Griffins Game #26 * Home Game #13 * AHL Game #340

Season Series: 5-1-0-0 Home Series: 3-0-0-0 Road Series: 2-1-0-0
All-Time Series: 59-32-5-10 All-Time Home Series: 34-16-1-2 All-Time Road Series: 25-16-4-8

Griffins vs. Monsters

Seventh of 10 meetings overall, fourth of five at Van Andel Arena…The Griffins improved to 5-1 against the Monsters with consecutive victories here on April 20-21 in which they rallied from third-period deficits...Grand Rapids’ 5-3 victory on April 20 snapped Cleveland’s six-game winning streak...Against all other foes this season, the Monsters are 13-4-0-1 and the Griffins are 7-8-3-1…Cleveland’s goal-scoring ranks third in the AHL (3.67) while its power play is second both overall (27.6%) and on the road (30.6%). The Monsters went a combined 3-for-6 in their two April losses at Van Andel Arena...Pat Nagle has earned four wins and played five games against the Monsters this season, sporting a 2.21 goals against average and a 0.912 save percentage in the series...Grand Rapids and Cleveland are Central Division foes for the first time since 2017-18, following the Monsters’ two-year foray into the North Division and Eastern Conference...These teams split a four-game series in 2019-20, with each winning and losing once on the other’s ice...Griffins head coach Ben Simon is a native of the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights.

Busy Bodies

After playing just 16 games overall and only four times at home during the first 70 days of this season – owing to both a light early schedule and six postponements since March 16 – the Griffins on April 16 began a stretch which has them scheduled to play their final 16 games and 12 home contests over a span of only 30 days. Updating those numbers, Grand Rapids will play its final seven games and four home contests over the next 11 days.

This Date in Griffins History

2015: The city council of Rockford, Mich., unanimously votes to change the name of its town to Griffinville for the next two weeks, while the Griffins take on the Rockford (Ill.) IceHogs during the Western Conference Semifinals.

Last Time Out

Chase Pearson scored twice in less than two minutes during the second period on Monday to rally the Griffins from a 0-2 deficit in an eventual 3-2 shootout loss to Rockford at Van Andel Arena. The Griffins, who played past overtime for the first time this season, closed out their season series against the IceHogs with a 4-1-2-1 record, including three home setbacks that came after regulation time. Evan Barratt crashed the crease to chip the puck past Kaden Fulcher at 9:20 of the first period, after Chad Yetman won a battle for it along the end boards and sent a pass out front. Yetman then pushed the IceHogs’ advantage to 2-0 at 9:58 of the second, ripping a shot upstairs from the slot. Pearson lit the lamp twice in a span of 1:58 to knot the score. Sprung on a mini break by a Turner Elson feed in the neutral zone, he blasted a shot past Matt Tomkins’ glove at 13:20 to put the Griffins on the board. Then, during a power play, he slammed a rebound into a yawning cage from the left side at 15:18 to make it a 2-2 game. After a scoreless third period in which the IceHogs outshot the Griffins 11-5 the game progressed to overtime, where Dominic Turgeon and Jared McIsaac rang shots off iron. In the shootout, Tim Soderlund and Cody Franson both solved Fulcher, while only Riley Barber was able to answer against Tomkins. The Griffins surrendered a season-high 39 shots to the IceHogs, with Fulcher’s 36 saves also representing a high-water mark for Grand Rapids goalies this season.

Youth is Served

Last Thursday against Chicago, the Griffins had four rookie defensemen in their lineup – Charle-Edouard D’Astous, Tory Dello, Jared McIsaac and Donovan Sebrango – for the first time in more than four years, dating to a 5-1 win at Milwaukee on April 15, 2017 when five first-year blueliners took to the ice: Hicketts, Dennis Cholowski, Filip Hronek, Patrick McCarron and Dan Renouf. Grand Rapids again had four rookie D in the lineup during their last two games against Rockford, with Patrick Holway taking the place of D’Astous.

A First Time for Everything

Last Wednesday’s win over Rockford marked the third game in the Griffins’ 25 seasons that featured a penalty shot for each team and the first-ever at Van Andel Arena, as Mitchell Fossier beat Kevin Boyle at 4:58 of the third and Ivan Nalimov stoned Taro Hirose with 2:26 remaining. On Oct. 11, 2008 at Lake Erie, Darren Helm was stopped by Jason Bacashihua while Daniel Larsson denied Kyle Cumiskey (both in the first period). On April 10, 2011 at Milwaukee, Ilari Filppula could not beat Atte Engren, and Jordan Pearce turned back Ryan Flynn.

Other Firsts

In Saturday’s game in Rockford, Patrick Holway made his pro debut, Hayden Verbeek notched an assist in his Griffins debut, and Jared McIsaac recorded his first pro point with an assist.

