Griffins Game #60 * Road Game #28 * AHL Game #916

Season Series: 1-1-0-0 Home Series: 1-1-0-0 Road Series: 0-0-0-0
All-Time Series: 2-4-0-0 All-Time Home Series: 1-2-0-0 All-Time Road Series: 1-2-0-0

Griffins at Condors
Third of four meetings overall, first of two at Mechanics Bank Arena…This will be the Griffins first trip to Bakersfield since Dec. 14, 2019 when they were defeated 2-1 by the Condors...Bakersfield has earned points in all six matchups in the all-time series (4-0-1-1)...The Griffins hold a 13-16-1-3 record (0.455) against current teams in the Pacific Division, including a 5-8-1-2 (0.406) mark on the road...Grand Rapids will play eight games against the Pacific Division this season and are 2-3-0-0 so far...Bakersfield comes into the contest with a 5-5-0-0 mark in its past 10 games...Grand Rapids is 4-6-0-0 in its last 10 outings...The Condors are 14-7-1-2 at home this season while the Griffins are 12-13-1-1 on the road...In the power-play rankings, Bakersfield is tied for 24th at 18.1% while it is tied for 19th in the penalty kill at 80.3%...Bakersfield’s interim head coach Colin Chaulk skated with the Griffins in the 2001-02 season, totaling four points (3-1—4) in 13 games...Condors’ center Luke Esposito played his rookie season with Grand Rapids, registering eight points (1-7—8) in 31 outings.

Last Time Out
Ontario’s Martin Frk, T.J. Tynan and Taylor Ward combined for 11 points, as the Reign defeated the Grand Rapids Griffins 6-2 on Wednesday at Toyota Arena. This was the first matchup in Ontario between the two clubs since April 3, 2019, and the fifth-ever meeting overall. Jonatan Berggren recorded two assists and notched his 100th point as a professional. Dominik Shine recorded his third goal in the last five contests, which extended his point streak to four games (3-2—5). Riley Barber got on the scoresheet with his 11th goal of the campaign. Over the last two meetings, Grand Rapids has held the league’s top power play to zero goals on 11 penalties. Calvin Pickard played in his 400th game as a pro while Dan Renouf skated in his 350th contest at the pro level. Seth Barton returned to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 1, due to rehabbing an injury. With the win, Ontario became the second team to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup Playoffs, joining the Stockton Heat.

Roster Shake Up
- March 21, 2022—D Luke Witkowski recalled by Detroit and traded to St. Louis Blues; F Taro Hirose and F Joe Veleno reassigned by Detroit; F Joe Veleno recalled by Detroit; D Seth Barton reassigned to Grand Rapids by Detroit
- March 22, 2022—F Taro Hirose recalled by Detroit
- March 24, 2022—F Chase Pearson recalled by Detroit

Road Trip!
The Griffins have set off on their season-high five-game road trip. Grand Rapids began the stretch with a 5-1 defeat at Rockford on Saturday and are 0-2-0-0 so far on the trip. The Griffins headed west to California for two games apiece against Bakersfield and Ontario. Grand Rapids went on a four-game trip earlier in the season and finished with a 2-2 mark. The Griffins are 12-13-1-1 this season away from West Michigan while they are 14-13-4-1 at home. Grand Rapids will play 11 of its remaining 17 games on foreign ice.

California Dreamin’
The Griffins have not fared well against current teams in the Pacific Division, as the team holds a 13-16-1-3 (0.455) overall record against them and a 5-8-1-2 (0.406) ledger on the road. Narrowing it down even more, Grand Rapids is 11-14-1-3 (0.448) all-time against AHL teams from California, including a 2-3-0-0 record this year.

This Date in Griffins History
2017: Eddie Pasquale turns away 37 shots for his fourth shutout of the season, a 4-0 victory at Rockford. It marks the Griffins' eighth shutout on the campaign, their most in a single season since the 2008-09 edition blanked nine opponents.

Trade Deadline Moves
On Monday, the Detroit Red Wings traded defensemen Nick Leddy and Luke Witkowski to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Jake Walman, center Oskar Sundqvist and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. In addition, the Red Wings sent center Vladislav Namestnikov to the Dallas Stars in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Detroit now holds 18 selections in the next two NHL Entry Drafts. In 44 games with the Griffins, Witkowski logged seven points (3-4—7), 62 penalty minutes and a plus-six rating. Sundqvist, 27, has skated in 41 games with the Blues this season, recording 15 points (4-11-15), 12 penalty minutes and a plus-four rating. Walman, 26, has suited up in 32 contests for St. Louis this campaign, tallying six points (3-3-6), six penalty minutes and a plus-three rating. Both Sundqvust (selected 81st overall by Pittsburgh in 2012) and Walman (selected 82nd overall by St. Louis in 2014) were drafted in the third round of the NHL Entry Draft.

