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This Week’s Games
Milwaukee Admirals at GRIFFINS // Wed., March 29 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena
Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m.
Watch: AHLLive.com
Season Series: 3-2-0-0 Home, 6-4-0-0 Overall. Eleventh of 12 meetings overall, sixth of six at Van Andel Arena.
All-Time Series: 48-26-2-1-2 Home, 84-58-7-6-7 Overall.
NHL Affiliation: Nashville Predators
Noteworthy: Martin Frk leads the team with eight points (3-5—8) in 10 games against Milwaukee.

Charlotte Checkers at GRIFFINS // Fri., March 31 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena
Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m.
Watch: AHLLive.com
Season Series: 0-1-0-0 Home, 2-3-0-0 Overall. Sixth of eight meetings overall, second of four at Van Andel Arena.
All-Time Series: 6-9-0-0 Home, 16-16-0-1 Overall.
NHL Affiliation: Carolina Hurricanes
Noteworthy: The Checkers acquired former Griffins goalie Tom McCollum on loan from the Stockton Heat on March 8.

GRIFFINS at Rockford IceHogs // Sat., April 1 // 8 p.m. // BMO Harris Bank Center
Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 7:35 p.m.
Watch: AHLLive.com
Season Series: 3-1-0-0 Road, 7-2-0-0 Overall. Tenth of 10 meetings overall, fifth of five at the BMO Harris Bank Center.
All-Time Series: 13-16-2-3 Road, 36-25-3-5 Overall.
NHL Affiliation: Chicago Blackhawks
Noteworthy: Grand Rapids has clinched the 10-game season series against Rockford, marking the fifth consecutive season the Griffins have either won or tied the season series against their Illinois counterpart.

Last Week’s Results
Fri., March 24 Rockford IceHogs 3 at GRIFFINS 5 41-18-1-4 (87 points, 1st Central)
Sat., March 25 GRIFFINS 4 at Rockford IceHogs 0 42-18-1-4 (89 points, 1st)
Sun., March 26 GRIFFINS 3 at Milwaukee Admirals 2 43-18-1-4 (91 points, 1st)

Opening Faceoff: Grand Rapids swept all three games last weekend and clinched a Calder Cup Playoff berth following Sunday’s 3-2 win at Milwaukee. Playing three-games-in-three-nights for the 158th time in team history, the Griffins swept all three contests for the 20th time ever. Winners in three in a row and five of its last six, Grand Rapids hosts Milwaukee on Wednesday and Charlotte on Friday before traveling to Rockford on Saturday. The Griffins continue to lead the Central Division while ranking second in the Western Conference and third in the AHL with a 0.689 points percentage.

This Week’s Promotions: Wednesday against Milwaukee is a Winning Wednesday and is the fifth annual Brain Injury Awareness Game presented by Brain Injury Association of Michigan. On Friday against Charlotte, fans can enjoy $2 hot dogs/$2 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last.

Last Week’s Recap: To open a three-games-in-three-nights stretch, the Griffins defeated Rockford 5-3 at home on Friday. Tied 3-3 entering the third period, Martin Frk scored twice in the final 20 minutes to give Grand Rapids the win. The Griffins made it a weekend sweep over Rockford with a 4-0 victory on Saturday. Eddie Pasquale recorded 37 saves and notched his fourth shutout of the season. To round out the weekend, Evgeny Svechnikov potted the game-winning goal with 8:26 remaining in regulation as Grand Rapids topped Milwaukee 3-2.

Playoff Bound: Following Grand Rapids’ 3-2 win at Milwaukee last Sunday, the Griffins clinched a Calder Cup Playoff berth for the 15th time in franchise history and fifth consecutive season. Five straight trips to the postseason ties a franchise record (1999-00 to 2003-04). March 26 is the earliest date that the Griffins have secured a playoff spot since clinching on March 12, 2006. This season’s berth marks the sixth time in as many full seasons as an AHL head coach that Todd Nelson has led his team to the Calder Cup Playoffs. The 2013 Calder Cup champions, Grand Rapids is 79-72 (0.523) all-time in the postseason and has won at least one playoff series in each of the last four playoffs.

Follow the Leader(s): Ben Street (25-29—54), Matt Lorito (20-33—53), Martin Frk (26-23—49), Evgeny Svechnikov (18-24—42) and Eric Tangradi (15-26—41) lead the team in points...Street ties for 11th in the AHL in scoring while Lorito ties for 14th…Svechnikov ties for sixth among rookies in scoring…Rookie Dan Renouf has 59 PIM to pace the team…Captain Nathan Paetsch has a team-best plus-19 rating…Jared Coreau ranks 11th with a 2.30 GAA and ties for 10th with a 0.921 save percentage…Eddie Pasquale ties for fourth with four shutouts, ranks 13th with a 2.46 GAA and ties for 13th with a 0.918 save percentage.

