This Week’s Games

GRIFFINS (41-8-3-1) vs. Rockford IceHogs (19-30-2-2) // Wed., March 4 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena

Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM & 1300 AM at 6:45 p.m.

Watch: AHLTV on FloHockey 

Season Series: 4-1-0-0 Overall, 2-1-0-0 Home. Sixth of 10 meetings overall, fourth of five at Van Andel Arena  

All-Time Series: 78-53-11-11 Overall, 45-21-6-5 Home

NHL Affiliation: Chicago Blackhawks

Noteworthy: The Rockford IceHogs will be the Griffins’ most frequent opponent down the stretch, as there are still five games remaining between the two teams. 

GRIFFINS at Cleveland Monsters (29-17-6-1) // Fri., March 6 // 7 p.m. // Rocket Arena
GRIFFINS at Cleveland Monsters // Sat., March 7 // 4 p.m. // Rocket Arena 

Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM & 1300 AM at 6:45 p.m. on Friday and 3:45 p.m. on Saturday

Watch: AHLTV on FloHockey 

Season Series: 3-1-0-0 Overall, 0-0-0-0 Away. Fifth and sixth of eight meetings overall, first and second of four at Rocket Arena 

All-Time Series: 81-42-9-14 Overall, 33-23-5-10 Away

NHL Affiliation: Columbus Blue Jackets

Noteworthy: Of the remaining 19 games for the Griffins, only four of them will be played outside the Central Division. All four of those contests will be at the Cleveland Monsters.   

Are We Talking About Playoffs?: With the Hershey Bears’ 4-1 win over the Rockford IceHogs last Friday, the Griffins have clinched a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Feb. 27 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. The Griffins have led the Central Division for the entire season and are 21 points above second-place Chicago. The Griffins also have a three-point advantage over the Providence Bruins in the race for the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy, awarded to the AHL's regular-season champions. Grand Rapids is 32-5-3-1 against its division rivals and has outscored them 149-85, suffering its first regulation defeat against the division on Jan. 9 against Texas. The Griffins’ 32 wins are the most divisional victories since 2016-17 (40-20-1-3). Fourteen of the remaining 19 games for Grand Rapids will be against the Central Division (73.7%). The Griffins will see the most games against the Rockford IceHogs (5) followed by the Milwaukee Admirals (4).

Sustained Excellence: The Griffins have lost just once in regulation in their last nine games since Feb. 7 (7-1-1-0). In those nine games, Grand Rapids averaged 3.67 goals per game while allowing 2.00 goals. The Griffins have continued their league-record start with a 41-8-3-1 ledger and 86 points through 53 games, surpassing the 1992-93 Binghamton Rangers (38-6-6, 82 pts.) for the best start through 50 games in the AHL’s 90-year history. 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 (see table). The Griffins are 19-2-1-1 on the road and 22-6-2-0 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 first in the AHL in points (86) and has a 21-point cushion over Chicago for first place in the Central Division, and is 42 points up on a playoff spot. 

Be Like Mike: Rookie forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard was named the AHL Player of the Week for the period ending March 1 when he tallied five goals, six points (5-1—6), 17 shots and a plus-three rating in three games. Brandsegg-Nygard was the fourth Griffin to win the award this season, tying for the most in franchise history (2005-06: Jiri Hudler, Valtteri Filppula, Clay Wilson, Jimmy Howard). He also has seven goals in his last six contests and 10 points (7-3—10) in his previous nine outings since Feb. 7. From Jan. 3-Feb. 6, the former first-round selection (15th in 2024) had just three points (0-3—3) in 14 contests, and, prior to Feb. 18, his last goal was on Jan. 2 (17-game drought). The Oslo, Norway, native, has 34 points (15-19—34), 28 penalty minutes and a plus-21 rating in 48 games with the Griffins. Brandsegg-Nygard ranks among the AHL rookie leaders in goals (T5th), assists (T8th), points (5th), plus-minus rating (T3rd) and game-winners (6, 1st). He was one of three rookies to make the Detroit Red Wings’ opening-night roster out of training camp and showed one assist in nine games before being assigned to the Griffins on Oct. 27.

The Lombardi Trophy: Amadeus Lombardi is on a five-game point streak (5-5—10) and has four multi-point outings in his last five games. Last weekend against Iowa, he logged four points (2-2—4) and 10 shots. Lombardi also posted five points (3-2—5) in two games from Feb. 20-21, which included an overtime-winner in both contests. He became just the third player in Griffins history to score an overtime goal in consecutive games, joining Turner Elson and Filip Hronek. Lombardi’s three OT goals this campaign tie the Griffins’ single-season record, and his four-career OT-winners are tied for fourth in franchise history. He has 17 points (8-9—17) in his last 13 outings. The third-year pro was sidelined for 20 straight games from Nov. 22-Jan. 9 due to rehabbing an injury. Since his return on Jan. 13, Lombardi has 19 points (8-11—19) in 20 games. Last season, the Aurora, Ontario, native, logged a career-high 40 points (19-21—40) in 44 games with the Griffins. With Grand Rapids since the spring of 2023, Lombardi has 100 points (35-65—100) in 149 outings, becoming the 22nd fastest player in franchise history to reach the century mark. He was the 113th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.

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.)
- 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 

Untouchables: Below are statistical categories in which the Griffins are undefeated in regulation.
- 30-0 when scoring the game’s first goal
- 19-0 when leading after the first period
- 29-0 when leading after the second period 
- 8-0 in games decided by four or more goals
- 16-0 when allowing one goal or less
- 34-0-1-1 when scoring at least three goals
- 6-0-1-0 when scoring a shorthanded goal
- 1-0-1-1 when allowing a shorthanded goal
- 1-0 when recording 10-19 shots
- 3-0 when allowing 10-19 shots

February Recap: The Griffins finished February with an 8-2-1-0 record and outscored their opponents 38-23. The team also clinched a playoff berth 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 was led by third-year pro Amadeus Lombardi (6-7—13 in 11 GP) followed by rookie Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (7-3—10 in 11 GP). In net, Sebastian Cossa logged a 6-0-1 record with one shutout, a 1.97 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage, while Michal Postava showed a 2-2-0 ledger with a 2.25 GAA and a .924 save percentage. 

What’s The Password?: The Griffins’ defense remains the best in the AHL, as it ranks first with 1.96 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 15 times all season (28.3%) and have averaged 2.40 goals allowed in their last five outings. In addition, the team’s penalty kill is first in the AHL at 87.0%. In net, Sebastian Cossa sports a 1.99 GAA with a .927 save percentage and five shutouts, while rookie netminder Michal Postava possesses a 1.80 GAA, a .935 save percentage and two shutouts. The Griffins have four defensemen who have played at least 100 games in the NHL in Erik Gustafsson (517) (currently with Detroit), Justin Holl (396), Ian Mitchell (110), and William Lagesson (107), totaling 1,130 appearances. 

Ups and Downs: Grand Rapids posted at least five goals in four of six games from Jan. 31-Feb. 15 but has since been held to under three goals in three of its last six games since Feb. 18. However, due to roster limitations, the Griffins have not played with 12 forwards since Feb. 7 (8 games). The Griffins rank second in the AHL with 3.47 goals per game. The team has outscored its opponents 184-104 and is 30-0 when scoring the game’s first goal. The Griffins have outscored their opponents 91-54 at home, while possessing a 93-50 advantage on the road. Grand Rapids has its largest scoring margin against its opponents in the third period (73-33). John Leonard leads the team and is tied for third in the AHL with 26 goals, while Dominik Shine ranks second on the roster with 21 and Sheldon Dries places third with 19.

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 is currently on a seven-game point streak since Feb. 3 (6-0-1). His career-high five shutouts are the most by a Griffin since 2015-16 (Jared Coreau). Cossa has a 24-4-3 record with a 1.99 goals-against average and a .927 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 places second in GAA, second in save percentage, tied for first in shutouts, tied for first in wins and seventh in minutes played (1841:22). 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 68-29-17 mark with eight shutouts to go along with a 2.38 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 115 outings, becoming just the sixth netminder to reach the century mark with the team.

Just Getting Started: Rookie netminder Michal Postava tied a franchise record by becoming the 10th netminder in team history to post back-to-back shutouts from Jan. 17-21. He 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. His 10 saves on Jan. 17 set a new franchise record for fewest in a shutout. 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. Postava is now 10-4-0 with a 1.80 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage in 16 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, 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.    

AHL Leaderboard Tracker:  
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard—Tied for third in game-winners (6), tied for fifth among rookies in goals (15), tied for eighth among rookies in assists (19), fifth among rookies in points (34), tied for third among rookies in plus-minus (+21), tied for seventh among rookies in power-play goals (5), second among rookies in shots (117), first among rookies in game-winners (6)
Sebastian Cossa—Second in GAA (1.99), second in save percentage (.927), tied for first in shutouts (5), tied for first in wins (24), tied for eighth in games played (31), seventh in minutes played (1841:22)
Sheldon Dries—Tied for 13th in power-play goals (7)
x Erik Gustafsson—Tied for 13th among defensemen in plus-minus (+18), tied for 12th among defensemen in power-play goals (2)
Justin Holl—Tied for 11th among defensemen in plus-minus (+19)
Alex Kannok Leipert—Tied for sixth in shorthanded assists (2), tied for third among defensemen in shorthanded assists (2)
William Lagesson—Tied for third in plus-minus (+27), tied for second among defensemen in plus-minus (+27)
John Leonard—Tied for third in goals (26), tied for third in shorthanded goals (3), first in game-winners (8)
Amadeus Lombardi—Tied for fifth in game-winners (5)
Ian Mitchell—Tied for 12th in plus-minus (+24), tied for fourth among defensemen in plus-minus (+24)
x Dominik Shine—Tied for 15th in goals (21), tied for ninth in plus-minus (+25)
Antti Tuomisto—Tied for 12th among defensemen in plus-minus (+19)
Austin Watson—Seventh in penalty minutes (123)

Milestones: In a 6-2 win over the Iowa Wild last Saturday, Amadeus Lombardi collected his 100th point as a Griffin during a two-goal performance.  
Justin Holl—Three games from 700 as a pro
Ian Mitchell—One assist from 100 as a pro, two games from 200 in the AHL
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—One assist from 150 as a pro 
Dan Watson—Three games from 200 as head coach of Griffins

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins