AHL Grand Rapids Griffins

Record-Setting Griffins Undefeated in Last 10 Games

November 18, 2002 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Grand Rapids Griffins News Release


(Near) Perfect 10: With their 4-3 overtime win at Cincinnati on Sunday, the Grand Rapids Griffins posted their fifth straight win and ran their unbeaten streak to 10 games (8-0-2-0), a new franchise record. The 2000-01 squad posted a 9-0-0 mark from Dec. 22, 2000 to Jan. 12, 2001, en route to winning the IHL's final regular season title.

Grin and Bear It: The Griffins will look to extend their remarkable run while hosting three games at Van Andel Arena this week. Following a rematch with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., the expansion San Antonio Rampage will pay their first-ever visit on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Griffins will wear their red and white uniforms modeled after the Detroit Red Wings, and six players will sign autographs after the game. Fifty cents from each single-game ticket sold will go to the Newspapers in Education program. On Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the Griffins will attempt to avenge their season-opening loss to the Cleveland Barons. For the team's third annual Teddy Bear Toss, fans are asked to bring a stuffed animal to throw onto the ice after the Griffins score their first goal. The toys will be distributed to the Grand Rapids Police and Fire Departments. During last season's event, 1,400 stuffed animals were collected. In addition, fans who bring their skates can hit the ice for 45 minutes in the Stouffer's Post-Game Family Fun Skate.

Keep Rolling: First-place Grand Rapids is 9-1-3-0 (0.808) since its 0-2 start and has opened up a seven-point lead over Cincinnati in the Central Division race. The Griffins' 0.700 overall mark is tied for third in the Western Conference and fourth in the entire AHL.

Lamothe Earns Honor: Marc Lamothe today was named the Sher-Wood AHL Player of the Week. Lamothe won all three of his starts last week, showing a 0.67 goals against average, a 0.974 save percentage and a pair of shutout victories over AHL division leaders. Following a 15-save performance in a 4-0 win against Manitoba on Tuesday, he stopped all 34 shots he faced in a 3-0 victory over league-leading Houston on Friday. In the process, he joined current NHL goalies Jani Hurme and Martin Prusek as the only Griffins to record back-to-back shutouts. The 28-year-old capped off his week with a 3-2 win versus Milwaukee on Saturday, setting a Griffins record with a shutout streak of 153:58. His personal nine-game unbeaten streak (6-0-3-0), during which he has posted a 1.72 GAA and a 0.936 save percentage, is one shy of the team mark established by Simon Lajeunesse (7-0-3-0) last year. For the season, Lamothe ranks among the AHL's leaders with a 2.14 GAA (4th), six wins (T6th) and two shutouts (T1st). Lamothe becomes the third Griffin to be so honored, joining Kip Miller (Jan. 14, 2002) and Petr Schastlivy (Nov. 19, 2001). Coincidentally, Lamothe previously earned the award on Nov. 5, 2001, as a member of the Hamilton Bulldogs, and he was eventually named the league's Goaltender of the Month for November 2001.

Home Sweet Home: Since their 0-3-1-0 start at home, the Griffins are 4-0-1-0 in their last five at Van Andel Arena. Saturday's crowd of 10,048 was the second largest of the season, and Grand Rapids' average of 6,978 stands sixth in the AHL. Compared to the same point last season, the Griffins' attendance is currently up 11 percent (from 6,301).

Ah, The Comforts of Road: With a 5-0-1-0 mark away from Van Andel Arena, the Griffins are the only unbeaten road team in the AHL. They won their first three road contests to tie a franchise record (2000-01 and 2001-02), and their 11 points in six road games marks a franchise-best road start (5-1-0, 2001-02). The Griffins are within striking distance of the team record of eight straight road games without a loss (5-0-3-0, Jan. 6-Feb. 2, 2002).

The More Things Change...: After leading the AHL in both goals allowed (2.23) and shots allowed (25.34) last season, the Griffins currently rank second in the league in goals allowed (2.33) and third in shots allowed (27.47). During their current 10-game unbeaten streak, they've allowed only 17 goals (1.65 GAA). Last week, Grand Rapids posted consecutive shutouts for just the second time in its history (Mar. 2-6, 2002) and consecutive shutout wins for the first time ever.

Many Unhappy Returnees: Grand Rapids did not send last week's Van Andel Arena guests home with any parting gifts. On Tuesday, the Moose were blanked 4-0 and held to 15 shots, 21 below their average. On Friday, the Aeros suffered their second consecutive shutout and just their third defeat of the season in 3-0 fashion, while on Saturday, Milwaukee sustained only its second regulation loss of the year by a 3-2 margin.

Running the Gauntlet: After running the table last weekend, the Griffins are now 6-2-1-0 this season when playing three games in as many nights.

Turn it Around: Over their first six games, the Griffins were outscored by an 11-2 margin in the third period. They've successfully reversed that trend over their last nine outings, holding a 10-4 scoring advantage during the final frame.

One-Two Punch: While Marc Lamothe has earned most of the kudos for Grand Rapids' current record, rookie Joey MacDonald has proven to be an exceptional backup. He owns a 0.911 save percentage and a 2.38 GAA that ranks 12th in the AHL.

On the Plus Side: Defenseman Travis Richards leads the Griffins with a plus-10 rating, giving him a franchise-record plus-101 rating for his seven seasons in Grand Rapids.

Deadly Combination: The Griffins' potent line of Michel Picard, Mark Mowers and Tim Skarperud has accounted for 18 of the team's 47 goals (38%) and is on pace to score 96 goals this season.

Early Returns: With nearly 20 percent of the season having been played, center Mark Mowers (6-13-19) is on an early yet nonetheless incredible pace for 69 assists and 101 points, which would challenge the current franchise records of 55 assists (Michel Picard and Jeff Nelson in 1996-97) and 101 points (Picard in 1996-97). Mowers has points in seven of the last nine contests (4-5-9) and 12 of 15 games overall, including six multi-point nights. He is currently tied for sixth in the AHL scoring race.

Player Notes: Michel Picard (2-4-6) recorded points in all four games last week, giving him 18 points (6-12-18, T10th in the AHL) on the season...Mark Mowers (1-3-4), Hugo Boisvert (2-1-3), Stacy Roest (1-2-3), Tim Skarperud (2-2-4), Rob Collins (1-4-5) and Sean Avery (3-2-5) all tallied in three of the four outings last week...Sheldon Brookbank recorded his first AHL goal on Tuesday against Manitoba, and Bryan Adams scored his first goal as a Griffin on Friday versus Houston.

By the Numbers: Where the Griffins rank among the AHL's 28 teams in various statistical categories:
* Attendance: 6,978 avg. (6th)
* Power Play: 16-for-99, 16.2% (T15th)
* Penalty Killing: 76-for-91, 83.5% (16th)
* Penalty Minutes: 19.7 avg. (T22nd)
* Goals For: 3.13 avg. (T12th)
* Goals Against: 2.33 avg. (2nd)
* Shots For: 30.47 avg. (13th)
* Shots Against: 27.47 avg. (3rd)

Transactions: Earlier today, the Griffins returned Sean Avery to the Detroit Red Wings and defenseman Philippe Plante to the UHL's Muskegon Fury....Defenseman Paul Ballantyne was recalled on Sunday from the ECHL's Toledo Storm. Ballantyne, who was sent to Toledo on Tuesday, is scoreless in five games with the Storm this season...Nathan Robinson, assigned to ECHL Toledo on Thursday, has four points (1-3-4) in just two games with the Storm.

Working Overtime: Last season, Grand Rapids was the only AHL squad that did not sustain an overtime loss (two overtime wins and 11 ties). The trend continues this season, as the Griffins have two wins and three ties in five extra sessions, following Sunday's 4-3 overtime win at Cincinnati.

Griffins Alumni Report: Rookie NHL head coach Bruce Cassidy's Washington Capitals are tied for third in the Southeast Division with an 8-8-2-0 record...Kip Miller is tied for fourth on the Caps with eight assists and stands fifth with 11 points...Florida's Jani Hurme has a 2.17 GAA and a 0.931 save percentage...Ottawa's Patrick Lalime owns a 2.39 GAA and a 0.905 save percentage, while Martin Prusek shows a 3.60 GAA and an 0.882%. Prusek won his first NHL game last Tuesday, making 29 saves in a 5-3 win at the NY Islanders...Todd White is fourth on the Sens with nine points (5-4-9) while Petr Schastlivy is tied for sixth (4-3-7).

Red Wings Update: The Griffins are in the first season of a five-year affiliation with the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings are second in the NHL's Central Division with a 10-5-2-0 record, one point behind St. Louis, following a 2-1 win at Toronto on Saturday. They'll visit Calgary on Tuesday.

Get Your Tickets: Tickets for all regular season games at Van Andel Arena are currently on sale. Fans can visit either location of The Zone (Van Andel Arena store or Rivertown Crossings Mall kiosk) or any Tickets PLUS location (including Meijer stores), call 222-4000/800-585-3737 or visit www.griffinshockey.com. Full-season ticket packages, mini-plans and group tickets for all Griffins games are currently available by calling 800-2-HOCKEY.

This Week's Scouting Report

Wed., Nov. 20 vs. Cincinnati Mighty Ducks - Van Andel Arena - 7:00 p.m.

TV: None. Radio: WOOD 1300 AM/WHTC 1450 AM at 6:40 p.m. Season Series: 1-0-0-0 Overall, 0-0-0-0 Home. Second of eight meetings overall, first of four in Grand Rapids. All-Time Series: 4-2-1-0 Overall, 2-0-1-0 Home.

Cincinnati Affiliation: Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Head Coach: Brad Shaw (1st season).

Quack Me Up: The Griffins opened a seven-point lead over the second-place Ducks with a 4-3 overtime win at Cincinnati on Sunday...The Ducks are just 1-3-1-0 on the road...Cincinnati's power play is second-to-last in the AHL at 10.6% (10-for-94), but its penalty killing is tied for third at 88.8% (87-for-98)...Travis Brigley paces the Ducks with 12 points (4-8-12), while Ilja Bryzgalov (3.04 GAA) mans the pipes.

Fri., Nov. 22 vs. San Antonio Rampage - Van Andel Arena - 7:30 p.m.

TV: None. Radio: WOOD 1300 AM/WHTC 1450 AM at 7:10 p.m. Season/All-Time

Series: First of 10 meetings overall, first of five in Grand Rapids.

San Antonio Affiliation: Florida Panthers. Head Coach: John Torchetti (1st season).

No Bull: This marks the Griffins' first-ever meeting with the expansion Rampage, who currently have a better record (3-7-3-0, 0.346) than the defending Calder Cup champion Chicago Wolves (4-9-1-1, 0.333)...San Antonio is 1-6-2-0 away from the SBC Center, which they share with the NBA's Spurs...The Rampage rank 25th in power play, 26th in penalty killing and 25th in goals allowed...Former NHLer Jeff Toms leads San Antonio with 12 points (3-9-12)...Veterans Chris Mason (3.08 GAA) and Wade Flaherty (4.00) staff the crease.

Sat., Nov. 23 vs. Cleveland Barons - Van Andel Arena - 7:30 p.m.

TV: None. Radio: WOOD 1300 AM/WHTC 1450 AM at 7:10 p.m. Season Series: 0-1-0-0 Overall, 0-1-0-0 Home. Second of six meetings overall, second of three in Grand Rapids. All-Time Series: 2-3-0-0 Overall, 1-2-0-0 Home.

Cleveland Affiliation: San Jose Sharks. Head Coach: Roy Sommer (2nd season).

Spy Glass: Since the Barons' 6-4 win in Grand Rapids on opening night (Oct. 12), Cleveland is 4-9-1-0 while the Griffins are 9-2-3-0...Last-place Cleveland currently trails the division-leading Griffins by 10 points...The Barons' offense ranks 24th in goals (2.60) and is tied for 25th in shots (27.00)...Cleveland has lost its last four away from Gund Arena...Niko Dimitrakos (6-9-15) paces the Barons' offense, while Seamus Kotyk (3.02 GAA) and Vesa Toskala (3.13) share time in goal.

Check out the Grand Rapids Griffins Statistics



American Hockey League Stories from November 18, 2002


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