SB Nation - Garnet Exelby

Revisiting The BOLD Predictions

Amerinadian — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:00:20 -0000

The last 2 years, we have had some fun with prognosticating the upcoming season. Not content to just say things like "the Red Wings will make the playoffs" or "Corey Perry will act like a dickwad", we wanted to come up with a challenge.

Being the competitive people that we are, we kept track of each other's predictions. For those of you who have been around for a while, you all know that our fearless leader, J.J., enjoys being right. Perhaps even more than being right, he enjoys letting people know that he's right.

That's why it gives me great pleasure....wait. "Great" isn't the right word. Immense? No. Ultimate? Still not good enough. I don't what kind of pleasure it gives me to announce that I was the winner this year, but whatever that word is, it can't begin to describe how nice it feels to know that, just this once, J.J. doesn't get to say that he was right. Those of you have been on the wrong end of an argument with him (and that number is very high), please feel free to live vicariously through me and revel in this victory.

I would have included Jeff, but he was so bad at this, I actually feel some pity for him.

After the jump, we look back at our predictions with our comments, and we'll take a look at some of your predictions that came true.

Jeff's Predictions:

1. Brendan Smith will lead all Griffins defensemen in points

(Graham) - At some point I'm betting you have called your girlfriend "Brendan" at a very inopportune time. You have, haven't you.

(J.J.) - Brendan Smith, part of the exclusive "Better than Garnet Exelby club". Prestigious.

(Jeff) - Nailed it

2. The Boston Bruins will not win the Northeast Division

(Graham) - Looks like someone underestimated how terrible the Northeast really is.

(J.J.) - Boy, almost had it there, 8th-seed Ottawa. Boston juuuuuust squeaked this one out by 10 points.

(Jeff) - At least this prediction wasn't as crazy as Tim Thomas.

3. James Reimer finishes top 10 in GAA and Save% mainly because of this (Hi Casey!)

(Graham) - He thought he did, but that's just the concussions rendering his brain into Cream of Wheat.

(J.J.) - Non-terrible Toronto Goaltending is becoming the new unicorn, cold fusion, or Kraft Macaroni & Cheese "Open Here" tab that actually works. It's never happening. Give it up.

(Jeff) - I'll admit. This was just stupid.

4. The Washington Capitals will FINALLY make the Stanley Cup Final (only to lose to Detroit...again)

(Graham) - This totally happened when I played my copy of NHL 98 on my Playstation.

(J.J.) - Now that they've dumped that dead weight Alex Semin, there's nothing stopping them.

(Jeff) - They did meet up on the golf course though.

5. Tuukka Rask will be the Bruins starting goaltender come playoff time

(Graham) - Unfortunately Tim Thomas went bat-shit crazy a little too late for this to be true.

(J.J.) - There's something inherently beautiful about Tim Thomas being involved in a situation where the foreign guy takes the American's job only after he refuses to do it.

(Jeff) - ...come the 2013 playoffs is what I meant.

6. Jiri Hudler will score 25 goals

(Graham) - Can we get Zetterberg and Filppula too? - Every Flames fan

(J.J.) - Doesn't count. Jiri Hudler is short, so his goals only count for 0.8.

(Jeff) - Can't wait until he scores 30 in Calgary.

7. Sidney Crosby will not play hockey again until the playoffs

(Graham) - This would have counted had his only regular season game been against the Islanders, who don't play what we all call "hockey"

(J.J.) - Crosby defends Jeff here with the trusty old catchphrase "It's not hockey unless I'm chasing Claude Giroux all over the ice and constantly slashing him on the wrist."

(Jeff) - Crosby sucks

8. Mika Zibanejad will win the Calder

(Graham) - Do they have Calder Trophies in Europe?

(J.J.) - Who?
(Jeff) - Technically this isn't wrong. I never said he'd win it for the 2011-12 season. I just said he'd win it. He still can. Suck on that.

9. The Wings will have a top five power play and penalty kill

(Graham) - I haz a sad

(J.J.) - This is the refs fault. If they hadn't given Detroit any penalties all season like they should have, Jeff would have at least been half-right.

(Jeff) - They weren't even top 20 in both. Pathetic.

10. First seed in the Western Conference will belong to Detroit

(Graham) - The Wings did very well against Vancouver, but I don't think the Wings "owned" them.

(J.J.) - There's a way to make this sentence true if you replace "seed" with something else, but it makes me sad.

(Jeff) - What I meant was first team to be eliminated from the West in the postseason. Duh.

J.J.'s Predictions:

1. Jonathan Ericsson will have a better season than both Rusty Klesla and Kyle Quincey, two players with very similar cap hits. This will be subjectively judged by the fans at the end of the season.

(Graham) - Seriously, just get an Ericsson tattoo. Fanboy.

(J.J.) - I admit, Jonathan Ericsson is my favorite third-pairing defenseman in the league.

(Jeff) - Smith was better than all of them.

2. Brad Richards will score fewer than 77 points with the Rangers this season.

(Graham) - It happened. Then he scored goals in the playoffs, and we all remembered the regular season doesn't matter.

(J.J.) - Just more proof that the Rangers can get less-than-expected out of superstars and still chalk it up as a win. If only they had gotten another one this summer to keep the streak alive...

(Jeff) - He'll score even less next season...hello lockout!

3. The Nashville Predators will miss the playoffs.

(Graham) - Even before the season started, J.J. trolled the Predators.

(J.J.) - Stupid crystal ball was set too far into the future...

(Jeff) - I wish they did.

4. Darren Helm will score 5 shorthanded goals (I made this exact same prediction last season).

(Graham) - Stop. Just stop.

