This Week’s Games
Wed., April 1 Rockford IceHogs at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Fri., April 3 GRIFFINS at Rockford IceHogs 8 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Sat., April 4 Toronto Marlies at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com

Last Week’s Results
Fri., March 27 GRIFFINS 2 at Texas Stars 0 39-19-6-2, 86 pts. (1st, Midwest Division)
Sat., March 28 GRIFFINS 4 at Texas Stars 3 40-19-6-2, 88 pts. (1st)

Sweeping Stars: Grand Rapids completed its four-game season sweep of the Texas Stars on the road last weekend, with a 2-0 shutout victory on Friday and a 4-3 edging on Saturday. Goaltender Tom McCollum earned his first shutout of the season to kick off the weekend’s set, turning aside all 34 shots he faced in Friday’s goaltender battle. The back-and-forth action between the Griffins and Stars didn’t yield a goal until Mark Zengerle’s 12th of the season at 9:36 of the second period. Landon Ferraro then potted the insurance tally 4:26 into the third to give the Griffins their final measure, despite a solid 36-save performance from Stars goalie Jack Campbell. McCollum and Campbell squared off again on Saturday, when the scoring was more than tripled by both teams. The Griffins stayed one step ahead of Texas the entire game, beginning with Louis-Marc Aubry’s fourth goal of the season at 5:28 of the first period. The Stars tied up the contest before the end of the first 20 minutes of play, but Ferraro put the Griffins up 2-1 at 4:01 of the second. Texas’ Kevin Henderson then knotted the game again, tying matters heading into the second intermission. The third period saw Griffins captain Jeff Hoggan deliver, assisting on Andy Miele’s go-ahead goal at 3:11, before recording a goal of his own, the eventual game-winner, at 8:46. Jamie Oleksiak put the Stars within one with under 10 minutes remaining in the game, but a solid defensive effort by the Griffins fended off the defending Calder Cup champions, despite pulling Campbell for an extra attacker. McCollum blocked a season-high 45 shots in the game, earning second-star honors after Hoggan, while Campbell stopped 32 of his own.

Wednesday Promotions: 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 Oklahoma City Barons on March 4 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. Additionally, the first 300 fans to visit the Amway table in Section A will receive a gift. Fans can also enjoy a buy-one, get-one-free deal on a 16 oz. Pepsi all night long at any concession stand that sells fountain drinks. 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: April 1, 4 and 8.

Tomas Jurco Bobblehead Giveaway/Saturday Promotions: The first 2,500 fans will receive a Tomas Jurco bobblehead, courtesy of Michigan Office Solutions. In addition, three Griffins players will sign autographs following the game from the team’s bench, presented by Huntington Bank. 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: April 4 and 8. Available for all Saturday games, each pack incudes four tickets and $12 in concession cash for a great low price.

Clinching: Both the Manchester Monarchs and the Hershey Bears clinched playoff berths over the course of last weekend, but the Western Conference is still wide open. With a magic number of five points, the earliest that the Griffins could clinch a berth would be this Thursday, if the team wins against the Rockford IceHogs on Wednesday and several other results fall into place. If the playoffs were to begin today, it would be the Griffins vs. Stars in a rematch of last year’s second-round showdown. Currently, the Griffins rank third in the conference, behind only the San Antonio Rampage (90 pts.) and the Utica Comets (89 pts.). A look at the current playoff picture:

Midwest Division

Remaining Western Conference Teams

Currently in playoff position
xClinched playoff berth
yClinched division title
*Eliminated from playoff contention

The Midwest: After two victories over the Texas Stars last weekend, the Griffins (40-19-6-2, 88 pts.) still lead the ever-resilient Midwest Division, despite playoff pushes from their competitors. The Rockford IceHogs (39-20-5-2, 85 pts.) had a six-game winning streak snapped on Saturday in a 4-2 loss to the Utica Comets, giving the Griffins a three-point lead over their division rival. The Chicago Wolves (34-25-6-1, 75 pts.) are tied in points with the Milwaukee Admirals (32-25-6-5, 75 pts.), but the Wolves are in a playoff position over the Ads with two games in hand. Rounding out the division are the Lake Erie Monsters (30-26-6-4, 70 pts.), who are on a two-game winning streak.

