Detroit Red Wings: Griffins play String of Three Games in as many Days

The Detroit Red Wings American Hockey League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins are set to play the second game of three straight games in as many days.

The Griffins, similar to the Detroit Red Wings have struggled to find their way early on this season. The unfortunate thing about it is that we expected the Griffins to be a force. This summer we thought the Griffins had a chance to make some noise again this season. They still might, but nothing has come easy for them yet. The schedule doesn’t favor the Griffins at the moment having them play three straight games in as many days. A baseball type weekend for the Griffins has them playing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Newly appointed head coach Ben Simon mentioned the lack of defensive depth on the roster hurt them early. Unfortunately for them, the Detroit Red Wings were really banged up to start the season, and the Griffins missed four of their six projected defenders. As the Wings have started to become healthy, they have been slowly returning players back to the Griffins.

Joe Hicketts was the last player to be returned to the Griffins but the Detroit Red Wings needed work from Libor Sulak, and Filip Hicketts as well. Dennis Cholowski was projected to start the season in Grand Rapids, but needless to say, he leapfrogged the expected stop and has become a staple in the Wings lineup.

Per Griffinshockey.com;

"For the first time this season, the Griffins’ lineup included all three of their defensemen who began the campaign with the Detroit Red Wings in Sulak, Joe Hicketts and Filip Hronek…Grand Rapids was the last AHL team to play a one-goal game this season…Fourteen of the last 19 meetings between these teams have been decided by a single goal."

The Griffins lost last night to the Iowa Wild, as most of you will quickly figure out they are the affiliate to the Minnesota Wild. Axel Holmstrom, unfortunately, no relation to Tomas scored the opening goal for the Griffins. Holmstrom has points in six straight games.

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It was a beauty; he ripped a snapshot off the cross-bar behind Andrew Hammond “the hamburgler.” Hammond is the goaltender who played out of his mind a couple of seasons ago for the Ottawa Senators. During a crazy streak to start his career in 2015, Hammond posted a 14-1-1 record in his first 16 starts. Obviously, he has struggled to find any type of consistent success since that’s why he is playing in the American Hockey League.

Although Grand Rapids dominated the first period outshooting Iowa to the tune of 18-6, Iowa returned fire at a substantial rate netting two goals in a brief flurry early in the third period to take a 2-1 lead over the Griffins.

Veteran winger Chris Terry tied the game up late in the third on a nice pass from Carter Camper. Camper has been elevated to the top line centering veterans Chris Terry and Matt Puempel since Wade Megan has been loaned to the Detroit Red Wings. The trio has remained the offensive force for the Griffins.

Puempel and Terry are tied with a team-leading 4 goals, while Camper has found success being a distributor of the puck leading the club with 6 assists and 7 points through his first 8 games.

The goaltending has been very underwhelming early on in the season but Patrik Rybar played well enough to give his team the win but it went to a “skills competition” (shootout) last night and when that happens anything can happen. It did not go the Griffins way they lost 3-2. Rybar has played back to back games now and expected to play 2 of the 3 during this massive weekend of hockey.

Next. Wade Megan Recalled. dark

The Griffins who post a 3-5-0-1 record will look to better themselves tonight at home taking on the Milwaukee Admirals. Milwaukee has a record of 8-1-3-0, so things won’t come easy. Old friend Thomas McCollum will be in goal for Milwaukee. Gametime is 7:00 pm Est tonight in Grand Rapids.

Note: Sunday, Grand Rapids travels to Clevland to take on the Monsters at 5 pm Est.

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