(J.J.) - Darren Helm's nickname should be "shorthanded". Not because he plays PK a lot, but because when it comes time to measuring up the skills needed to put it past the goalie, that's what best describes him.

(Jeff) - Did he even score 5 even strength goals?

5. Washington wins the President's Trophy.

(Graham) - Change "President's" to "Enigma's" and you would have been golden.

(J.J.) - DAMN YOU, SEMIN!

(Jeff) - If only Dale Hunter was there all season. They could've trapped their way to another meaningless trophy.

6. Paul MacLean will keep his job all season, but Ottawa still finishes last in the Northeast.

(Graham) - Thank goodness there were even worse hockey teams in Canada.

(J.J.) - I never made this prediction. Graham is making shit up to make me look bad.

(Jeff) - I guess I wasn't the only one off base with my Northeast prediction.

7. A sane majority of hockey fans will still be impressed with Brendan Shanahan by the end of the playoffs.

(Graham) - You can blame Shea Weber for this one.

(J.J.) - He's got lots of impressive attributes. The way he woodenly stares at the camera while explaining what the drunken pigeon told him to do in every video is certainly impressive.

(Jeff) - He could have done a lot worse.

8. Matt Cooke will pull fewer than five regular season/playoff games worth of suspensions this season.

(Graham) - He truly is a changed man.

(J.J.) - He's got to be strangling bunny rabbits in secret to get out all the aggression, right? I mean, it has to be bunny rabbits.

(Jeff) - He's a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

9. Dany Heatley outscores Marty Havlat this season.

(Graham) - You're talking about driving demerit points, right?

(J.J.) - If Havlat hadn't broken himself trying to complete a line change, he might have been able to make this prediction wrong. All said, Heatley crushed Havlat in the "Been Kronwalled Club" Scoring title.

(Jeff) - Who?

10. Detroit wins the cup (snark that one, bitches)

(Graham) - Told you that you were a jinx.

(J.J.) - Fuck me.

(Jeff) - You suck, J.J.

Graham's Predictions (The Winning Predictions):

1. Pavel Datsyuk scores 100 points this season and leads the Wings in goals.

(Graham) - I would have amended this had I known that Todd Bertuzzi was going to be on the TOP LINE ALL SEASON!

(J.J.) - Graham jinxed Pavel, which in turn jinxed me. It's his fault.

(Jeff) - Datsyuk is over the hill and past his prime.

2. Boston will be the second straight defending Cup champion to lose in the first round of the playoffs.

(Graham) - We need a name for this curse.

(J.J.) - Without knowing who would be in the White house next year, this was an intentional ploy.

(Jeff) - The Kings make it three straight next year.

3. There will be at least one 15-game suspension handed out by Shanahan this year.

(Graham) - Raffi Torres: always a dumbass.

(J.J.) - Brendan Shanahan sent a strong message to the players: Don't be Raffi Torres. I approve.

(Jeff) - Surprised it wasn't Matt Cooke.

4. Henrik Zetterberg will be nominated for the Selke Trophy.

(Graham) - You'd think he would have been covering up for all of Hudler's mistakes.

(J.J.) - Who?

(Jeff) - And he still wouldn't have won it.

5. Neither Vancouver nor San Jose will make the conference finals.

(Graham) - Chokers.

(J.J.) - I'd have been WAY more impressed if you'd have actually picked the two teams that did make it.

(Jeff) - So just like pretty much every season? Way to stick your neck out there, Graham.

6. Jimmy Howard will be picked to play in the All-Star Game this season.

(Graham) - Well-deserved. Next year I'll predict he goes on LTIR with a back injury from carrying the team through the first 2 months.

(J.J.) - Yeah, but he wasn't picked first.

(Jeff) - Too bad he couldn't keep his groin healthy after doing that stupid goalie race.

7. 1 division will send 4 teams to the playoffs, but it won't be the Atlantic or Pacific.

(Graham) - Special shout-out to the Blues for not being terrible this year (for once).

(J.J.) - I'm going to make this bold prediction every year after realignment.

(Jeff) - Can't wait for the BJs to get good and the Central sends 5 teams...hahahahaha just kidding.

8. The Maple Leafs will finish 6th or higher in the East (because picking them to make the playoffs isn't bold).

(Graham) - This is what I get for listening to Leaf fans. Does this mean that Nigerian Prince isn't going to send me part of his inheritance?

(J.J.) - Heh...heh....heh....hehahahahAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAHAHHAHA!

(Jeff) - HA this is as dumb as my Reimer pick

9. Valtteri Filppula scores 30 goals this year.

(Graham) - It didn't matter who I put here: no one hit this mark.

(J.J.) - What a failure.

(Jeff) - You picked the wrong Zetterberg winger.

10. There will be 3 coaches fired at some point before the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs (learned my lesson last year).

(Graham) - Honestly, I don't think this was that bold; but it was right, so who cares?

(J.J.) - See? Graham's gaming the system with non-bold predictions. That's the only reason he won. (Ed note: just like the US Women's Soccer team)

(Jeff) - Babcock should've been on that list.

So those were our picks. Let's take a look at how some of you did:

Vancouver wins west regular season standing but it is alot closer than just about everyone thinks it will be (by 3-5 points from second). - dwkrueger

5. the Florida Panthers will finish in the middle third of the NHL (spots 11-20)
10. the New York Rangers will make the Eastern Conference Finals - uvgt2bkdnme

4. Jimmy Howard will earn at least 5 shutouts this year. - tehGOALIE

3) New Jersey will not need Jacques Lemaire to reach the postseason
10) A team will win the Stanley Cup at home - RandomWingsDude

1) Of the three bottom dwellers in each conference (OTT,NYI,FLA,COL,CMB,EDM), one will make the playoffs this year. - Elfuego51

8) The Bruins make a first round playoff exit - Red, White and a Mile high

10. And MY BOLDEST PREDICTION. Jiri Hudler is never traded. DUNN DUNN DUHNNNNN - greg5897

Thursday Morning Skate: G XLB

Cornelius Hardenbergh — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 11:00:10 -0000

The March of Former Maple Leaf Minor-League Signings for the Bruins continues as it was announced late yesterday evening that Garnet XLB (he doesn't spell it out, I'm not gonna spell it out) signed a two-way deal.

Providence adds to the HE PUNCH A MAN factor and hopefully the big Bruins won't be affected in the slightest. Sarah wrote about it yesterday of course.

Garnet XLB "high"light

Yeah he blew a guy up and then speared another dude. Well, Providence games might be more entertaining.

VIDEO: Brian Burke Discusses Morgan Rielly

PPP — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 07:00:08 -0000

Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager (for now) Brian Burke gave the media some updates on drafting Morgan Rielly of the Moose Jaw Warriors fifth overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. For the benefit of those of you without video capabilities, I'll have a transcript after the jump.

Question: I guess Brian you can never have enough good defence

Burke: Well I think everyone knows my feeling on it, that winning championships begins and ends on the blue line. We had this player rated first overall. Wouldn't say that if it wasn't true just to build up the pick. This is the guy that if we had the first pick in the draft we would have taken him. He has a high hockey IQ, high compete level, smart decisions MUMBLE. The future's really bright for him so we're, we're excited. Our scouts are ecstatic.

PPP: To be honest, I'd like to see this dedication to building the team through the blueline. It's not nearly as bad as hearing that he has promised himself that he'd never be caught short of goaltending (spoiler: that's basically his legacy as Leafs GM right now) but based on moves like bringing in Brett Lebda, Mike Komisarek, Garnet Exelby while ridding himself of guys like Pavel Kubina and Francois Beauchemin (at least, thank God, for a great return) not to mention the contracts for Luke Schenn and John-Michael Liles seem to suggest that he's still working out how to build that blueline in Toronto.

But for now, Brian Burke seems like Sun Tzu waging a war while ignoring all of his supposed wisdom. That's actually a little glib because he has started building the possible building blocks of that future blueline with Jesse Blacker, Jake Gardiner, Morgan Rielly, Stuart Percy and obviously the inherited Schenn and Korbinian Holzer might still have roles to play but he made a lot of promises of building that future while building a team that could play now and obviously he's failed at that.

Question: Do you think that had he been healthy one of the teams would have picked him a little higher?

Burke: Well, I think the injury set him back on some teams' lists. I go back to Keith Tkachuk's year in his draft year he broke his ankle and Winnipeg were able to get him much later than they would have otherwise. So I think it probably set him back on some teams' lists. We checked out the injury and we're not concerned about it.

PPP: I think Pierre McGuire made a good point (I almost can't believe that I wrote that) that we are in a time when ACL surgeries and the attendant recovery are commonplace. Rielly wasn't subject to the kind of butchering that Bobby Orr faced and which ultimately curbed his career. By all accounts, Rielly's skating is both high-end and fully recovered. Personally, I've always said that if a player has to have only one skill it's pretty good if it's strong NHL-calibre skating. I mean, ideally they'd have more than one skill but as a Leaf fan it's hard to be greedy.

Question: Did you explore the possibility to move up to get him?

Burke: Well we felt that he'd get to us and there were other players that we'd like if we weren't able to. I did look into moving up but I didn't like the price. It would have cost us a fortune to move up. The couple of deals that we were offered did not make any sense. We wouldn't have been better as a result. We would have got the player we wanted but we wouldn't have been better as an organization so no.

PPP: There's a lot going on in this statement. The first is that the Leafs really like Rielly. Let's pretend we live in a world where we can take Burke at his word without a thought to semantics. The first thing you'll think is that if they had Rielly as number one in the entire draft and they thought that he would be available at five then they probably had a vastly different draft board from the teams ahead of them.

One thing someone mentioned on Twitter was that it seemed counter intuitive that Burke would not be willing to trade up for a player they thought was the best player in the draft. He mentions that he had other players that he would have been able to pick if Rielly was gone. So "Rielly minus the exorbitant assets needed to move up" was not as valuable as "next best available player + the exorbitant assets need to move up". Was it the right choice? Well, considering that he got his man anyway it sure seems so.

Question: How far away is he from playing?

Burke: That's going to be up to him. This is a guy you don't have to tell where the weight room is. This is a guy you don't have to tell how to work hard. This is a guy that knows how to practice. He's probably going to be fast-tracked is the way he comes but we certainly aren't expecting him to play next year.

PPP: Well, the fact that the Leafs aren't expecting him to play in the NHL next year is a good one. That's probably some pressure the kid can avoid. Burke has said before that if he had been the GM in Schenn's first year that he would have gone back to Kelowna. Whether it would have helped or not is hypothetical but Rielly is going to have to earn his spot.

The way Burke describes him is hilarious because it makes him seem like a dimwit. Oh he knows how to find the weight room? Thank Christ, he's not some kind of slackjawed drooler like Harrison Ruopp. In all seriousness, by all accounts he killed the exercises at the combine for whatever that's worth.

HENNY QUESTION: Seems to be very good in his own zone, doesn't panic with the puck, and can jump into the rush quite easily

Burke: And judiciously too. He's a good skater so he can join the rush but we feel he's not reckless. Mature in terms of his decision making. For a kid his age he makes wise decisions. He's not an impetuous player.

PPP: Burke should have just led with "he's no Bryan McCabe" and we could have all been happy. I'll show more in the Rielly wrap up post but that's what a lot of scouts say which is good because lord knows this team lacks hockey IQ...and regular IQ.

The Best and Worst of Brian Burke: Trades #2

SkinnyFish — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:51:57 -0000

A quick recap for those of you who are archivally challenged.

Brian Burke's worst trades as Leafs GM:

#4 - Kris Versteeg to PHI for a 2011 1st and 2nd

#3 - Jiri Tlusty to CAR for the rights to Philippe Paradis

This bring us to #2.

July 1st, 2009

To Toronto: Garnet Exelby and Colin Stuart

To Atlanta: Pavel Kubina and Tim Stapleton

My kids are really into Lego. When we build a new set there is always a piece or two left -- a red 1x1 round plate and a yellow wheel rim. You can use one as a brake light and the other has some utility…these spare parts are Stuart and Stapleton. Kubina for Exelby, to stick with the Lego analogy, is like trading an overpriced and marginally fun set (Ewok Attack) for some cash and a used set of bricks that’s kinda dirty and turns out to be mostly K’Nex parts. (The cash, btw turned into Mike Komisarek, who, to stay with the kids and toys metaphors has a contract like the mother of all craft table glitter spills. No matter how hard you try, it's going to take years to clean that mess up.)

I think Forbes is a little harsh with regards to Tim Stapleton. Yesterday we had the Tlusty trade being bad for giving up on a ppg AHL player. The season before this trade, Stapleton had 79pts in 70 AHL games (granted he was 24 at the time). Last season, Stapleton added 11 goals and 16 assists in his first full NHL season with the Winnipeg Jets playing on their 3rd and 4th lines. He also cost them peanuts. So in the end it was Pavel Kubina, the player Burke Komisarek was, and a cheap, productive bottom 6 player for Garnet "Terrible at Hockey" Exelby and the capspace to sign Mike Komisarek's boat anchor of a contract. Just wonderful.

Next, something less depressing.

Brian Burke's best trades as Leafs GM:

#4 - Lebda, Slaney, and a 4th to NSH for Lombardi and Franson

#3 - A 2nd to COL for John-Michael Liles

Now #2.

To Toronto: Jake Gardiner, Joffrey Lupul, a conditional 2013 4th round pick (exercised)

To Anaheim: Francois Beauchemin

Beauchemin played tough minutes in Toronto and seemed underappreciated in a very difficult role on an awful team. He’s likely Burke’s best UFA signing (world’s tallest midget alert!). That’s a pretty good price to pay for an injury/ bad contract and a nice prospect. And let’s be frank, nobody, and I mean nobody, saw Lupul bouncing back the way he has – this trade was all about Gardiner. Like the Lombadi trade, the Leafs used their deep pockets to take on a bad contract (Lupul) and pick up a prospect in the process.

So basically when Burke's uses the Leafs economic clout for good (Lupul, Lombardi for Lebda), we like it. When he uses it for bad (overpaying for UFAs) we don't.

Your thoughts?

Grand Rapids Griffins Second Half Report Cards 2012

stripe — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:36:24 -0000

Grand Rapids Griffins Second Half Report Cards 2012
Young Gun Nyquist leads the way...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
May 8th, 2012

The Griffins were one of the top offensive clubs in the AHL boasting five 20-goal scorers and scoring 245 goals. They were also one of the worst teams in the league defensively surrendering 249 tallies to their opponents and finishing out of the playoffs yet again. Young gun Gustav Nyquist led the way for most of the season before graduating to the NHL. Joakim Andersson and Tomas Tatar took big steps to future NHL employment while veterans Doug Janik and Garnet Exelby did their best to stem the bleeding. Next year should see many new faces and improved seasons from the excellent cast of rookies that survived their trial by fire this season.

These are the Griffins' second half grades:

The Rating Scale:
A - Excellence
B - Above Average - Exceeds Expectations
C - Average - Meets Expectations
D - Below Average
F - Fail

Gustav Nyquist A
Nyquist just got better as the season went on, scoring over a point per game in the second half. He played well enough to get a couple of looks in Detroit before being recalled for good after breaking the franchise rookie scoring record. With 12 goals over his last 22 games and a share of the team points lead (58), Nyquist has proven what he needed to in the AHL and is expected to make a strong showing for a job with the Wings next season out of camp.

Joakim Andersson A
Andersson continued his evolution into a top defensive forward, adding a consistent offensive element to his arsenal. He racked up 30 points in the second half while still playing a physical, defensively responsible game. It remains to be seen whether he has the speed or intensity to take his game to the next level, but he has certainly earned a chance to try.

Doug Janik A
The Griffins' ace defenseman got it done at both ends of the ice and earned another NHL recall. The wily vet turned up the offense in the second half, adding 6 goals and 17 points in 29 games while finishing the season at a team high +19 defensive rating. A consummate professional, Janik is a calming influence and a great teacher for the organization's young defensive prospects. He is at the end of his contract and may draw interest from another NHL club.

Garnet Exelby A-
The captain played stellar defense down the stretch and even cut the bad penalties that plagued him the first half out of his game. His strong, physical play made him one of the team's best defenders down the stretch and his leadership on and off the ice was apparent. Exelby may move on in search of another NHL job after his strong showing in Grand Rapids, but the organization should also make a pitch for him.

Tomas Tatar A-
Tatar's offense still has not hit the plateau expected of him, but his all around game and his intensity level have improved greatly since the start of the season. He notched 13 goals in the second half and was red hot the last few weeks of the season, looking like he had found another gear. He may battle for a spot in Detroit at camp, but probably will return to Grand Rapids for another season.