Overtime Magic
Turner Elson rattled off a career-high five-game goal streak from March 9-18, which is the longest goal streak this season by a Griffin. The 29-year-old recorded overtime winners in two straight outings from March 13-16, joining Filip Hronek as the only Griffins to score overtime goals in consecutive games. After registering zero overtime tallies in his first 233 regular-season games as a Griffin, Elson scored consecutive overtime goals from March 13-16 and in three of his last 46 contests. With three OT tallies apiece, Elson and Jonatan Berggren have tied Grand Rapids’ single-season record (Andy Miele in 2014-15 and Kevin Miller in 2003-04) and along with Brian Lashoff sit one shy of the career mark shared by Miele and Jiri Hudler. Grand Rapids’ five road overtime wins this season (5-1) are a franchise record. The Griffins’ four home overtime losses this campaign (2-4) tie the franchise record set in 2014-15.

Welcome Back, March
The Griffins have had a remarkable stretch of success during the month of March throughout their 25 seasons. Grand Rapids has earned a winning record in March for 13 straight years, in large part by going 0.500 or better on the road during each of those months and despite playing 62% of its games on the road. All time, the Griffins have only had a losing March record three times in 25 years. The last time Grand Rapids suffered a losing record in March was back in 2008. Things that were also happening in March of 2008: Jimmy Howard was playing his third of four full seasons in Grand Rapids; Ben Simon was an alternate captain for the Springfield Falcons, 2.5 years from starting his coaching career; Donovan Sebrango was six years old; President George W. Bush was serving his final year in the White House; and the Red Wings were three months from winning their most recent Stanley Cup.

Shine Bright
Dominik Shine is in the midst a career-high four-game point streak (3-2—5) and has tallied a goal in three of his last four outings. Before this run, the Detroit, native registered just one tally and four assists in his previous 28 games. Shine scored in consecutive contests from March 16-18, which tied a career-high goal streak. The 28-year-old has already set career-best numbers in goals (9), assists (13), points (22), penalty minutes (102) and shots (90) this campaign with 17 games remaining.

Huffin’ and Puffin’
So far this season, the Griffins are 3-11-1-2 (0.265) against the Central Division-leading Chicago Wolves and the second-place Manitoba Moose. However, Grand Rapids is 23-15-4-0 (0.595) against the rest of the AHL.

Johnny Apple Seed
Rookie Jonatan Berggren registered a career-high four assists on Jan. 18 at Cleveland, which set a new single-game high for any Griffin this season. Berggren’s four helpers were one shy of tying the Griffins’ rookie single-game record of five assists set by Chris Bala (1/10/02). Berggren’s 40 points (14-26—40) ranks ninth among first-year players on the circuit and rank second on the Griffins’ roster. His 26 assists place seventh among league rookies. Berggren is also tied for 10th in the league with five game-winning goals, which ranks third among rookies.

Rarified Air
Brian Lashoff’s 563 games played for the Griffins ranks first among active AHL players who have spent their entire AHL career with the same club and fifth in league history among one-team players. Of the players ahead of him on that list, the most recent – and, coincidentally, the record-holder – last played during the 1970-71 season (Bill Needham of the Cleveland Barons, 981 games played). Lashoff overtook Pete Backor (Pittsburgh Hornets 1945-54) for the No. 5 spot on Jan. 14 against Manitoba and is now seven games behind No. 4 Paul Larivee (Providence Reds 1952-62). Lashoff is still 92 games away from breaking the Griffins’ all-time games played record, held by Travis Richards with 655 games (1995-2006).

AHL Leaderboard Tracker
Jonatan Berggren—40 points (14-26—40) ranks ninth among first-year players, 26 assists place seventh among rookies, five game-winning goals are tied for 10th in the league and rank third among rookies
Taro Hirose—31 assists are tied for 14th, 14 power play assists are tied for 16th
Ryan Murphy—11 goals rank second among blueliners, 29 points (11-18—29) are tied for 16th among defenseman
Calvin Pickard—2.58 goals against average places 14th, 0.918 save percentage is tied for eighth, 21 wins rank fifth, 2534:30 minutes played places second
Dominik Shine—102 penalty minutes ranks seventh

Milestones
Jonatan Berggren notched his 100th point as a pro during a two-assist night on March 22 at Ontario. In that same contest, Calvin Pickard appeared in his 400th game as a pro and Dan Renouf skated in his 350th contest at the pro level. Other upcoming milestones include:
Riley Barber—Two games from 350 in the AHL
Jan Drozg—Three goals from 50 as a pro
Turner Elson—Three goals from 100 as a pro
Jon Martin—One game from 250 in the AHL

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins