GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Much like last season, the 2026-27 Grand Rapids Griffins have skyrocketed to the top of the AHL standings, collecting points in bunches.
After a 4-2 win against the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday, Grand Rapids finished off a nine-game point streak . They currently sport the best record in the AHL with 22 points and a 10-2-1-1 record. After 13 games last season, it went 11-1-0-1, including a 5-0 start.
Until last night's game, the Griffins hadn’t lost in regulation since October 10, a 4-1 defeat to the same Admirals.
While most people would see two vastly different teams with similar winning records and quickly credit coaching, Griffins coach Dan Watson was quick to credit the players for the hot start.
“It’s mindset, it’s messaging, it’s guys buying in, it’s guys executing,” he said. “The credit goes to the players. It’s not easy, but they’ve handled everything that’s been thrown at them, whether it’s travel or getting on a bus, driving and getting there at 3 in the morning.”
This season’s team is much younger than the previous season, with players like Carter Bear, Dylan James, Noah Dower Nilsson, Jesse Kiiskinen and Trey Augustine making major contributions to the team’s early success.
But they also have veterans like Dominik Shine, John Leonard and Sheldon Dries scoring consistently, although Leonard and Dries are currently with the Detroit Red Wings.
“This team seems different,” Griffins forward Dylan James said. “We just go into games with a lot of confidence, and we’re not really worried about losing. We’re just going out there and having fun, and it’s working for us.
“Everyone just gels well together, and I’m enjoying it so far.”
There's one major difference between last season and this one: the Griffins have the league’s best penalty kill and a top-three power play.
Griffins winning special teams battles
On Friday, the Griffins completed the hat trick of scoring situations, notching a goal at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded.
And just for good measure, they added an empty-net goal that sealed the win.
Grand Rapids finished last season with the league’s best penalty kill (86%), and that success at 4 on 5 has carried over, as it once again leads the league in penalty kill percentage (93%) this season. The team has allowed just four power-play goals, including one on Friday against the Admirals, in 57 shorthanded opportunities.
But despite the same success as last season, this season’s PK is much more aggressive. Teams end up cycling the puck in the offensive zone much more than they would like, and it often leads to a turnover and a clear for the Griffins.
James, who scored the shorthanded goal, said having so many guys who can play on the PK has been key to the success.
“A lot of guys on the kill like me and (Kienan Draper) have chemistry on the kill,” he said. “A lot of guys on this team can kill. So, if someone gets a penalty that is on the kill, there’s plenty of guys to fill in for them.”
The power play is vastly improved from last season, which ranked 15th in the league at 18.7%. This season, they are third in the league at 25.8%. There’s much more puck movement on the power play, leading to more quality opportunities.
It’s a long season, and that number could dip a bit, but it’s a much-improved unit.
Watson said a mix of a solid game plan and players executing has been key to the special teams' success.
“I think (assistant coach Steph Julien) and (assistant coach Brian Lashoff) and as a staff, they’ve done a really good job of having a game plan prepared,” he said. “I think our practice habits on the special teams are very good. But it’s up to our guys to go out and execute, and they’re executing right now.”
Augustine on a hot streak
With the Red Wings calling up Michal Postava to fill in for the injured John Gibson, Augustine was once again thrust into a No. 1 role.
So far, the 21-year-old has handled the pressure.
He secured back-to-back wins, making 24 saves on 26 shots on Wednesday to beat the Texas Stars before making 25 saves on 27 shots to beat the Admirals. He even filled in as a reliever for Carter Gylander in last night's game, stopping every shot he faced.
Augustine started this season slowly with an overtime loss and a regulation loss in his first two starts, but he has since won four of his past five starts. He’s got a 0.907 save percentage and a 2.66 goals against average this season.
His rebound control has been key to his success, especially on Friday. The Admirals rarely got second-chance opportunities, and if they did, Augustine was there to answer.
Late in the first period, with the Griffins already leading 2-0, he stopped a cross-crease one-timer, stretching to his left to deny the opportunity. Then, with the Griffins holding a 3-0 lead late in the second period, he denied a point-blank opportunity that came from a pass below the goal line.
“I thought Trey was excellent (Friday),” Watson said.
There’s no telling how long Postava will be with the Red Wings, but it appears Augustine is ready to take on the majority of the starts if he has to.
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