Grand Rapids Griffins loaded lineup makes this playoff run a must watch

While things didn't work out for the Detroit Red Wings, the Grand Rapids Griffins are positively loaded as far as lineups go. This weekend, they face off with the Manitoba Moose, the affiliate to the Winnipeg Jets.

The Moose bested the Milwaukee Admirals in a best of three play in round. Although the Griffins won the division, the series starts in Manitoba on Saturday, May 2 with game two the following night:

Anyone interested in catching a game in Grand Rapids can do so on the following Wednesday (May 6), Friday (May 8), or Sunday (May 9) with the condition that games four and five are necessary.

If playoff games aren’t enough, the Griffins have rally towel giveaways at all home games this series, and $2 beers and $2 hot dogs from 6-8 p.m.

Here’s what to expect with the Grand Rapids Griffins

An influx of new faces arrived with a handful of games left. Flocking from as far as Sweden, college signings, and trades, Grand Rapids has only increased its firepower.

The thought of all these new prospects joining the mix is exciting (at this point, it’s all Wings’ fans can hang on to as the rebuild marches along). At the same time, players have to get acclimated. Whether it’s to professional hockey, a new continent, or systems, they have an uphill battle to climb (and fast). Meanwhile, the rest of the Griffins players have to integrate these new faces to the team as quickly as possible. 

To make a short story long, teams with a bunch of new faces can experience turbulence. Their record reflects this, with the team going 7-3-0-0 as a result. While this is normally, a great record, the Griffins lost a total of 16 games total in regulation this season.

This could be due to exhaustion, effort or feeling at ease knowing the division was locked up. Feet may have come off the accelerator a bit during the later run of the season.

Griffins head coach Dan Watson has a tall task of picking the right lineup each night with the plethora of young prospects to choose from. It’s a difficult balancing act of getting young prospects the necessary games to develop while also icing the best team to win games. 

Ideally, the young prospects who need these experiences are also the best players on the roster. That’s not always the case, though, with the excellent veterans that are brought in, along with guys still acclimating to a new league.

It’s possible—even likely—Watson has a rotation of players as there are just so many options. It’s a luxury in the grand scheme of things. Having such an influx of new players can make it difficult for opponents to game plan against.

The biggest challenge comes with finding roles for each player. While the Griffins could simply ice the top-12 scoring forwards on the team, it might be better to have players who fill different roles: like a checking/grinding role, a defensive/shut down role, a penalty kill specialist, etc. 

Here’s who we are likely to see as a lineup for any given game:

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