Congrats Are in Order

Joe Veleno made his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings on April 27 in their 1-0 shootout loss at Columbus, logging two shots and winning 57% (4 of 7) of his faceoffs in 14:59 of ice time. He became the 185th Griffins alum to play in the NHL, after recording 23 points (11-12—23) in 54 games with Grand Rapids last season. Veleno has now played four games with Detroit, totaling five shots and four penalty minutes while averaging 15:10 of ice time.

Life of Riley

Riley Barber has registered points in three of the last four games (1-2—3) and in 19 of 25 contests this season. His 15 goals on the season tie for second in the league, his 25 points (15-10—25) tie for 18th and his 12 power play points tie for fifth. He posted a nine-game point streak from Feb. 5-March 11 that was the longest ever to start a player's Griffins career as well as the longest from the start of a Griffins season.

High-Flying Griffins

Chase Pearson logged his second two-goal game and fifth two-point outing of the season on Monday against Rockford. He has five points (2-3—5) in the last four games...Second on the Griffins in scoring with 21 points (5-16—21) in 22 games, Taro Hirose has points in three straight contests (1-2—3) and nine of the last 11 games (2-7—9)…Turner Elson has an assist in three of the last four and six of the last nine games...Kyle Criscuolo has a point in consecutive appearances (1-1—2).

Rarified Air

Brian Lashoff’s 513 games played for the Griffins rank first among active AHL players who have spent their entire AHL career with the same club and tie for eighth 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, who has been unfit to play the last 12 games, tied No. 8-ranked Stan Smrke (Rochester 1957-67) on March 26 and is now four games behind No. 7 Pete Kapusta (Providence Reds 1946-55).

A Long Time Coming

On April 17, goalie Kaden Fulcher made his AHL debut and played his first game in more than 15 months, due to an injury that ended his 2019-20 season, the pandemic, and bouncing between the Griffins and Detroit's taxi squad this season. His last game had been on Jan. 4, 2020, when he made 24 saves for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye in a 5-2 home loss to Indy. Fulcher made 25 saves in that 4-3 overtime loss to Iowa, including 12 during the third period to help the Griffins rally from a two-goal deficit and earn a point. On April 21, he earned his first victory in the AHL and first at any level in more than two years, 2-1 over Cleveland. Fulcher, who was limited to two ECHL games last season due to an injury, made 27 saves in his second career AHL contest, logging his first win since making 27 stops in Toledo’s 5-0 home triumph over Indy on March 3, 2019.

Powerful Play

Following a 2019-20 campaign in which they finished sixth in the AHL’s power play rankings at 20.9%, the Griffins have been even better this season, currently sitting seventh in the league at 21.7% and fourth on the road at 28.6%. Their home power play, however, ranks 23rd, having converted 14.0% of its chances.

Offense Taken

The Griffins have been held to two goals in three straight games and have scored as many as three goals just once in their last six outings. They stand fourth in the AHL in shots per game (32.24) and are tied for 14th in goals per game (3.04).

For the Defense

Grand Rapids is 12th in the league in goals allowed per game (3.00)…The Griffins have been outshot in only seven of their first 25 games, but it’s happened in two straight and four of the last five contests. Only four times have they allowed 30 or more shots, a total that they have reached on 16 occasions. Grand Rapids ranks third in the AHL in shots allowed per game (26.00).

Milestones

In Saturday’s game at Rockford, Joe Hicketts appeared in his 300th pro contest and Turner Elson recorded his 100th pro assist. The next time Dominic Turgeon steps on the ice, it will mark his 300th Griffins/AHL game. Upcoming player milestones include:

Turner Elson—Four points from 100 for his Griffins career

Joe Hicketts—Three assists from 100 for his Griffins/AHL career

Brian Lashoff – Three assists for 100 as a pro

It’s a Start

The roar of a Griffins crowd was partially restored on March 13 when the team began welcoming up to 750 fans per home game, pursuant to the most recent order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Griffins 2021-22 season ticket members are being given the first opportunity to purchase tickets to home games during the remainder of the 2020-21 season. Other fans can sign up for Griffins Nation, the team’s official email newsletter, to receive priority access to 2020-21 tickets whenever limited seats are made available for sale throughout the season. On occasion, single-game tickets may also be purchased online at griffinshockey.com.

We Miss You, Bob!

On Feb. 8, the beloved 21-year Voice of the Griffins, Bob Kaser, underwent successful heart surgery at the Meijer Heart Center in Grand Rapids to repair several blocked arteries. Released from the hospital on Feb. 14, his recovery at home continues to go well. Everyone in Griffins Nation, the Griffins organization, the AHL, and the Michigan hockey community wishes Bob all the best in his recovery and a quick return to health. We can’t wait until he is back in the booth.

Photo by Nicolas Carrillo/Griffins