Ferraro’s Fire: Landon Ferraro registered a goal in both of the Griffins’ victories over the Stars last weekend, extending his goal streak to three games. Ferraro’s goal on Saturday bumped him up to third place in scoring on the team with 39 points (26-13—39) in 67 games, finally eclipsing Mitch Callahan’s 38 points (16-22—38). Callahan suffered a season-ending ACL tear on Feb. 13. While the 2012-13 season yielded Ferraro’s most potent season offensively (24 goals, 23 assists), he has scored more goals as a Griffin this season (26) than any of his previous four seasons with the team. Ferraro ranks second in the AHL in shots with 229, led only by Milwaukee’s Viktor Arvidsson, who is currently on recall with Nashville. Ferraro’s 221 shots have already eclipsed the shots leaders from the Griffins’ last two seasons, which were Teemu Pulkkinen in 2013-14 (201) and Tomas Tatar in 2012-13 (205). Grand Rapids’ all-time single season shot leader is Carl Corazzini, with a league-leading 274 shots in 2007-08.

One for Tommy: Grand Rapids goaltender Tom McCollum earned his first shutout of the season and sixth as a Griffin on Friday with 34 saves against the Texas Stars. With the victory, he moved into a tie for sixth place with Daniel Larsson and Pokey Reddick among the Griffins’ all-time shutout leaders. With three shutouts of his own this season, Petr Mrazek leapfrogged McCollum, Larsson and Reddick on the list and now ranks fifth all-time with seven shutouts. McCollum’s shutout completed Grand Rapids’ goaltending trifecta, as now each of the Griffins’ regular goaltenders (Jared Coreau, McCollum, and Mrazek) has each earned at least one shutout this season.

Finnish Resilience: Despite being recalled by the Detroit Red Wings on March 7 and missing nine games since, Teemu Pulkkinen still leads the AHL in goals with 34. Second place is a tie between Albany’s Paul Thompson (29 G, 64 GP) and Chicago’s Shane Harper (29 G, 66 GP). Pulkkinen also ties for third among league scorers with 61 points (34-27—61) in 46 games, along with teammate Andy Miele, who has a matching 61 points (21-40—61) in 62 games. Miele now ties with Pulkkinen for the Griffins’ scoring lead, courtesy of his goal in Saturday’s 4-3 victory over Texas.

Paetsch Check: Griffins defenseman Nathan Paetsch earned his 200th career AHL point with an assist in Saturday’s victory at Texas. The accomplishment comes shortly after he logged his 200th game as a Griffin on March 20th versus the Milwaukee Admirals. With 35 points (6-29—35) in 66 games, his highest point production in three seasons with Grand Rapids, Paetsch ties for 11th among league defensemen and ranks as the third highest-scoring blueliner in Griffins history with 97 points (14-83-97) in 204 games.

Griffins Leaders: Owning 61 points (34-27—61) in 46 games, Teemu Pulkkinen’s tenure as the Griffins’ top scorer has finally been challenged, as center Andy Miele (21-40—61) notched his 61st point of the season (goal) in Saturday’s 4-3 victory over Texas. Pulkkinen, who has been on recall with Detroit since March 7, has played in 16 fewer games than Miele. There’s a new third-place scorer as well, as Landon Ferraro (26-13—39) also potted a goal in Saturday’s game to surpass Mitch Callahan (16-22—38) on the Griffins’ leaderboard. Callahan suffered a season-ending injury on Feb. 13. Grand Rapids’ best plus/minus rating goes to defenseman Nathan Paetsch with plus-22.

Walleye World: The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye (45-14-4-2, 96 pts.) had their seven-game winning streak snapped in a 5-3 loss to the South Carolina Stingrays on Friday, but the team bounced back with a 3-2 win over the Evansville Icemen on Saturday to maintain their two-point division lead over the Fort Wayne Komets (44-16-2-4, 94 pts.), with a game in hand still. Kyle Bonis earned Toledo’s first and third goals, while goaltender Jeff Lerg turned aside 34 shots in Saturday’s victory. The Walleye, along with the Komets, have already clinched playoff berths.

Scouting Report

Wed., April 1 vs. Rockford IceHogs (39-20-5-2, 85 pts.) – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Fri., April 3 at Rockford IceHogs – BMO Harris Bank Center – 8 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. (Wed.) and 7:35 p.m. (Fri.) Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 23-19-3-5 Overall, 15-7-1-2 Home, 8-12-2-3 Road. Season Series: 3-2-0-1 Overall, 1-1-0-1 Home, 2-1-0-0 Road. Seventh and eighth of eight meetings overall, fourth of four at Van Andel Arena, fourth of four at BMO Harris Bank Center. NHL Affiliation: Chicago Blackhawks. Head Coach: Ted Dent (4th season). Notes: The IceHogs rank second in the Midwest Division, fourth in the Western Conference and seventh overall…In this week’s home-and-home between Rockford and Grand Rapids, four very valuable Midwest Division points are at stake…The IceHogs are three points behind the Griffins in the standings with a game in hand…The two teams last met on March 14, when the Griffins took home a 3-1 win…Left wing Garret Ross leads the IceHogs in scoring with 18 goals and 20 assists, followed by center Mark McNeill with 18 goals and 18 assists…Goaltender Michael Leighton ties for fifth among league netminders with a 2.14 goals against average, alongside an 18-11-4 record and a 0.924 save percentage…Rockford’s power play (17.2%) ties for 14th with Grand Rapids’ and its penalty killing record ranks ninth (85.4%).

Sat., April 4 vs. Toronto Marlies (32-25-9-0, 73 pts.) – 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: 30-26-3-2 Overall, 17-11-1-1 Home. Season Series: 2-1-0-0 Overall, 1-0-0-0 Home. Fourth of four meetings overall, second of two at Van Andel Arena. NHL Affiliation: Toronto Maple Leafs. Head Coach: Gord Dineen (1st season). Notes: The Marlies rank third in the North Division, 10th in the Western Conference and tie for 19th overall…The Griffins and Marlies last met on Feb. 4 for a matinee game at Ricoh Coliseum, where Grand Rapids’ late-game push gave it a 3-1 victory. The last time Toronto visited Van Andel Arena was Dec. 19, when the Griffins unleashed an offensive storm in a 7-1 rout of the Marlies…Rookie right wing Connor Brown (18-37—55) leads the team in scoring. Last season as a member of the OHL’s Erie Otters, Brown had 128 points (45-83—128) in 68 regular season games and 18 points (8-10—18) in 14 playoff games…Defenseman T.J. Brennan is now a member of the Marlies after spending 54 games with Rockford earlier this season. Brennan ranks third on the team in scoring with 39 points (9-30—39) in 64 games this season…Toronto’s power play ranks last in the league (12.0%), while its penalty killing record ranks 28th (78.9%).

This Week’s Games
Wed., April 1 Rockford IceHogs at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Fri., April 3 GRIFFINS at Rockford IceHogs 8 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com
Sat., April 4 Toronto Marlies at GRIFFINS 7 p.m. WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM / AHLLive.com

Last Week’s Results
Fri., March 27 GRIFFINS 2 at Texas Stars 0 39-19-6-2, 86 pts. (1st, Midwest Division)
Sat., March 28 GRIFFINS 4 at Texas Stars 3 40-19-6-2, 88 pts. (1st)

Sweeping Stars: Grand Rapids completed its four-game season sweep of the Texas Stars on the road last weekend, with a 2-0 shutout victory on Friday and a 4-3 edging on Saturday. Goaltender Tom McCollum earned his first shutout of the season to kick off the weekend’s set, turning aside all 34 shots he faced in Friday’s goaltender battle. The back-and-forth action between the Griffins and Stars didn’t yield a goal until Mark Zengerle’s 12th of the season at 9:36 of the second period. Landon Ferraro then potted the insurance tally 4:26 into the third to give the Griffins their final measure, despite a solid 36-save performance from Stars goalie Jack Campbell. McCollum and Campbell squared off again on Saturday, when the scoring was more than tripled by both teams. The Griffins stayed one step ahead of Texas the entire game, beginning with Louis-Marc Aubry’s fourth goal of the season at 5:28 of the first period. The Stars tied up the contest before the end of the first 20 minutes of play, but Ferraro put the Griffins up 2-1 at 4:01 of the second. Texas’ Kevin Henderson then knotted the game again, tying matters heading into the second intermission. The third period saw Griffins captain Jeff Hoggan deliver, assisting on Andy Miele’s go-ahead goal at 3:11, before recording a goal of his own, the eventual game-winner, at 8:46. Jamie Oleksiak put the Stars within one with under 10 minutes remaining in the game, but a solid defensive effort by the Griffins fended off the defending Calder Cup champions, despite pulling Campbell for an extra attacker. McCollum blocked a season-high 45 shots in the game, earning second-star honors after Hoggan, while Campbell stopped 32 of his own.

Wednesday Promotions: 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 Oklahoma City Barons on March 4 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. Additionally, the first 300 fans to visit the Amway table in Section A will receive a gift. Fans can also enjoy a buy-one, get-one-free deal on a 16 oz. Pepsi all night long at any concession stand that sells fountain drinks. 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: April 1, 4 and 8.

Tomas Jurco Bobblehead Giveaway/Saturday Promotions: The first 2,500 fans will receive a Tomas Jurco bobblehead, courtesy of Michigan Office Solutions. In addition, three Griffins players will sign autographs following the game from the team’s bench, presented by Huntington Bank. 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: April 4 and 8. Available for all Saturday games, each pack incudes four tickets and $12 in concession cash for a great low price.

Clinching: Both the Manchester Monarchs and the Hershey Bears clinched playoff berths over the course of last weekend, but the Western Conference is still wide open. With a magic number of five points, the earliest that the Griffins could clinch a berth would be this Thursday, if the team wins against the Rockford IceHogs on Wednesday and several other results fall into place. If the playoffs were to begin today, it would be the Griffins vs. Stars in a rematch of last year’s second-round showdown. Currently, the Griffins rank third in the conference, behind only the San Antonio Rampage (90 pts.) and the Utica Comets (89 pts.). A look at the current playoff picture:

MIDWEST DIVISION

REMAINING WESTERN CONFERENCE TEAMS

Currently in playoff position
xClinched playoff berth
yClinched division title
*Eliminated from playoff contention

The Midwest: After two victories over the Texas Stars last weekend, the Griffins (40-19-6-2, 88 pts.) still lead the ever-resilient Midwest Division, despite playoff pushes from their competitors. The Rockford IceHogs (39-20-5-2, 85 pts.) had a six-game winning streak snapped on Saturday in a 4-2 loss to the Utica Comets, giving the Griffins a three-point lead over their division rival. The Chicago Wolves (34-25-6-1, 75 pts.) are tied in points with the Milwaukee Admirals (32-25-6-5, 75 pts.), but the Wolves are in a playoff position over the Ads with two games in hand. Rounding out the division are the Lake Erie Monsters (30-26-6-4, 70 pts.), who are on a two-game winning streak.

Ferraro’s Fire: Landon Ferraro registered a goal in both of the Griffins’ victories over the Stars last weekend, extending his goal streak to three games. Ferraro’s goal on Saturday bumped him up to third place in scoring on the team with 39 points (26-13—39) in 67 games, finally eclipsing Mitch Callahan’s 38 points (16-22—38). Callahan suffered a season-ending ACL tear on Feb. 13. While the 2012-13 season yielded Ferraro’s most potent season offensively (24 goals, 23 assists), he has scored more goals as a Griffin this season (26) than any of his previous four seasons with the team. Ferraro ranks second in the AHL in shots with 229, led only by Milwaukee’s Viktor Arvidsson, who is currently on recall with Nashville. Ferraro’s 221 shots have already eclipsed the shots leaders from the Griffins’ last two seasons, which were Teemu Pulkkinen in 2013-14 (201) and Tomas Tatar in 2012-13 (205). Grand Rapids’ all-time single season shot leader is Carl Corazzini, with a league-leading 274 shots in 2007-08.

One for Tommy: Grand Rapids goaltender Tom McCollum earned his first shutout of the season and sixth as a Griffin on Friday with 34 saves against the Texas Stars. With the victory, he moved into a tie for sixth place with Daniel Larsson and Pokey Reddick among the Griffins’ all-time shutout leaders. With three shutouts of his own this season, Petr Mrazek leapfrogged McCollum, Larsson and Reddick on the list and now ranks fifth all-time with seven shutouts. McCollum’s shutout completed Grand Rapids’ goaltending trifecta, as now each of the Griffins’ regular goaltenders (Jared Coreau, McCollum, and Mrazek) has each earned at least one shutout this season.

Finnish Resilience: Despite being recalled by the Detroit Red Wings on March 7 and missing nine games since, Teemu Pulkkinen still leads the AHL in goals with 34. Second place is a tie between Albany’s Paul Thompson (29 G, 64 GP) and Chicago’s Shane Harper (29 G, 66 GP). Pulkkinen also ties for third among league scorers with 61 points (34-27—61) in 46 games, along with teammate Andy Miele, who has a matching 61 points (21-40—61) in 62 games. Miele now ties with Pulkkinen for the Griffins’ scoring lead, courtesy of his goal in Saturday’s 4-3 victory over Texas.

Paetsch Check: Griffins defenseman Nathan Paetsch earned his 200th career AHL point with an assist in Saturday’s victory at Texas. The accomplishment comes shortly after he logged his 200th game as a Griffin on March 20th versus the Milwaukee Admirals. With 35 points (6-29—35) in 66 games, his highest point production in three seasons with Grand Rapids, Paetsch ties for 11th among league defensemen and ranks as the third highest-scoring blueliner in Griffins history with 97 points (14-83-97) in 204 games.

Griffins Leaders: Owning 61 points (34-27—61) in 46 games, Teemu Pulkkinen’s tenure as the Griffins’ top scorer has finally been challenged, as center Andy Miele (21-40—61) notched his 61st point of the season (goal) in Saturday’s 4-3 victory over Texas. Pulkkinen, who has been on recall with Detroit since March 7, has played in 16 fewer games than Miele. There’s a new third-place scorer as well, as Landon Ferraro (26-13—39) also potted a goal in Saturday’s game to surpass Mitch Callahan (16-22—38) on the Griffins’ leaderboard. Callahan suffered a season-ending injury on Feb. 13. Grand Rapids’ best plus/minus rating goes to defenseman Nathan Paetsch with plus-22.

Walleye World: The ECHL’s Toledo Walleye (45-14-4-2, 96 pts.) had their seven-game winning streak snapped in a 5-3 loss to the South Carolina Stingrays on Friday, but the team bounced back with a 3-2 win over the Evansville Icemen on Saturday to maintain their two-point division lead over the Fort Wayne Komets (44-16-2-4, 94 pts.), with a game in hand still. Kyle Bonis earned Toledo’s first and third goals, while goaltender Jeff Lerg turned aside 34 shots in Saturday’s victory. The Walleye, along with the Komets, have already clinched playoff berths.

Scouting Report

Wed., April 1 vs. Rockford IceHogs (39-20-5-2, 85 pts.) – Van Andel Arena – 7 p.m.
Fri., April 3 at Rockford IceHogs – BMO Harris Bank Center – 8 p.m.
Radio: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. (Wed.) and 7:35 p.m. (Fri.) Web Casts: Video web cast at AHLLive.com, free audio available through woodradio.com. All-Time Series: 23-19-3-5 Overall, 15-7-1-2 Home, 8-12-2-3 Road. Season Series: 3-2-0-1 Overall, 1-1-0-1 Home, 2-1-0-0 Road. Seventh and eighth of eight meetings overall, fourth of four at Van Andel Arena, fourth of four at BMO Harris Bank Center. NHL Affiliation: Chicago Blackhawks. Head Coach: Ted Dent (4th season). Notes: The IceHogs rank second in the Midwest Division, fourth in the Western Conference and seventh overall…In this week’s home-and-home between Rockford and Grand Rapids, four very valuable Midwest Division points are at stake…The IceHogs are three points behind the Griffins in the standings with a game in hand…The two teams last met on March 14, when the Griffins took home a 3-1 win…Left wing Garret Ross leads the IceHogs in scoring with 18 goals and 20 assists, followed by center Mark McNeill with 18 goals and 18 assists…Goaltender Michael Leighton ties for fifth among league netminders with a 2.14 goals against average, alongside an 18-11-4 record and a 0.924 save percentage…Rockford’s power play (17.2%) ties for 14th with Grand Rapids’ and its penalty killing record ranks ninth (85.4%).

Sat., April 4 vs. Toronto Marlies (32-25-9-0, 73 pts.) – 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: 30-26-3-2 Overall, 17-11-1-1 Home. Season Series: 2-1-0-0 Overall, 1-0-0-0 Home. Fourth of four meetings overall, second of two at Van Andel Arena. NHL Affiliation: Toronto Maple Leafs. Head Coach: Gord Dineen (1st season). Notes: The Marlies rank third in the North Division, 10th in the Western Conference and tie for 19th overall…The Griffins and Marlies last met on Feb. 4 for a matinee game at Ricoh Coliseum, where Grand Rapids’ late-game push gave it a 3-1 victory. The last time Toronto visited Van Andel Arena was Dec. 19, when the Griffins unleashed an offensive storm in a 7-1 rout of the Marlies…Rookie right wing Connor Brown (18-37—55) leads the team in scoring. Last season as a member of the OHL’s Erie Otters, Brown had 128 points (45-83—128) in 68 regular season games and 18 points (8-10—18) in 14 playoff games…Defenseman T.J. Brennan is now a member of the Marlies after spending 54 games with Rockford earlier this season. Brennan ranks third on the team in scoring with 39 points (9-30—39) in 64 games this season…Toronto’s power play ranks last in the league (12.0%), while its penalty killing record ranks 28th (78.9%).