40 and Counting: The Griffins have reached the 40-win plateau for the fifth consecutive season and 14th time overall in the franchise’s 21-year history. Grand Rapids has qualified for the playoffs in 13 of the 14 seasons when notching 40 or more wins. The Griffins secured win No. 40 in the 62nd game of the season, tying last year’s club for the third-fastest the team has reached the benchmark. Only the 2000-01 (59 games) and 2005-06 (60 games) squads did so quicker. Grand Rapids has also achieved the 90-point mark for the 13th time in club history and fifth straight year. The Griffins are on pace to finish the season with 104 points. Grand Rapids has amassed 100 or more points five times previously (115 in 2005-06, 113 in 2000-01, 111 in 1999-00, 106 in 2002-03 and 100 in 2013-14).

Current Playoff Picture:
CENTRAL DIVISION

x - Clinched playoff berth
Currently in playoff position

Back and Forth for Renouf: Recalled on Sunday by Detroit, defenseman Dan Renouf became the 162nd Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL when he debuted with the Red Wings during their 4-3 overtime win at Carolina last night. Renouf tallied one shot while playing 13:35. Detroit assigned him to Grand Rapids today.

Street Recalled: The Red Wings recalled Ben Street today. An alternate captain with the Griffins, Street has skated in 60 games and leads the team with 54 points (25-29—54) while placing second in goals, assists and power play goals (10). Street also ranks among the AHL’s leaders, tying for eighth in goals and 11th in points. Should he debut with the Red Wings, Street will become the 163rd Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL.

Three in Detroit: Tomas Nosek, Robbie Russo and Ben Street are on recall with the Detroit Red Wings. The 161st Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL, Russo debuted with Detroit during the team’s 3-2 loss at Toronto on March 7. Russo has appeared in 12 games while averaging 15:56 of ice time and showing an even rating. Nosek has skated in four games this season, tallying two PIM and a plus-one rating in an average of 9:43 time on ice.

McCarron Signed by Grand Rapids: The Griffins today signed defenseman Patrick McCarron to an amateur tryout for the remainder of this season and to a standard player’s contract for 2017-18. McCarron, 22, played the last four seasons at Cornell University (ECAC), where he tallied 50 points (12-38—50) and 81 penalty minutes in 123 games. As an alternate captain his senior year, the 6-foot-3, 201-pound blueliner was named to the All-Ivy League Second Team, finished second on the Big Red in scoring with 25 points (6-19—25) and helped Cornell reach the NCAA Tournament. McCarron added 41 PIM to lead the team and ranked among the ECAC’s leading defensemen in goals (T8th), assists (7th) and points (T6th).

Red Wings Draft Picks Join Griffins: The Detroit Red Wings last Wednesday reassigned forward Givani Smith (jih-VAH-nee SMIHTH) to the Griffins from the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm and defenseman Filip Hronek (FIHL-ihp H’ROW-nehk) to the American Hockey League club from the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. Smith, Detroit’s second choice (46th overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, played in 64 games with Guelph this season and ranked among the team’s leaders with 44 points (3rd), 26 goals (2nd), seven power play goals (T2nd), three game-winning goals (T1st) and 214 shots (1st). The 6-foot-2, 209-pound winger logged 139 penalty minutes to lead the league for the second consecutive season. In his first season in North America, Hronek skated in 59 games with Saginaw this year and tied for fourth among OHL defenseman in scoring (14-47—61). Detroit’s third choice (53rd overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Hronek placed among the team’s leaders with 47 assists (1st), 21 power play points (1st), 14 goals (4th) and 235 shots (2nd) and was named Saginaw’s Most Valuable Player.

Hronek Debuts: Defenseman Filip Hronek made his AHL and Griffins debut during last Friday’s 5-3 win against Rockford. Detroit’s third choice (53rd overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Hronek became the 12th player in Griffins history to suit up for Grand Rapids in the season immediately following his draft year.

Home Sweet Home: Winners in three straight and seven of their last eight on home ice, the Griffins are 23-8-0-2 at Van Andel Arena this season and their 48 points are fourth in the league. The Griffins own a plus-45 goal differential inside friendly confines, the second-highest in the AHL.

Resiliency: In the 18 games following a regulation defeat this season, the Griffins post a 14-3-0-1 (0.806) record.

Coreau Climbs Charts: Take a look at where fourth-year pro Jared Coreau stacks up in Grand Rapids’ all-time goaltending record book:

Fantastic Frk: Martin Frk leads the team with 26 goals, including four in the last four games, and has set a career high with 12 power play tallies. Last Friday against Rockford, he notched his 11th career multi-goal game. The Griffins have points in all 11 of those occurrences, showing a 10-0-0-1 record. Frk’s 12 power play goals are the most in a season by a Griffin since Jeremy Williams banked 14 in 2009-10. In fact, 12 PPGs tie with Carl Corazzini (2007-08), Glen Metropolit (1998-99) and Michel Picard (1996-97) for seventh-most in a single season in franchise history. One more and Frk can tie Jeff Nelson (1996-97) for sixth. Donald MacLean holds the team’s single-season power play goal record with 21, set in 2005-06. Frk logged 11 markers on the man advantage in 2015-16 and is the second player in team history to record consecutive seasons with double-digit power play goal totals (Eric Manlow in 2004-05 and 2005-06). Including his 27-goal haul from last season, Frk is the ninth player in franchise history to log consecutive 20-goal campaigns and the first since Teemu Pulkkinen in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Tomas Tatar recorded three-straight 20-goal seasons from 2010-13, the only player in team history to accomplish such a feat. The Griffins have had a player log 30 or more goals 14 times in club history, and it was most recently accomplished by Teemu Pulkkinen in 2014-15.

Hot Street: Seventh-year pro and first-year Griffin Ben Street ranks second on the team with 25 goals, marking the third time in his AHL career that he has reached the 20-goal benchmark (27 in 2011-12 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton; 28 in 2013-14 with Abbotsford). He scored his team-leading sixth game-winning goal of the campaign in last Saturday’s 4-0 victory at Rockford. In the last five games, Street shows six points (3-3—6).

Tango Cashes In: Eric Tangradi has 23 points (9-14—23) in his last 17 games. In fact, since Feb. 15, his 23 points are second-most in the AHL. The eighth-year pro is on a seven-game point streak (4-5—9), and has four goals in the last five contests.

Russian Influence: Rookie Evgeny Svechnikov’s 18 tallies tie for 10th among AHL rookies and place 10th on the franchise’s all-time single-season rookie goal scorers list. Detroit’s first choice (19th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Svechnikov’s 42 points (18-24—42) currently rank eighth on Grand Rapids’ all-time single-season rookie scoring list.

Recipe Calls for Crisco: Rookie Kyle Criscuolo is staking his name to the list of top all-time rookie scorers in Grand Rapids history. Consider that he currently ties for 11th on the club’s rookie goal scorers list with 17 and is in a tie for ninth on the all-time first-year player scoring chart with 39.

On the Power Play: The Griffins continue to lead the league with a power play percentage of 26.2% (74/282). Grand Rapids has relied on the power play for 32.0% of their goals (74 of 231), the highest percentage in the AHL. The power play has been keyed by Martin Frk (12-13—25), Ben Street (10-15—25), Tomas Nosek (7-17—24) and Matt Lorito (4-20—24), who lead the team in points. Frk ties for fourth in the league in power play tallies, as 12 of his team-leading 26 markers on the year have come with more skaters. Mitch Callahan and Frk have been on the ice 40 times during a power play goal, tied for tops on the team. Of the Griffins’ 74 power play goals, 33 have been scored with five forwards on the ice, 25 with four forwards and one defensemen, 14 with three forwards and two defensemen, one with three forwards and one defenseman and one with six forwards. With 12 PPGs from Frk and 10 from Street, the Griffins have two or more players record double-digit PPG totals for the sixth time in franchise history and first since 2008-09 (Darren Haydar 16, Justin Abdelkader 10).

Chasing PP History: With only 10 games remaining, the Griffins are threatening the AHL’s single-season record for highest power play percentage. The Springfield Indians established the mark, finishing at 26.78% in 1993-94. Grand Rapids is set to shatter the franchise record for best power play percentage in a season, which was set by the 2005-06 squad at 21.8%. Through 66 games, the 2005-06 team stood at 22.0% while on the man advantage (99/451). The 2005-06 club, which played 80 regular season games, also scored 120 PPG, the most in team history.

Shuttin’ It Down: Eddie Pasquale recorded his fourth shutout of the campaign last Saturday and is tied for ninth on the franchise’s single-season shutout list. Six players hold the club record with six clean sheets in a season. Grand Rapids’ goaltenders have combined for eight shutouts this season, the most since the 2008-09 club blanked nine opponents.

Spreading the Wealth: Behind Martin Frk (26), Ben Street (25) and Matt Lorito (20), Grand Rapids has three or more players with 20-plus goals for the third consecutive season. The Griffins have six players with 40 or more points, the most since the 2008-09 squad had seven.

The Puck Stops Here: Second in the league in goals against per game (2.48), the Griffins are on pace to allow only 188 goals total which would be the sixth-lowest amount ever in franchise history (166 in 2003-04, 177 in 2002-03, 178 in 2001-02, 185 in 2014-15, 187 in 2013-14).

Shots Fired: Martin Frk paces the league with 214 shots and is on track to finish with 246, which would tie for the fifth-most in franchise history and be the most since the 2007-08 season. As a team, the Griffins are second in the AHL, averaging 33.00 shots per game.

Specialty Teams: In addition to having the league’s top power play unit, the Griffins are 11th in penalty killing at 83.1%. Grand Rapids’ combined power play and penalty kill percentage of 109.3 is second on the circuit (San Jose 110.3).

Bookends: The Griffins lead the league with a plus-28 goal differential (70-42) in the first period and place third with a plus-30 differential (82-52) in the final frame. Grand Rapids is 34-4-1-1 (0.875) when striking first.

Showing Discipline: The Griffins are the least penalized team in the league, averaging just 10.3 penalty minutes per contest. In fact, Grand Rapids is on pace to log 781 PIM, which would break the franchise record for fewest PIM in a season set by the 2014-15 team with 869. Rookie Dan Renouf leads the team with 59 PIM and is on track for 67 this season, which would make him the first team PIM leader to not break the century mark (previous low: Brennan Evans, 111 PIM in 2013-14).

Magic Numbers: The Griffins are 34-4-1-1 when scoring the game’s first goal, 31-1 when leading after one period and 31-2-1-0 when leading after two periods…Grand Rapids is 42-5-0-2 when scoring three goals or more and 1-13-1-2 when scoring two or less.

All About Chances: The Griffins are averaging the second-most shots (33.00) and goals (3.50) in the AHL while surrendering the second-fewest goals (2.48) and the 17th-fewest shots (29.88).

Rookie Production: The Griffins have played 10 rookies this season, which surpasses last year’s total of seven. Those 10 rookies have combined for 154 points (58-96—154), which equates to 25.1% of the team’s goals (58/231), 24.8% of the assists (96/387) and 25.0% of the points (154/616).

Milestones: With 15 goals this season, Mitch Callahan has 93 in his career to rank third all-time in franchise history…He trails only Francis Pare (102) and Michel Picard (158) in the record books…Callahan’s 181 career points (93-88—181) are seventh all-time in team history…Logging 36 PIM this season, Callahan has become the ninth player in franchise history to amass 400 or more career PIM…Captain Nathan Paetsch has 121 career assists to rank sixth all-time in team history…Paetsch is nine behind Derek King for fifth…Paetsch played in his 350th game as a Griffin last Sunday, becoming the fourth player in team history to play in that many games…Paetsch needs one game played to reach 600 in his AHL career…Eric Tangradi needs three points to reach 100 as a Griffin.

No Foolin’: The Griffins own a 4-3-0-2 overall record on April Fool’s Day, including 3-3 mark when playing on foreign ice.

Illi-noyed: The Griffins will be making their 10th and final regular season trip to the Land of Lincoln on Saturday. Between trips to Chicago (4-1) and Rockford (3-1), Grand Rapids shows a 7-2 record in Illinois.

Rockford Notes: Grand Rapids has clinched the 10-game season series against Rockford, marking the fifth consecutive season the Griffins have either won or tied the season series against their Illinois counterpart…Ben Street (5-4—9) and Tomas Nosek (4-5—9), both of whom are currently on recall with Detroit, lead Grand Rapids against Rockford…The Griffins’ PK stands at 90.3% against the IceHogs.

Milwaukee Notes: With a rivalry dating back to the International Hockey League days, the Griffins have faced the Admirals more than any other opponent in their history as the two clubs will meet up for the 163rd time on Sunday…Grand Rapids leads the season series 6-4-0-0 and snapped a two-game skid against the Admirals with a 3-2 win last Sunday…Martin Frk leads the team with eight points (3-5—8) in 10 games…Wednesday will mark the 16th time in the last 19 regular season meetings that either the Admirals or Griffins were the division leaders at the time of the game.

Charlotte Notes: Since the 2011-12 season, the Checkers have accumulated nine wins at Van Andel Arena, tied with Chicago and Cleveland for the most among AHL teams despite playing only 15 games, compared to Chicago and Cleveland’s 24.

Reunion of Sorts: Former Griffins goaltender Tom McCollum is expected to be among Charlotte’s contingent for Friday’s contest. Detroit's first choice (30th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, McCollum spent seven seasons with the Griffins (2009-16) and is the franchise's all-time leader with 226 goalie games played, 12737:53 minutes and 5,653 saves. His 103 wins rank second while his seven shutouts are tied for sixth. McCollum also ranks among the club's all-time playoff leaders with 23 games played (3rd), 1330:31 minutes (3rd), a 2.53 goals against average (9th), 12 wins (T2nd), 608 saves (3rd) and a 0.916 save percentage (T6th). On March 8, the Checkers acquired him on loan from the Stockton Heat. In seven games with Charlotte, McCollum shows a 6-1 record with one shutout, a 1.85 GAA and a 0.938 save percentage.

Walleye Report: Under first-year head coach Dan Watson, the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye have clinched a Kelly Cup Playoff berth and post the best record in the league with a 48-14-2-2 (0.758) mark. Former Griffin Shane Berschbach (17-59—76) and rookies Tyson Spink (33-39—72) and Tylor Spink (27-45—72) lead the team in points. Second-year pro Jake Paterson, Detroit’s second pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, is 32-11-1 while placing third with a 2.31 goals against average and fourth with a 0.917 save percentage. Griffins-contracted Cal Heeter is 13-1 between the pipes and shows a 2.99 GAA and a 0.898 save percentage.

Back-to-Backs: The Griffins will play games on consecutive days a total of 27 times this season. Compare the statistics for when the Griffins have played on successive nights:

Win Some, Lose Some: Compare the statistics for the Griffins during their 43 wins and 23 (including overtime and shootout) losses:

This Week’s Games
Milwaukee Admirals at GRIFFINS // Wed., March 29 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena
Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m.
Watch: AHLLive.com
Season Series: 3-2-0-0 Home, 6-4-0-0 Overall. Eleventh of 12 meetings overall, sixth of six at Van Andel Arena.
All-Time Series: 48-26-2-1-2 Home, 84-58-7-6-7 Overall.
NHL Affiliation: Nashville Predators
Noteworthy: Martin Frk leads the team with eight points (3-5—8) in 10 games against Milwaukee.

Charlotte Checkers at GRIFFINS // Fri., March 31 // 7 p.m. // Van Andel Arena
Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 6:35 p.m.
Watch: AHLLive.com
Season Series: 0-1-0-0 Home, 2-3-0-0 Overall. Sixth of eight meetings overall, second of four at Van Andel Arena.
All-Time Series: 6-9-0-0 Home, 16-16-0-1 Overall.
NHL Affiliation: Carolina Hurricanes
Noteworthy: The Checkers acquired former Griffins goalie Tom McCollum on loan from the Stockton Heat on March 8.

GRIFFINS at Rockford IceHogs // Sat., April 1 // 8 p.m. // BMO Harris Bank Center
Listen: WOOD 106.9 FM/1300 AM at 7:35 p.m.
Watch: AHLLive.com
Season Series: 3-1-0-0 Road, 7-2-0-0 Overall. Tenth of 10 meetings overall, fifth of five at the BMO Harris Bank Center.
All-Time Series: 13-16-2-3 Road, 36-25-3-5 Overall.
NHL Affiliation: Chicago Blackhawks
Noteworthy: Grand Rapids has clinched the 10-game season series against Rockford, marking the fifth consecutive season the Griffins have either won or tied the season series against their Illinois counterpart.

Last Week’s Results
Fri., March 24 Rockford IceHogs 3 at GRIFFINS 5 41-18-1-4 (87 points, 1st Central)
Sat., March 25 GRIFFINS 4 at Rockford IceHogs 0 42-18-1-4 (89 points, 1st)
Sun., March 26 GRIFFINS 3 at Milwaukee Admirals 2 43-18-1-4 (91 points, 1st)

Opening Faceoff: Grand Rapids swept all three games last weekend and clinched a Calder Cup Playoff berth following Sunday’s 3-2 win at Milwaukee. Playing three-games-in-three-nights for the 158th time in team history, the Griffins swept all three contests for the 20th time ever. Winners in three in a row and five of its last six, Grand Rapids hosts Milwaukee on Wednesday and Charlotte on Friday before traveling to Rockford on Saturday. The Griffins continue to lead the Central Division while ranking second in the Western Conference and third in the AHL with a 0.689 points percentage.

This Week’s Promotions: Wednesday against Milwaukee is a Winning Wednesday and is the fifth annual Brain Injury Awareness Game presented by Brain Injury Association of Michigan. On Friday against Charlotte, fans can enjoy $2 hot dogs/$2 domestic drafts from 6-8 p.m., while supplies last.

Last Week’s Recap: To open a three-games-in-three-nights stretch, the Griffins defeated Rockford 5-3 at home on Friday. Tied 3-3 entering the third period, Martin Frk scored twice in the final 20 minutes to give Grand Rapids the win. The Griffins made it a weekend sweep over Rockford with a 4-0 victory on Saturday. Eddie Pasquale recorded 37 saves and notched his fourth shutout of the season. To round out the weekend, Evgeny Svechnikov potted the game-winning goal with 8:26 remaining in regulation as Grand Rapids topped Milwaukee 3-2.

Playoff Bound: Following Grand Rapids’ 3-2 win at Milwaukee last Sunday, the Griffins clinched a Calder Cup Playoff berth for the 15th time in franchise history and fifth consecutive season. Five straight trips to the postseason ties a franchise record (1999-00 to 2003-04). March 26 is the earliest date that the Griffins have secured a playoff spot since clinching on March 12, 2006. This season’s berth marks the sixth time in as many full seasons as an AHL head coach that Todd Nelson has led his team to the Calder Cup Playoffs. The 2013 Calder Cup champions, Grand Rapids is 79-72 (0.523) all-time in the postseason and has won at least one playoff series in each of the last four playoffs.

Follow the Leader(s): Ben Street (25-29—54), Matt Lorito (20-33—53), Martin Frk (26-23—49), Evgeny Svechnikov (18-24—42) and Eric Tangradi (15-26—41) lead the team in points...Street ties for 11th in the AHL in scoring while Lorito ties for 14th…Svechnikov ties for sixth among rookies in scoring…Rookie Dan Renouf has 59 PIM to pace the team…Captain Nathan Paetsch has a team-best plus-19 rating…Jared Coreau ranks 11th with a 2.30 GAA and ties for 10th with a 0.921 save percentage…Eddie Pasquale ties for fourth with four shutouts, ranks 13th with a 2.46 GAA and ties for 13th with a 0.918 save percentage.

40 and Counting: The Griffins have reached the 40-win plateau for the fifth consecutive season and 14th time overall in the franchise’s 21-year history. Grand Rapids has qualified for the playoffs in 13 of the 14 seasons when notching 40 or more wins. The Griffins secured win No. 40 in the 62nd game of the season, tying last year’s club for the third-fastest the team has reached the benchmark. Only the 2000-01 (59 games) and 2005-06 (60 games) squads did so quicker. Grand Rapids has also achieved the 90-point mark for the 13th time in club history and fifth straight year. The Griffins are on pace to finish the season with 104 points. Grand Rapids has amassed 100 or more points five times previously (115 in 2005-06, 113 in 2000-01, 111 in 1999-00, 106 in 2002-03 and 100 in 2013-14).

Current Playoff Picture:
CENTRAL DIVISION

x - Clinched playoff berth
Currently in playoff position

Back and Forth for Renouf: Recalled on Sunday by Detroit, defenseman Dan Renouf became the 162nd Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL when he debuted with the Red Wings during their 4-3 overtime win at Carolina last night. Renouf tallied one shot while playing 13:35. Detroit assigned him to Grand Rapids today.

Street Recalled: The Red Wings recalled Ben Street today. An alternate captain with the Griffins, Street has skated in 60 games and leads the team with 54 points (25-29—54) while placing second in goals, assists and power play goals (10). Street also ranks among the AHL’s leaders, tying for eighth in goals and 11th in points. Should he debut with the Red Wings, Street will become the 163rd Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL.

Three in Detroit: Tomas Nosek, Robbie Russo and Ben Street are on recall with the Detroit Red Wings. The 161st Griffins alumnus to play in the NHL, Russo debuted with Detroit during the team’s 3-2 loss at Toronto on March 7. Russo has appeared in 12 games while averaging 15:56 of ice time and showing an even rating. Nosek has skated in four games this season, tallying two PIM and a plus-one rating in an average of 9:43 time on ice.

McCarron Signed by Grand Rapids: The Griffins today signed defenseman Patrick McCarron to an amateur tryout for the remainder of this season and to a standard player’s contract for 2017-18. McCarron, 22, played the last four seasons at Cornell University (ECAC), where he tallied 50 points (12-38—50) and 81 penalty minutes in 123 games. As an alternate captain his senior year, the 6-foot-3, 201-pound blueliner was named to the All-Ivy League Second Team, finished second on the Big Red in scoring with 25 points (6-19—25) and helped Cornell reach the NCAA Tournament. McCarron added 41 PIM to lead the team and ranked among the ECAC’s leading defensemen in goals (T8th), assists (7th) and points (T6th).

Red Wings Draft Picks Join Griffins: The Detroit Red Wings last Wednesday reassigned forward Givani Smith (jih-VAH-nee SMIHTH) to the Griffins from the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm and defenseman Filip Hronek (FIHL-ihp H’ROW-nehk) to the American Hockey League club from the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. Smith, Detroit’s second choice (46th overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, played in 64 games with Guelph this season and ranked among the team’s leaders with 44 points (3rd), 26 goals (2nd), seven power play goals (T2nd), three game-winning goals (T1st) and 214 shots (1st). The 6-foot-2, 209-pound winger logged 139 penalty minutes to lead the league for the second consecutive season. In his first season in North America, Hronek skated in 59 games with Saginaw this year and tied for fourth among OHL defenseman in scoring (14-47—61). Detroit’s third choice (53rd overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Hronek placed among the team’s leaders with 47 assists (1st), 21 power play points (1st), 14 goals (4th) and 235 shots (2nd) and was named Saginaw’s Most Valuable Player.

Hronek Debuts: Defenseman Filip Hronek made his AHL and Griffins debut during last Friday’s 5-3 win against Rockford. Detroit’s third choice (53rd overall) in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Hronek became the 12th player in Griffins history to suit up for Grand Rapids in the season immediately following his draft year.

Home Sweet Home: Winners in three straight and seven of their last eight on home ice, the Griffins are 23-8-0-2 at Van Andel Arena this season and their 48 points are fourth in the league. The Griffins own a plus-45 goal differential inside friendly confines, the second-highest in the AHL.

Resiliency: In the 18 games following a regulation defeat this season, the Griffins post a 14-3-0-1 (0.806) record.

Coreau Climbs Charts: Take a look at where fourth-year pro Jared Coreau stacks up in Grand Rapids’ all-time goaltending record book:

Fantastic Frk: Martin Frk leads the team with 26 goals, including four in the last four games, and has set a career high with 12 power play tallies. Last Friday against Rockford, he notched his 11th career multi-goal game. The Griffins have points in all 11 of those occurrences, showing a 10-0-0-1 record. Frk’s 12 power play goals are the most in a season by a Griffin since Jeremy Williams banked 14 in 2009-10. In fact, 12 PPGs tie with Carl Corazzini (2007-08), Glen Metropolit (1998-99) and Michel Picard (1996-97) for seventh-most in a single season in franchise history. One more and Frk can tie Jeff Nelson (1996-97) for sixth. Donald MacLean holds the team’s single-season power play goal record with 21, set in 2005-06. Frk logged 11 markers on the man advantage in 2015-16 and is the second player in team history to record consecutive seasons with double-digit power play goal totals (Eric Manlow in 2004-05 and 2005-06). Including his 27-goal haul from last season, Frk is the ninth player in franchise history to log consecutive 20-goal campaigns and the first since Teemu Pulkkinen in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Tomas Tatar recorded three-straight 20-goal seasons from 2010-13, the only player in team history to accomplish such a feat. The Griffins have had a player log 30 or more goals 14 times in club history, and it was most recently accomplished by Teemu Pulkkinen in 2014-15.

Hot Street: Seventh-year pro and first-year Griffin Ben Street ranks second on the team with 25 goals, marking the third time in his AHL career that he has reached the 20-goal benchmark (27 in 2011-12 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton; 28 in 2013-14 with Abbotsford). He scored his team-leading sixth game-winning goal of the campaign in last Saturday’s 4-0 victory at Rockford. In the last five games, Street shows six points (3-3—6).

Tango Cashes In: Eric Tangradi has 23 points (9-14—23) in his last 17 games. In fact, since Feb. 15, his 23 points are second-most in the AHL. The eighth-year pro is on a seven-game point streak (4-5—9), and has four goals in the last five contests.

Russian Influence: Rookie Evgeny Svechnikov’s 18 tallies tie for 10th among AHL rookies and place 10th on the franchise’s all-time single-season rookie goal scorers list. Detroit’s first choice (19th overall) in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Svechnikov’s 42 points (18-24—42) currently rank eighth on Grand Rapids’ all-time single-season rookie scoring list.

Recipe Calls for Crisco: Rookie Kyle Criscuolo is staking his name to the list of top all-time rookie scorers in Grand Rapids history. Consider that he currently ties for 11th on the club’s rookie goal scorers list with 17 and is in a tie for ninth on the all-time first-year player scoring chart with 39.

On the Power Play: The Griffins continue to lead the league with a power play percentage of 26.2% (74/282). Grand Rapids has relied on the power play for 32.0% of their goals (74 of 231), the highest percentage in the AHL. The power play has been keyed by Martin Frk (12-13—25), Ben Street (10-15—25), Tomas Nosek (7-17—24) and Matt Lorito (4-20—24), who lead the team in points. Frk ties for fourth in the league in power play tallies, as 12 of his team-leading 26 markers on the year have come with more skaters. Mitch Callahan and Frk have been on the ice 40 times during a power play goal, tied for tops on the team. Of the Griffins’ 74 power play goals, 33 have been scored with five forwards on the ice, 25 with four forwards and one defensemen, 14 with three forwards and two defensemen, one with three forwards and one defenseman and one with six forwards. With 12 PPGs from Frk and 10 from Street, the Griffins have two or more players record double-digit PPG totals for the sixth time in franchise history and first since 2008-09 (Darren Haydar 16, Justin Abdelkader 10).

Chasing PP History: With only 10 games remaining, the Griffins are threatening the AHL’s single-season record for highest power play percentage. The Springfield Indians established the mark, finishing at 26.78% in 1993-94. Grand Rapids is set to shatter the franchise record for best power play percentage in a season, which was set by the 2005-06 squad at 21.8%. Through 66 games, the 2005-06 team stood at 22.0% while on the man advantage (99/451). The 2005-06 club, which played 80 regular season games, also scored 120 PPG, the most in team history.

Shuttin’ It Down: Eddie Pasquale recorded his fourth shutout of the campaign last Saturday and is tied for ninth on the franchise’s single-season shutout list. Six players hold the club record with six clean sheets in a season. Grand Rapids’ goaltenders have combined for eight shutouts this season, the most since the 2008-09 club blanked nine opponents.

Spreading the Wealth: Behind Martin Frk (26), Ben Street (25) and Matt Lorito (20), Grand Rapids has three or more players with 20-plus goals for the third consecutive season. The Griffins have six players with 40 or more points, the most since the 2008-09 squad had seven.

The Puck Stops Here: Second in the league in goals against per game (2.48), the Griffins are on pace to allow only 188 goals total which would be the sixth-lowest amount ever in franchise history (166 in 2003-04, 177 in 2002-03, 178 in 2001-02, 185 in 2014-15, 187 in 2013-14).

Shots Fired: Martin Frk paces the league with 214 shots and is on track to finish with 246, which would tie for the fifth-most in franchise history and be the most since the 2007-08 season. As a team, the Griffins are second in the AHL, averaging 33.00 shots per game.

Specialty Teams: In addition to having the league’s top power play unit, the Griffins are 11th in penalty killing at 83.1%. Grand Rapids’ combined power play and penalty kill percentage of 109.3 is second on the circuit (San Jose 110.3).

Bookends: The Griffins lead the league with a plus-28 goal differential (70-42) in the first period and place third with a plus-30 differential (82-52) in the final frame. Grand Rapids is 34-4-1-1 (0.875) when striking first.

Showing Discipline: The Griffins are the least penalized team in the league, averaging just 10.3 penalty minutes per contest. In fact, Grand Rapids is on pace to log 781 PIM, which would break the franchise record for fewest PIM in a season set by the 2014-15 team with 869. Rookie Dan Renouf leads the team with 59 PIM and is on track for 67 this season, which would make him the first team PIM leader to not break the century mark (previous low: Brennan Evans, 111 PIM in 2013-14).

Magic Numbers: The Griffins are 34-4-1-1 when scoring the game’s first goal, 31-1 when leading after one period and 31-2-1-0 when leading after two periods…Grand Rapids is 42-5-0-2 when scoring three goals or more and 1-13-1-2 when scoring two or less.

All About Chances: The Griffins are averaging the second-most shots (33.00) and goals (3.50) in the AHL while surrendering the second-fewest goals (2.48) and the 17th-fewest shots (29.88).

Rookie Production: The Griffins have played 10 rookies this season, which surpasses last year’s total of seven. Those 10 rookies have combined for 154 points (58-96—154), which equates to 25.1% of the team’s goals (58/231), 24.8% of the assists (96/387) and 25.0% of the points (154/616).

Milestones: With 15 goals this season, Mitch Callahan has 93 in his career to rank third all-time in franchise history…He trails only Francis Pare (102) and Michel Picard (158) in the record books…Callahan’s 181 career points (93-88—181) are seventh all-time in team history…Logging 36 PIM this season, Callahan has become the ninth player in franchise history to amass 400 or more career PIM…Captain Nathan Paetsch has 121 career assists to rank sixth all-time in team history…Paetsch is nine behind Derek King for fifth…Paetsch played in his 350th game as a Griffin last Sunday, becoming the fourth player in team history to play in that many games…Paetsch needs one game played to reach 600 in his AHL career…Eric Tangradi needs three points to reach 100 as a Griffin.

No Foolin’: The Griffins own a 4-3-0-2 overall record on April Fool’s Day, including 3-3 mark when playing on foreign ice.

Illi-noyed: The Griffins will be making their 10th and final regular season trip to the Land of Lincoln on Saturday. Between trips to Chicago (4-1) and Rockford (3-1), Grand Rapids shows a 7-2 record in Illinois.

Rockford Notes: Grand Rapids has clinched the 10-game season series against Rockford, marking the fifth consecutive season the Griffins have either won or tied the season series against their Illinois counterpart…Ben Street (5-4—9) and Tomas Nosek (4-5—9), both of whom are currently on recall with Detroit, lead Grand Rapids against Rockford…The Griffins’ PK stands at 90.3% against the IceHogs.

Milwaukee Notes: With a rivalry dating back to the International Hockey League days, the Griffins have faced the Admirals more than any other opponent in their history as the two clubs will meet up for the 163rd time on Sunday…Grand Rapids leads the season series 6-4-0-0 and snapped a two-game skid against the Admirals with a 3-2 win last Sunday…Martin Frk leads the team with eight points (3-5—8) in 10 games…Wednesday will mark the 16th time in the last 19 regular season meetings that either the Admirals or Griffins were the division leaders at the time of the game.

Charlotte Notes: Since the 2011-12 season, the Checkers have accumulated nine wins at Van Andel Arena, tied with Chicago and Cleveland for the most among AHL teams despite playing only 15 games, compared to Chicago and Cleveland’s 24.

Reunion of Sorts: Former Griffins goaltender Tom McCollum is expected to be among Charlotte’s contingent for Friday’s contest. Detroit's first choice (30th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, McCollum spent seven seasons with the Griffins (2009-16) and is the franchise's all-time leader with 226 goalie games played, 12737:53 minutes and 5,653 saves. His 103 wins rank second while his seven shutouts are tied for sixth. McCollum also ranks among the club's all-time playoff leaders with 23 games played (3rd), 1330:31 minutes (3rd), a 2.53 goals against average (9th), 12 wins (T2nd), 608 saves (3rd) and a 0.916 save percentage (T6th). On March 8, the Checkers acquired him on loan from the Stockton Heat. In seven games with Charlotte, McCollum shows a 6-1 record with one shutout, a 1.85 GAA and a 0.938 save percentage.

Walleye Report: Under first-year head coach Dan Watson, the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye have clinched a Kelly Cup Playoff berth and post the best record in the league with a 48-14-2-2 (0.758) mark. Former Griffin Shane Berschbach (17-59—76) and rookies Tyson Spink (33-39—72) and Tylor Spink (27-45—72) lead the team in points. Second-year pro Jake Paterson, Detroit’s second pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, is 32-11-1 while placing third with a 2.31 goals against average and fourth with a 0.917 save percentage. Griffins-contracted Cal Heeter is 13-1 between the pipes and shows a 2.99 GAA and a 0.898 save percentage.

Back-to-Backs: The Griffins will play games on consecutive days a total of 27 times this season. Compare the statistics for when the Griffins have played on successive nights:

Win Some, Lose Some: Compare the statistics for the Griffins during their 43 wins and 23 (including overtime and shootout) losses: