This Week’s Games
GRIFFINS at Rockford IceHogs // Tue., Feb. 18 // 8 p.m. EST // BMO Harris Bank Center
Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 7:35 p.m.
Watch: AHLTV
Season Series: 1-2-0-0 Road, 3-2-0-2 Overall. Eighth of 10 meetings overall, fourth of five at the BMO Harris Bank Center
All-Time Series: 15-23-4-6 Road, 46-34-7-10 Overall
NHL Affiliation: Chicago Blackhawks
Noteworthy: Grand Rapids has points in three straight meetings overall (1-0-0-2) as a 4-1 victory in the last matchup on Jan. 17 at Van Andel Arena snapped a four-game winless streak in the series (0-2-0-2).

GRIFFINS at Chicago Wolves // Thu., Feb. 20 // Noon EST // Allstate Arena
Listen: ESPN 96.1 FM at 11:35 a.m.
Watch: AHLTV
Season Series: 2-1-0-0 Road, 2-3-0-0 Overall. Sixth of eight meetings overall, fourth of four at Allstate Arena
All-Time Series: 44-35-0-2-1 Road, 86-64-2-6-3 Overall
NHL Affiliation: Vegas Golden Knights
Noteworthy: The Griffins have won two of their last three weekday matinee games at Chicago.

GRIFFINS vs. San Antonio Rampage // Sat., Feb. 22 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena
GRIFFINS vs. San Antonio Rampage // Sun., Feb. 23 // 4 p.m. // Van Andel Arena
Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday, 3:35 p.m. on Sunday
Watch: AHLTV
Season Series: 1-0-0-0 Home, 2-1-0-0 Overall. Fourth and fifth of eight meetings overall, second and third of four at Van Andel Arena
All-Time Series: 27-12-1-3-1 Home, 52-29-1-5-2 Overall
NHL Affiliation: St. Louis Blues
Noteworthy: The Griffins have won the last nine matchups at Van Andel Arena with a +23 scoring advantage.

Last Week’s Results
Tue., Feb. 11 // GRIFFINS 2 at Cleveland Monsters 6 // 22-22-3-4 (51 pts., T3rd Central Division)
Fri., Feb. 14 // Cleveland Monsters 2 at GRIFFINS 4 // 23-22-3-4 (53 pts., T3rd Central)
Sat., Feb. 15 // GRIFFINS 5 at Chicago Wolves 2 // 24-22-3-4 (55 pts., 3rd Central)

Status Update: The Grand Rapids Griffins have accumulated points in 13 of their last 16 games (10-3-1-2) and tie the Wolves for third place in the Central Division with 55 points (24-22-3-4 record), just two ahead of Rockford. Tonight at Rockford is the middle of a three-game tour through the Land of Lincoln as Grand Rapids won 5-2 at Chicago on Saturday and returns to the Windy City for a matinee encounter on Thursday. Grand Rapids returns to Van Andel Arena for a Saturday-Sunday set against San Antonio. The Griffins have points in 10 of their last 11 divisional matchups (8-1-1-1) and 18 of the team’s final 23 games will come against the Central.

Last Week’s Notes:

Tuesday at Cleveland – Grand Rapids had its eight-game point streak (5-0-1-2) at Cleveland snapped, losing in regulation for the first time since Feb. 28, 2017...Evgeny Svechnikov extended his goal streak to three games while Taro Hirose, assigned by Detroit earlier in the day, moved his assist streak to six...Svechnikov became the fourth Griffin to reach 10 goals this season...Cleveland’s four goals in the second period were the most in a single frame since Texas scored four times in the third on March 20, 2019. Recap | Highlights

Friday vs. Cleveland – Turner Elson netted his second game-winning goal of the season with 1:23 remaining…Elson’s other game-winner came with 1:58 left in regulation on Dec. 28 at Milwaukee...Evgeny Svechnikov extended his career-high goal streak to four games and Taro Hirose has assists in seven consecutive...Jarid Lukosevicius lit the lamp for the first time since Nov. 22...Pat Nagle turned aside 19 shots and has won back-to-back starts...Grand Rapids has points in its last three games at Van Andel Arena (2-0-1-0) and in 10 of the last 11 (7-1-1-2)...This was the 100th all-time regular season meeting between the teams...Grand Rapids finished the season series 2-2...Grand Rapids had its three-game power play goal streak ended. Recap | Highlights

Saturday at Chicago – Grand Rapids snapped a three-game losing streak against the Wolves…The Griffins rallied off five unanswered goals after Chicago opened the game’s scoring...Givani Smith netted his first career two-goal game...Rookie Jarid Lukosevicius lit the lamp in consecutive games for the second time this season...Matt Ford posted his third two-goal outing of the season and two have come at Chicago...Pat Nagle stopped 17 shots and has won his last three starts...Nineteen Chicago shots tied for the lowest Grand Rapids has allowed this season. Recap | Highlights

Follow the Leaders:

Movin’ On Up: Over the last 16 games, during which the Griffins have risen from last place in the division into a tie for third, Grand Rapids is outscoring opponents 49-40 and outshooting them 535-457 (+78) while operating at 21.1% on the power play (15-for-71) and 84.8% on the penalty kill (39-for-46). The Griffins have allowed the game’s opening goal 12 times in the last 16 outings, including in five straight. Chris Terry (5-8—13), Taro Hirose (0-11—11) and Michael Rasmussen (3-7—10) are the leading scorers in the stretch. Pat Nagle (5-1, 1.84 GAA, 0.931%) and Calvin Pickard (5-2-1, 2.66 GA, 0.910%, 1 SO) have shared crease duties during the run.

Red Wings Report: There have been 13 players who have played for both Detroit and Grand Rapids this season – Madison Bowey, Dennis Cholowski, Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard (conditioning), Joe Hicketts, Taro Hirose, Brian Lashoff, Gustav Lindstrom, Dylan McIlrath, Calvin Pickard, Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov and Filip Zadina.

Russian Influence: Evgeny Svechnikov is on a career-high four-game goal streak, notching five goals, including four on the power play, among seven points in that span. His four-game run matches Eric Tangradi (Dec. 17-Jan. 5) as the longest by a Griffin this season and the last player with a five-game goal streak or longer was Matt Ford from Dec. 15-29, 2017 (five games). Svechnikov’s team-high seven points in five February games equals his outputs from December (2-2—4 in 11 GP) and January (1-2—3 in 10 GP) combined. He missed Saturday’s game at Chicago.

Net Nagle: Since Feb. 9, which includes wins in three consecutive starts and stopping all 14 attempts in a relief appearance, Pat Nagle shows a 1.43 GAA and a 0.944 save percentage. Zooming out, in his last seven appearances dating to Jan. 17, he has accounted for a 5-1 ledger, a 1.84 GAA and a 0.931 save mark. If he had enough minutes to qualify (about 240 shy), his 2.08 season GAA would place fourth in the league.

Model Year: Captain Matthew Ford became the fifth Griffin this season to reach the double-digit goal total after he netted his third two-goal of the season on Saturday. In his 12th year as a pro, Ford has banked 10 or more tallies in seven consecutive campaigns and his three multi-goal outings are his most since producing three during 2015-16 with Bakersfield.

Tar-Oh!: Rookie Taro Hirose saw his team-high seven-game assist streak come to a close in Saturday’s win at Chicago. His seven-game run was the team’s longest since Filip Hronek’s eight-gamer from Nov. 23-Dec. 7, 2018. Hirose’s 21 points (4-17—21) and 17 assists are both team highs since Dec. 3 – the date of his first assignment by Detroit to Grand Rapids.

Back Up, Terr: 2020 AHL All-Star Classic selection Chris Terry leads the team with 17 points (5-12—17) in 19 GP in the new year. Overall, he places sixth in the AHL in points (47) while pacing the Griffins in goals (18), assists (29), multi-point games (14) and power play goals (9).

Time to Tango: Eric Tangradi lists eight goals among 11 points in 14 appearances this season. He ties for third on the team in power play goals (5), ties for seventh in goals overall and places fourth in points per game (0.79). A 2017 Calder Cup champion with Grand Rapids, Tangradi ranks among the club’s all-time leaders with 175 points (9th), 84 goals (5th) and 26 PPG (T2nd).

February Finish: The Griffins have points in 22 of their last 27 games in the month of February (18-5-2-2, 0.741). That stretch includes points in 15 of 17 appearances at Van Andel Arena (12-2-2-1), including in seven straight (5-0-2-0), and in seven of 10 contests on foreign ice (6-3-0-1).

Give Me a Break: Since joining the AHL in the 2001-02 season, the Griffins post a 305-218-7-21-27 (0.575) combined record in games played after the all-star break. Grand Rapids has tallied a 0.500 mark or better in each of the last nine seasons after the hiatus, including going a combined 135-72-11-12 (0.637) since 2012-13 – the year its current postseason streak began. The Griffins are 4-2-1-0 after the break so far this season.

Rotating Roster: Five different goaltenders have logged minutes for Grand Rapids this season, the team’s most since five suited up during the 2014-15 campaign (Pat Nagle, Jonas Gustavsson, Petr Mrazek, Jared Coreau, Tom McCollum). Including those five goalies, the Griffins have used 38 players already this season. Here is how the current usage stacks up to the final player counts in recent seasons: 2018-19 – 41 players, 2017-18 – 32, 2016-17 – 39, 2015-16 – 37 and 2014-15 – 39. Since the AHL’s season began on Oct. 4, the Red Wings have recalled or assigned a player from or to Grand Rapids a total of 79 times.

Milestones Within Reach:
Turner Elson – needs four points to reach 150 in the AHL
Brian Lashoff – needs 10 games to reach 500 as a Griffin/in the AHL
Chris Terry – needs two points to reach 550 in the AHL
Givani Smith – needs six games to reach 100 as a Griffin

Griffins in General: Grand Rapids is in the franchise’s 24th overall season of play, 19th as a member of the American Hockey League and 18th as the primary affiliate of the 11-time Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings…Grand Rapids is 989-678-27-61-116 (0.583) in the regular season since 1996-97 to go along with 17 playoff appearances, seven division titles and two Calder Cups (2017, 2013)…The Griffins have earned 40 or more wins and accumulated 90 or more points in six of the last seven seasons…Grand Rapids has qualified for the Calder Cup Playoffs in a franchise-record seven consecutive seasons and advanced to at least the second round on five occasions…The Griffins’ 8-5 season-opening win at Chicago on Oct. 5 marked the club’s 750th win in the AHL…Grand Rapids’ 329 regular season wins since the 2012-13 campaign tie Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for second behind only Toronto’s 343 while the Griffins’ 716 points in that span are third, trailing Providence (724) and Toronto (744).

Rockford Notes: Current record 25-25-1-2, 53 points, 5th Central Division…Grand Rapids has points in three straight meetings overall (1-0-0-2) as a 4-1 victory in the last matchup on Jan. 17 at Van Andel Arena snapped a four-game winless streak in the series (0-2-0-2)…Since the start of the 2017-18 season, the Griffins have points in seven of 13 games at the BMO Harris Bank Center (2-6-2-3)…Since the 2016-17 season, the home team in the series has posted a 25-8-2-2 record (0.730)…Chris Terry (2-3—5 in 7 GP) leads the team in the series, followed by four players with four points each...As a member of the Griffins, Matt Puempel has 19 points (8-11—19) in 22 GP against the IceHogs…The Griffins have killed off 17 consecutive penalties against the IceHogs and gone 23-for-24 on the PK in the series (95.8%)...Rockford’s lone PPG came during a 5-on-3 on Nov. 15...Head coach Ben Simon served as an assistant in Rockford for two seasons (2011-13)…Rockford head coach Derek King played in Grand Rapids from 1999-01 and 2002-04 and is the franchise’s all-time leading playoff scorer (16-25—41) and ranks fifth in regular season points (73-130—203).

Chicago Notes: Current record 25-22-3-2, 55 points, T3rd Central Division…The Griffins have won two of their last three matinee games at Chicago, falling 5-4 on Dec. 21, 2017, but winning 7-1 on Dec. 15, 2016 and 5-0 on Feb. 23, 2016…In the most recent matchup last Saturday, Grand Rapids scored five unanswered goals in a 5-2 victory to snap a three-game losing streak against the Wolves…Givani Smith and Matt Ford both lit the lamp twice last Saturday…Ford (4-3—7 in 5 GP) leads Grand Rapids in the series, boosted by a four-point effort on Oct. 5, which tied a career high, and a three-point outing on Saturday…Grand Rapids has faced Chicago 161 times in the regular season, the second-most of any Griffins opponent (Milwaukee, 192)…In the season series, Grand Rapids’ power play is 5-for-18 (27.8%) while the Wolves’ is 4-for-16 (25.0%)…As part of his 11-year professional playing career, Ben Simon registered 87 points (37-50—87) in 196 games with the Wolves from 2001-03 and 2004-05 and was a part of Chicago’s first Calder Cup title in 2002.

San Antonio Notes: Current record 19-20-7-5, 50 points, 6th Central Division…San Antonio’s 5-4 victory at the AT&T Center in the last tilt on Jan. 5 ended Grand Rapids’ six-game winning streak in the series…Since being swept in all four meetings during the 2015-16 campaign, the Griffins have won 16 of the last 19 and outscored the Rampage 75-42…San Antonio’s 5-4 victory on Jan. 5 in Texas ended Grand Rapids’ six-game winning streak in the series…The Griffins have won the last nine at Van Andel Arena with a +23 scoring advantage (42-19)…Chris Terry (0-4—4 in 3 GP) leads the team in the series followed by three players with three points each…Calvin Pickard, who earned his 100th AHL win on Nov. 20 vs. San Antonio, appeared in 21 games with the Rampage during the 2015-16 season and posted a 9-8-4 record to go along with a 2.75 GAA, a 0.917 save percentage and one shutout…Turner Elson spent the 2016-17 with San Antonio and scored three points (1-2—3) while being limited by injury to 13 games…Zach Nastasiuk was a second-round draft selection, 48th overall, by Detroit in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and skated in 65 games with the Griffins from 2013-18, tallying 14 points (4-10—14) and four PIM.

Win Some, Lose Some: Compare the statistics between the Griffins’ 24 wins and 29 (including OT and SO) losses:

Back-to-Back: This weekend will mark the 18th of 25 times total this season the Griffins will play on consecutive nights.

Photo by Sam Iannamico/Griffins