throughout the night. Toledo now ties with the Fort Wayne Komets (28-9-1-2, 59 pts.) for first in the North Division and second overall, but Toledo has two games in hand to the Komets.

Hirschfeld Assigned: The Griffins on Sunday assigned center Alden Hirschfeld to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. The 6-foot, 203-pound center has suited up in nine games with Grand Rapids this season and has contributed one assist. In addition, Hirschfeld ties for seventh on the Walleye in scoring with 24 points (6-18—24) in 27 games.

Scouting Report

Thu., Jan. 29 at Iowa Wild (15-26-1-1) – Wells Fargo Arena – 8 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 7:35 p.m. Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 10-2-0-0 Overall, 5-0-0-0 Road. Season Series: 2-0-0-0 Overall, 0-0-0-0 Road. Third of four meetings overall, first of two at Wells Fargo Arena. NHL Affiliation: Minnesota Wild. Head Coach: John Torchetti (1st season). Notes: Thursday’s game in Iowa will be a rematch of the Griffins’ 4-3 victory over the Wild at Van Andel Arena last Saturday…Iowa ranks fifth in the West Division, 15th in the Western Conference and 30th overall…The Wild are currently on a three-game losing streak and post a 4-6-0-0 record in its last 10 games…Forward Tyler Graovac (15-16—31) leads Iowa in scoring, followed by forward Michael Keranen (6-22—28) in second and center Jordan Schroeder (10-16—26) in third…Among active skaters, rookie forward Kurtis Gabriel is the most physical presence on the team, having accumulated 76 penalty minutes in 34 games…Iowa’s power play ties for 18th in the AHL (15.7%), but its penalty killing record ranks last (78.3%), having allowed 43 goals on 157 times shorthanded.

Fri., Jan. 30 at Milwaukee Admirals (24-12-2-3) – BMO Harris Bradley Center – 8 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 31 vs. Milwaukee Admirals – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 7:35 p.m. (Fri.) and 6:35 p.m. (Sat.) Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 68-50-7-5-7 Overall, 30-27-5-4-5 Road, 38-23-2-1-2 Home. Season Series: 2-1-0-0 Overall, 1-1-0-0 Road, 1-0-0-0 Home. Fourth and fifth of 10 meetings overall, third of five at BMO Harris Bradley Center, second of five at Van Andel Arena. NHL Affiliation: Nashville Predators. Head Coach: Dean Evason (3rd season). Notes: The last time the Admirals and Griffins met on Jan. 2, Grand Rapids rallied for a late come-from-behind victory and walked away with a 4-2 win at Van Andel Arena...The Admirals rank second in the Midwest Division, fourth in the Western Conference and tie for seventh in the league...Milwaukee is led in points by two rookies. Rookie left wing Brendan Leipsic ranks first on the team with 31 points (4-27—31) in 39 games and rookie right wing Viktor Arvidsson (15-14—29) ranks second...Goaltender Magnus Hellberg is ranked first in the league with a 1.84 goals against average through 20 games this season. He also owns an 11-4-0-2 record and a 0.931 save percentage…Former Griffin and Calder Cup Champion Triston Grant is a member of the Admirals this season. In 39 games, Grant has clocked nine points (4-5—9), 41 penalty minutes and a minus-seven rating…Milwaukee’s power play ranks 15th overall (16.3%) and its penalty killing record ranks 13th (84.2%)…The Admirals are currently on a five-game winning streak at home and a four-game winning streak on the road.

This Week’s Games
Thu., Jan. 29 GRIFFINS at Iowa Wild 8 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Fri., Jan. 30 GRIFFINS at Milwaukee Admirals 8 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Sat., Jan. 31 Milwaukee Admirals at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com

Last Week’s Results
Wed., Jan. 21 Chicago Wolves 4 at GRIFFINS 2 19-16-3-1, 42 pts. (4th, Midwest Division)
Fri., Jan. 23 Utica Comets 1 at GRIFFINS 5 20-16-3-1, 44 pts. (4th)
Sat., Jan. 24 Iowa Wild 3 at GRIFFINS 4 21-16-3-1, 46 pts. (4th)

Four of Six: The Griffins kicked off their three-game home week last Wednesday with a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Wolves. Kevin Porter opened the scoring before Chicago bounced back with three unanswered goals. Jeff Hoggan put the Griffins within one at 8:37 of the second period until the Wolves took advantage of Grand Rapids’ empty net with just 1:04 remaining in the third to prevent a potential comeback. The Utica Comets made their first-ever visit to Van Andel Arena on Friday, when the Griffins took home a decisive 5-1 victory over the North Division leader. The action was back-and-forth for a portion of the game, as Mark Zengerle scored at 10:48 of the first period and Dustin Jeffrey responded at 8:14 of the second. With just 0.7 seconds remaining in the middle frame, however, Mitch Callahan poked the puck through the pads of Joacim Eriksson to put Grand Rapids up by one heading to the locker room. Marek Tvrdon eventually put the Griffins ahead 3-1 at 9:18 of the third, before Tomas Nosek potted two empty-net goals to end the game in favor of Grand Rapids. On Saturday, the Iowa Wild got off to an early two-goal lead just 6:37 into the first period. Three unanswered goals, two from Callahan and one from Landon Ferraro, put the Griffins back on top before Iowa evened the game with only 32 seconds to go in the second period. The score remained knotted for 15:40 of the third period before Teemu Pulkkinen tossed a seemingly harmless wrist shot on net that squeaked past John Curry to give Grand Rapids the final 4-3 victory.

Griffins Leaders: Right wing Teemu Pulkkinen continues to lead the Griffins in scoring with 43 points (21-22—43) in 36 games. Although Pulkkinen had his eight-game goal streak snapped in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to Chicago, he rebounded for back-to-back two-point games on Friday (0-2—2) and Saturday (1-1—2). Pulkkinen ranks second overall in the league in both goals and scoring. Center Andy Miele sits in second on the team with 35 points (13-22—35) in 36 games, while left wing Mitch Callahan ranks third (15-17—32). Right wing Chris Bruton (78) leads the team in penalty minutes and defenseman Brennan Evans (54) ranks second. Defenseman Alexey Marchenko registers the highest plus/minus rating on the team (plus-15). The next-highest ranking skater is defenseman Nick Jensen with a plus-nine rating.

The Midwest: Ranking second in the Western Conference, the Rockford IceHogs (25-13-4-2, 56 pts.) sit atop the Midwest Division and own a 6-2-1-1 record in their last 10 outings. However, the IceHogs are quickly being approached by the second-place Milwaukee Admirals (24-12-2-3, 53 pts.), who the Griffins will face twice this week. The Ads are currently on a nine-game winning streak and have two games in hand to Rockford. The Chicago Wolves (21-17-4-1, 47 pts.) are third in the Midwest, while Grand Rapids (21-16-3-1, 46 pts.) ranks fourth, just one point behind with two games in hand. The Lake Erie Monsters (18-16-3-3, 42 pts.) rank fifth and have picked up five points in their last three games.

All-Star Performance: Teemu Pulkkinen took part in the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic, along with Griffins athletic trainer Jon Bernal and equipment manager Brad Thompson, who both helped out from behind the bench. In Sunday’s skills competition, the Eastern Conference earned a 15-11 victory over the Western Conference. Pulkkinen participated in the rapid fire competition, pass and score competition and breakaway relay. On Monday, Pulkkinen notched a goal and assist in a 14-12 victory for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game. He also tied for a team-high seven shots.

Top Rookie Goalies: In terms of rookie goaltenders throughout Griffins franchise history, Jared Coreau currently ranks fourth all-time. While he has only played in 14 games so far this season, the second-year netminder owns a 2.37 goals against average alongside a 7-6-1 record and a 0.919 save percentage. In comparison:

Fourth-Year Fighters: Both in their fourth professional seasons, Mitch Callahan and Landon Ferraro have been major influences for the Griffins during the 2014-15 campaign, especially as of late. Callahan has picked up four goals and an assist in his last four games, while Ferraro has tallied seven goals in his last 10 games since the beginning of January. In Saturday’s 4-3 comeback victory over Iowa, the Wild got off to an early 2-0 lead before Callahan notched a goal at 12:39 of the first. Ferraro evened the score 3:37 into the second before Callahan put home a go-ahead goal just over a minute later. Despite Iowa tying the score late in the middle frame, the Griffins earned a victory with the game-winning goal coming from Teemu Pulkkinen. Callahan owns 105 points (58-47—105) in 230 career games with Grand Rapids and Ferraro has 121 points (65-56—120) in 241 games with the Griffins.

Race to 100: With his assist on Mitch Callahan’s game-winning goal in Friday’s 5-1 victory over the Utica Comets, right wing Teemu Pulkkinen earned his 100th point as a Griffin in his 108th career game with Grand Rapids. Pulkkinen is the eighth-fastest player in franchise history to hit the century mark, just two spots behind Gustav Nyquist, who achieved the feat on Jan. 17, 2013 in his 102nd game with Grand Rapids. Callahan achieved the same milestone earlier this month when he hit 100 points on Jan. 10 in his 224th game. The all-time leader in this category is Michel Picard, who accomplished the deed on April 12, 1997 after only 81 games with the team.

Discipline: The Griffins average just 12.41 penalty minutes per game which is the fourth-best average in the AHL. They are led only by Providence (11.95), Texas (11.36) and Worcester (10.02). Grand Rapids also ranks fifth in goals for per game (3.07) and 11th for goals against per game (2.63).

Thank You, Fans: Fans flocked to Van Andel Arena on Saturday for Superhero Night, which featured a Jeff Hoggan superhero-themed lunch box giveaway for the first 2,500 kids 12 and under. It was the season’s fourth home sellout of 10,834.

Don’t Be Blashful: Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Iowa Wild at Van Andel Arena was the 109th victory for Jeff Blashill (109-61-9-10) in his three seasons behind Grand Rapids’ bench, tying Greg Ireland (109-65-8-10) for third place on the Griffins’ head coaching list.

Nagle Impresses: Signed to a professional tryout by Grand Rapids on Jan. 12, goaltender Pat Nagle earned both his first start and first victory for the Griffins in Friday’s game versus the Utica Comets. The Bloomfield, Mich., native turned away 29 of 30 shots to backstop the Griffins to a 5-1 win over the North Division-leading Comets. It was his first AHL triumph after brief tours with the Syracuse Crunch (2012-13) and Rochester Americans (2014-15). In a 5-2 loss to the Hamilton Bulldogs on Jan. 17, Jared Coreau was pulled in the third period after allowing his fifth goal to make way for Nagle, who blocked all five shots he faced in his 17:26 of ice time. Nagle, 27, owns a 2.42 goals against average alongside a 0.910 save percentage and a 17-4-1 record in 22 games with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets this season. He has also appeared in one game with the Rochester Americans on Jan. 3, when he made 39 saves on 42 shots in a 4-0 loss to the Adirondack Flames. Before joining the professional ranks, Nagle spent four seasons at Ferris State University from 2007-11 and accumulated a 2.32 GAA and a 45-42-11 record.

Walleye World: The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye (27-6-3-2, 59 pts.) secured four of six points in last week’s three-game home week. On Friday, the Walleye extended their point streak to nine games with a 2-1 shootout victory over the Kalamazoo Wings at the Huntington Center. Martin Frk and Tyler Barnes earned the first and second assists, respectively, on Toledo’s second-period tying goal at 13:51, while Barnes struck in the fifth round of the shootout to secure the win for the Walleye. On Saturday, Toledo suffered its first regulation loss since Dec. 27, dropping a 3-1 decision to the Allen Americans. The team bounced back on Sunday, however, with a decisive 5-2 victory over the Wheeling Nailers. Frk opened the scoring for the home team, while Alden Hirschfeld picked up three assists throughout the night. Toledo now ties with the Fort Wayne Komets (28-9-1-2, 59 pts.) for first in the North Division and second overall, but Toledo has two games in hand to the Komets.

Hirschfeld Assigned: The Griffins on Sunday assigned center Alden Hirschfeld to the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. The 6-foot, 203-pound center has suited up in nine games with Grand Rapids this season and has contributed one assist. In addition, Hirschfeld ties for seventh on the Walleye in scoring with 24 points (6-18—24) in 27 games.

Scouting Report

Thu., Jan. 29 at Iowa Wild (15-26-1-1) – Wells Fargo Arena – 8 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 7:35 p.m. Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 10-2-0-0 Overall, 5-0-0-0 Road. Season Series: 2-0-0-0 Overall, 0-0-0-0 Road. Third of four meetings overall, first of two at Wells Fargo Arena. NHL Affiliation: Minnesota Wild. Head Coach: John Torchetti (1st season). Notes: Thursday’s game in Iowa will be a rematch of the Griffins’ 4-3 victory over the Wild at Van Andel Arena last Saturday…Iowa ranks fifth in the West Division, 15th in the Western Conference and 30th overall…The Wild are currently on a three-game losing streak and post a 4-6-0-0 record in its last 10 games…Forward Tyler Graovac (15-16—31) leads Iowa in scoring, followed by forward Michael Keranen (6-22—28) in second and center Jordan Schroeder (10-16—26) in third…Among active skaters, rookie forward Kurtis Gabriel is the most physical presence on the team, having accumulated 76 penalty minutes in 34 games…Iowa’s power play ties for 18th in the AHL (15.7%), but its penalty killing record ranks last (78.3%), having allowed 43 goals on 157 times shorthanded.

Fri., Jan. 30 at Milwaukee Admirals (24-12-2-3) – BMO Harris Bradley Center – 8 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 31 vs. Milwaukee Admirals – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 7:35 p.m. (Fri.) and 6:35 p.m. (Sat.) Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 68-50-7-5-7 Overall, 30-27-5-4-5 Road, 38-23-2-1-2 Home. Season Series: 2-1-0-0 Overall, 1-1-0-0 Road, 1-0-0-0 Home. Fourth and fifth of 10 meetings overall, third of five at BMO Harris Bradley Center, second of five at Van Andel Arena. NHL Affiliation: Nashville Predators. Head Coach: Dean Evason (3rd season). Notes: The last time the Admirals and Griffins met on Jan. 2, Grand Rapids rallied for a late come-from-behind victory and walked away with a 4-2 win at Van Andel Arena...The Admirals rank second in the Midwest Division, fourth in the Western Conference and tie for seventh in the league...Milwaukee is led in points by two rookies. Rookie left wing Brendan Leipsic ranks first on the team with 31 points (4-27—31) in 39 games and rookie right wing Viktor Arvidsson (15-14—29) ranks second...Goaltender Magnus Hellberg is ranked first in the league with a 1.84 goals against average through 20 games this season. He also owns an 11-4-0-2 record and a 0.931 save percentage…Former Griffin and Calder Cup Champion Triston Grant is a member of the Admirals this season. In 39 games, Grant has clocked nine points (4-5—9), 41 penalty minutes and a minus-seven rating…Milwaukee’s power play ranks 15th overall (16.3%) and its penalty killing record ranks 13th (84.2%)…The Admirals are currently on a five-game winning streak at home and a four-game winning streak on the road.