Ty Conklin B+
Conklin came in and brought some stability between the pipes, winning his first five starts before reality set in. He proved he still has a few miles left in him, albeit in the AHL. The veteran netminder is at the end of his contract with Detroit and is unlikely to return next season.

Chris Minard B+
Minard made up for lost time, returning from a concussion that cost him the first half of the season and going on an offensive tear. The streaky sniper notched 20 goals in his first 31 games, good enough to win a player of the month nod as well as the Fred T Hunt trophy for dedication to the sport. He just as quickly faded away the last month of the season with the team fighting for the last playoff spot. Minard's streaky history with the Griffins will probably lead to him moving on over the off-season.

Chris Conner B+
Conner had a dream first half, playing well enough to earn an NHL recall and then earning a spot in the lineup until injury knocked him out. The wily vet had a tough time duplicating that in the second half, battling through injuries and inconsistency before a hot finish. A speedy forechecker with offensive potential, Conner may get another look at the NHL level, but could return to Grand Rapids as a depth player.

Jamie Johnson B
Johnson continued to be one of the major cogs in the Griffins offense the second half, capping off a nice comeback season. A streaky scorer, at times he was as hot as anyone, but the last month of the season he and his line mate's went cold and stopped scoring. He still managed to net 58 points for a share of the three way tie as the leading scorer. Johnson is at the end of his contract and is a question mark to return for next season.

Fabian Brunnstrom B
Fabian didn't have the offensive explosion that some thought he might in the second half, but he averaged nearly a point per game and quietly picked it up down the stretch. His defensive game however was what really set him apart as he was very responsible in his own end and a key part of the transition game, breaking up plays in the neutral zone and setting up scoring chances. Brunnstrom played well enough to return, and it sounds like Detroit would like him too, but it remains to be seen whether he will return to Europe for a bigger payday. He remains an intriguing possibility because he will not count against the veteran limit despite his experience level.

Brendan Smith B-
The organization's top defensive prospect finished an up and down season, probably his last in the AHL. While he clearly has some next level talent when he chooses to use it, he did not play up to that level consistently. He did pick it up for a stretch in the second half after a recall to Detroit, but disappeared late in the season with a playoff spot on the line. Smith still managed to score 5 goals and 17 points in 25 games, upping his season total to 10 goals and 34 points in just 57 games.

Louis-Marc Aubry B-
Aubry just kept getting better as the season went on and earned a regular spot at center the second half. The hulking pivot used his speed and his size to give the opposition fits in the offensive zone, keeping the puck deep and working the cycle. He was not afraid to play physical, crashing and banging as well as dropping the gloves on occasion. While he didn't end up with a pile of points, that may be more attributed to his line mates and role, as a stint on the top line also produced a three-point game. He has caught management's eye and if he keeps on improving at this rate may get an NHL look next season.

Landon Ferraro B-
After an impressive first half, Ferraro suffered through some injuries in the second but still managed a good showing. He received most of his time in a defensive posture, killing penalties and taking face-offs, but did see some time on a scoring line as well. The rookie forward looked on the verge of breaking out several times over the second half and is probably due for a big scoring increase next season. He surprised a lot of people this year with his poise, speed and complete game.

Brian Lashoff C+
Lashoff earned high marks for playing through a painful shoulder injury most of the season and still managing to play at a high level. He shored up his defensive game over the second half and saw a lot of minutes in all situations. Despite the shoulder he still played physical, banging along the boards and in front. The Wings like his skill set and size and he should be a lock to receive a new contract to return for another season.

Frankie Pare C
Frankie got off to another slow start before really lighting it up in the second half. The streaky sniper saved his best for last, scoring at a torrid pace the last 20 games to try and grab the last playoff spot. When he is on, Pare is a speedy, slippery scorer who goes to the net; his consistency and defensive game however remain works in progress. He has one year left on his current deal and will again be counted on to carry a large part of the offensive load.

Brent Raedeke C
Raedeke lost ground to Aubry and Ferraro and subsequently ended up bouncing around (and out of) the lineup. He was challenged to bring a little more grit and intensity and battle more. He took advantage of injuries and recalls to re-establish himself and ended strong, scoring 8 points in his last 19 games. Brent has one more season left on his entry level contract and will need to step up a notch to stay on the radar.

Travis Ehrhardt C
Battled back from an injury that cost him the first half of the year to claim a regular spot on the blueline. Ehrhardt had his ups and downs, but still looks to be making progress. He has probably shown enough to garner another contract with Detroit, but an injury free year would go along way towards re-establishing himself as a prospect before he gets passed by. When healthy he remains a smooth skating puck moving defenseman who is not afraid to play physical.

Bryan Rufenach C-
Rufenach gave a better showing of himself than many in the organization thought. He signed with Grand Rapids after being released without a contract by Detroit and went down to the ECHL where he lit it up offensively. He was recalled and saw limited playing time, but played well enough, notching an assist and a +1 in 10 games towards the end of the season.

Mitchell Callahan C-
Callahan showed glimpses of his potential in the second half playing on a rookie energy line with fellow freshmen Aubry and Parkes. When he was on top of his game, he was an aggressive forechecker with soft enough hands to keep the puck deep on the cycle and pot the occasional goal. He struggled to stay at the level for an extended time and seemed to have a problem balancing the physical game with the rest of it. His season ended early with a shoulder injury, but he should come back with more consistency next season.

Gleason Fournier C-
Fournier saw spot duty down the stretch, subbing for injured players and recalls between stints in the ECHL. The smooth skating blueliner was not an impact player, but looked good at times. His propensity for bad penalties cost him more playing time as he adjusted to the speed of the AHL while still recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. He should challenge for a spot on the Griffins backend next season especially if he can quarterback the stagnant powerplay.

Mike Thomas D+
The return for the trade of fan favorite Amadio earlier in the year, Thomas had some big shoes to fill and did not appear to be up to the task. He didn't show much when in the lineup and was dispatched to Toledo for the bulk of the season. When he returned he saw a regular shift but didn't display anything that warranted a return next season.

Logan Pyett D+
Pyett became a frequent target of the boo-birds over the second half as his frequent turnovers and bad defensive plays led to pucks in his net. His offensive game dried up and he had a poor finish to the season, his second straight year of regression. The fourth year pro is unlikely to return based on his level of play and having passed the magic games mark to require a veterans spot next season.

Andrej Nestrasil D
Nestrasil was largely ineffective during his time with the Griffins. He did not provide much in the way of offense with only one point in 14 games and only registered 7 shots on goal. The former QMJHL scorer must up his intensity level and keep his feet moving to have a chance in the AHL next season.

Trevor Parkes D
Parkes never was able to get going offensively this season and may have been better served with more playing time in Toledo to get his confidence up. He was effective in spurts on an energy line, keeping the puck deep and working the cycle, but never really cemented a spot in the lineup. An injury shut down his season early and it is hoped he will have more of an impact next season with a year of experience under his belt.

Willie Coetzee D
At the halfway point Coetzee looked to be on the verge of a 20-goal breakout season. The wheels fell off in the second half as he recorded just 2 goals and bounced around until losing his spot in the lineup and even being left off the clear day roster. The speedy sniper has got his work cut out for him to earn a spot in the AHL next season and play for a new contract with Detroit. He needs to add some grit to his game and pay the price to get into scoring areas where his quick release and accurate shot would be put to better use.

Jordan Pearce D
Pearce became the forgotten man in the second half after his struggles took him out of the lineup and at one point had him relegated to the ECHL. He spent some time as the fourth stringer in Detroit when Howard and MacDonald went down, and then rode the pine in GR the rest of the season. Pearce has another year left, but may not have a place to play if the organization turns phenom Mrazek pro next season. He needs to regain his form of 2011 and put last season behind him, or it might be time for medical school.

Thomas McCollum D
McCollum had an up and down second half, and clearly much more was expected from the former first round pick. He had a career high winning streak after being recalled from the ECHL, but faded down the stretch and posted some ugly numbers. McCollum has another year left on his entry-level contract and it will be a make-or-break season for the personable young netminder.

Alan Quine Incomplete
Speedy forward motored around a lot and didn't look out of place. It was tough to judge with the limited playing time he got, but the experience should benefit him as he returns to the junior ranks next season.

Riley Sheahan Incomplete
Sheahan left college early to start his pro career and made quite an impression in doing it. He has size, strength and speed and just needs to find his scoring touch to make a rapid move up the organization's depth chart. He was rewarded with a recall at the end of the season and made his NHL debut for Detroit.

Adam Almqvist Incomplete
The Swedish blueliner definitely looked undersized in his brief two game audition, but he also looked comfortable, showing off some soft hands and the ability to find lanes to move the puck. An off-season in the weight room would benefit him before he takes to the ice for Grand Rapids next season.

Griffins Fall Short Of Postseason for Third Straight Season

stripe — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 00:28:16 -0000

Grand Rapids stumbles to end up 25th out of 30 teams...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
April 20th, 2012

The Griffins' slim playoff hopes, hanging on by a thread were dashed in epic fashion as the team dropped its final three contests to bow out of the postseason for the third consecutive year. The primary farm club of theDetroit Red Wings has fallen on hard times, sitting out of the Calder cup chase for the fourth time in five seasons. Unfortunately it looks like next year will be more of the same, as the Wings appear happy with the player development going on in Grand Rapids and have already indicated their preference to retain the coaching staff for another season. Add to that that almost two-thirds of the players are still under contract for next season and we have a problem.

This season's team looked very much like the last three, talented but erratic. They were frustrating to watch for most of the season. With their poor team defense and flawed work ethic, they seemed incapable of putting together a full 60-minute effort. Sure there were several winning streaks. But they only served to tease us with the heights these players were capable of but could not sustain. We have heard a variety of excuses related to the wrong mix of veterans, too many call-ups, injuries, and the learning curve of rookie pro's. We have seen a merry-go-round of player movement, shuffling people in and out of the organization and lineup with little or no effect. The Griffins seem to have changed out everyone except the coaching staff in the last four seasons including the general manager and several behind the scenes people.

I submit that the Griffins have not done a great job of player development, far from it. The players who have played well after being recalled by Detroit have excelled because of their talent, not because of anything that is happening in Grand Rapids. We are instead teaching the prospects about lack of preparation, motivation and work ethic and worse still, that is OK to lose. Grand Rapids has one of the most highly regarded development coaches in Curt Fraser. He is bright, funny, articulate and well respected in the hockey community. Where is the disconnect?

The end of this season could spell the end for several of the Griffins' elder statesman as frequent whipping boy Logan Pyett heads a cast of players whose contracts are up this summer. He is joined by veterans Chris Minard and Jamie Johnson, who will likely find other employment over the summer, and Doug Janik, Garnet Exelby and Chris Conner who may be back if they don't find an NHL offer. Fabian Brunnstrom will also be an unrestricted free agent, but may return as he fills a niche as an experienced player who does not count as a veteran. Blueliner Travis Ehrhardt is a restricted free agent and has probably played well enough to get another contract. Gustav Nyquist and Brendan Smith got extended looks in the NHL and will likely graduate to the parent Red Wings.

The incoming class of freshman is expected to be headlined by offensive wizard Tomas Jurco, as well as first round pick Riley Sheahan, blueliner Adam Almqvist and netminder Petr Mrazek. The Wings will also pay close attention to the organizations goaltending depth, especially if Joey MacDonald backs up in Detroit next season. They will probably have to add a veteran between the pipes in Grand Rapids as the number three spot in the organization, both for stability and to tutor Mrazek. Assistant Wings GM Jim Nill, the architect of the Griffins will also have his hands full replacing the veterans that are not retained.

OKC Barons Return Home - Shooting Stars And Gliding Griffins

Eric Rodgers — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 22:30:05 -0000

The Oklahoma City Barons came off of a five-point weekend during their Texas road trip last weekend, and looked ahead to a three-in-three at home against the Texas Stars and a two-game set against the Grand Rapids Griffins. Coming into the weekend on a seven-game standing points streak, the Barons sat just far enough out in the standings to have a slight possibility of clinching a playoff berth this weekend.

Starting out on Friday night, the Barons took on the Texas Stars for the third time in four games. Sweeping the two-game set last weekend, the Barons saw a few new players on the Stars team with the additions of Jack Campbell, Austin Smith, and Taylor Vause. Campbell was given the honor of making his first professional start in goal against the Conference-leading Barons, with Yann Danis in the net opposite him.

Struggling with their discipline lately, the Barons took an extremely quick penalty as Josh Green was whistled for slashing at 1:35 into the game. Both teams traded power play opportunities later in the period, and despite being on the penalty kill twice, the Barons were able to have a lot of scoring opportunities. The scoring finally broke at the 13:56 mark by Kevin Montgomery from the point, assisted by Colten Teubert and Magnus Paajarvi. Getting 15 shots in the first, the Barons only allowed five Texas shots after 20 minutes of play and leading 1-0.

After only getting the five shots in the 1st, the Stars came back firing in the 2nd. Danis made some big saves in the first half of the period, while the Barons still got chances of their own. At the 10:43 mark, Teubert received a pass from Antti Tyrvainen and he shot from the point with Anton Lander standing in front. Lander redirected the shot into the goal and in the process, he earned his first career AHL point and goal, making it 2-0 Barons. A couple minutes later, the Stars' Mike Hedden broke up a pass by Montgomery and got a breakaway, putting it past Danis to cut the Barons' lead to 2-1. The Barons didn't let that faze them, and on the next shift, Pitlick drove up the sideboards and centered a pass to a waiting Mark Arcobello who put it past Campbell to make it 3-1 Barons. Late in the period, the Barons had to kill off a 3-on-5 after both Green and Teubert took tripping penalties a minute apart. The Stars came back and earned 20 shots in the 2nd period to the Barons' 13. There was a lot less shooting in the 3rd as the Barons held back a bit, and the Stars seemed to check out, and with no success on either team's single power play chance, the Barons took the final, 3-1.

Saturday night, the Barons began their two-game set against the Grand Rapids Griffins. With both their goalies called up to Detroit, the Griffins had Tom McCollum in net, their fifth goalie on the depth chart. With Chris VandeValde called up earlier in the day to the Oilers, Ryan Martindale drew into his place, centering Triston Grant and Tanner House. Yann Danis was once again in net for the Barons.

For the second straight game, Josh Green took an early penalty, this time 1:25 into the game for tripping. The Barons killed it off, and Danis made some big saves following it. At 10:17, Hunter Tremblay shot a slow floater towards the net as Mark Arcobello drove through the slot. The puck changed direction off of Arcobello, and the Barons took a 1-0 lead. Then, at the 17:59 mark, Triston Grant backhanded a soft shot towards McCollum while Tanner House and a Griffins player drove towards the net. Grant's shot went right past McCollum without him even realizing it left Grant's stick, and the Barons took a 2-0 lead into the locker rooms.

The 2nd period started off quick with Doug Janik scoring just 41 seconds into the period to cut the Barons lead to 2-1, assisted by Tomas Tatar and Francis Pare. Just like the night before, the Barons didn't want to sit ahead by just one goal, and at 3:18, Green received a long pass from Bryan Rodney along the sideboards in the Griffins zone. Green slid the puck to the crease area and Magnus Paajarvi was right there to chip it in and put the Barons back up by two, 3-1. A few minutes later, Antti Tyrvainen took a cross-checking call and during that PK, Anton Lander shot the puck out of the rink and picked up a delay of game penalty. On the ensuing 3-on-5, Jack Johnson received a cross-ice pass through the crease from Chris Conner and scored to make it 3-2 at 8:31. At 17:32, the Barons got a 5-on-3 chance of their own as Conner took a tripping penalty, and Garnet Exelby took an unsportsmanlike penalty after saying something about it to the ref. At 18:11, Philippe Cornet tipped a shot from Rodney, and the Barons went up 4-2 after two periods.

Returning the favor from the previous period, Josh Green received a pass from Paajarvi in the crease, was denied once, but put in the rebound with a hard slapper just to be sure, and the Barons took a 5-2 lead. At 13:19, a penalty was called on Joakim Andersson and after the whistle Bryan Helmer wasn't too happy with the call. As the teams gathered, Grant and Exelby dropped the gloves and Grant got the takedown in the fight. The last six-plus minutes ticked off, and the Barons won their 41st game of the season.

Nineteen hours later, the two teams met once again. McCollum got the start again for the Griffins, while David LeNeveu defended the Barons net. Bryan Helmer was scratched to rest nagging injuries, and Kirill Tulupov drew in. The Barons avoided an early penalty in this game, but ran into penalty trouble early. After an Arcobello hooking penalty was killed, Teubert took a hooking penalty of his own. On the first faceoff, Tanner House lost the draw to Joakim Andersson. Janik picked up the puck and took a shot and Andersson was there to pot the rebound, making it 1-0 Griffins at 17:59 and the score after one.

At 6:51 of the 2nd, Antti Tyrvainen drove in on the left side and had a look at a shot. Unable to get the puck on his stick, it got caught in his skates. His momentum carried him and the puck past an unspuspecting McCollum to tie it up at 1-1. Another successful penalty kill by the Barons occured later on, and the teams headed to the intermission tied at 1-1. The Barons couldn't do much in the 3rd however, as Grand Rapids rattled off two goals, one by Chris Minard and the other by Francis Pare. The Griffins sealed the deal at 18:30 as Conner picked up a pass and a breakaway, putting the puck into the net to make it 4-1 Griffins, which was your final.

Gaining four out of six points, the Barons are looking at playoff berth clinching scenarios this week. The Barons have their last two-game week of the season as they head to Milwaukee to close out the season series on Friday, and then to Grand Rapids to do the same thing again.

Grand Rapids Griffins 2012 Clear Day Roster

stripe — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:03:56 -0000

Coetzee doesn't make the cut...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com

The AHL released the 2012 Clear day lists this morning, highlighting the players eligible to play the last month of the season and the playoffs. The only real surprise was the omission of Willie Coetzee from the final list. The speedy winger got off to a great start this season before losing his spot in the lineup and becoming a frequent scratch. He is listed as being in residence along with Thomas McCollum and Bryan Rufenach, meaning they can be used if someone on the list is injured or recalled. The latter is a likely scenario with the sudden rash of injuries on the parent Red Wings. The team is also able to add amateur players after their junior or college season's end, a common occurence the last few years for the Griffins which have previewed the talents of players like Gustav Nyquist, Brian Lashoff and Landon Ferraro to name a few.

2012 Clear Day Roster:

1 G Ty Conklin
2 G Jordan Pearce
3 D Travis Ehrhardt
4 D Garnet Exelby
5 D Gleason Fournier
6 D Doug Janik
7 D Brian Lashoff
8 D Logan Pyett
9 D Brendan Smith
10 F Joakim Andersson
11 F Louis-Marc Aubry
12 F Fabian Brunnstrom
13 F Mitch Callahan
14 F Chris Conner
15 F Landon Ferraro
16 F Jamie Johnson
17 F Chris Minard
18 F Gustav Nyquist
19 F Frankie Pare
20 F Trevor Parkes
21 F Brent Raedeke
22 F Tomas Tatar

In Residence:
G Thomas McCollum
D Bryan Rufenach
F Willie Coetzee

January 2012 Grand Rapids Griffins Report

stripe — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:37:42 -0000

January 2012 Grand Rapids Griffins Report
Crowded lineup still not producing results...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
February 1, 2012

Thanks to an influx of players, the Griffins now have as much depth as they have had under Coach Fraser's tenure, leaving several regulars from earlier in the year fighting for spots in the lineup. Not many lineups can boast a 30 goal scorer on the third line like Grand Rapids can with Chris Minard playing behind Chris Conner and Tomas Tatar. Unfortunately the results on the ice have still been the same and the team is still struggling with consistency. With the Griffins running out of time and excuses, they need to figure things out now and start putting some 60 minute wins together or risk watching the playoffs from the golf course.

Grand Rapids managed a 5-4-0-2 record in January which left them third in the Northern Division 7 points behind 1st place Toronto but only one point ahead of fifth place Lake Erie. Their 44 points are good enough to rank them 12th of 15 in the AHL's Western Conference and 26th of 30 in the league with an overall record of 18-17-4-4. The Griffins are one of the AHL's highest scoring teams, notching 136 goals or 3.16 per game (6th overall). Unfortunately they are also ranked 28th in goals against having surrendered 3.21 goals per game (138). The second period seems to be the one that has done them in this season as the team has been outscored 45-56 after outscoring the competition in the first (46-38) and third (40-36). Grand Rapids is also ranked 1st in shots per game at 34.53 while allowing only 30.67. Despite their record, the Griffins also rank 5th in average attendance at 6863 per game.

The following is a review for January:

OFFENSE - With the return of Chris Conner, Joakim Andersson and Gustav Nyquist from Detroit and sniper Chris Minard from the injured list, the Griffins were able to dress three balanced scoring lines for the first time all season. The de facto first line saw Conner and Nyquist flanking Jamie Johnson. The trio combined for 7 goals and 18 assist in 11 games and revived Johnson who had a slow start to the month. Emerging center Joakim Andersson centered the next line, playing with Tomas Tatar and Frankie Pare towards the end of the month. The three skaters posted 8-12-20 totals but were not very consistent. Landon Ferrarodrew the next line, centering Minard and Fabian Brunnstrom, with 9 goals and 11 assists combined on the month.

With the Griffins carrying so many extra bodies, the fourth line looked different pretty much every night as the coach tried to keep everyone ready to go until someone played to well to come out of the lineup. Louis-Marc Aubry, Brent Raedeke and Willie Coetzee played more games than they sat with Trevor Parkes, Mitchell Callahan and newcomer Mike Thomasrotating in and out of the lineup.

January Thumbnails:

Player	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-	Shts	Notes
Gustav Nyquist	9	3	7	10	4	5	22	Slick rookie keeps scoring.
Fabian Brunnstrom	11	2	8	10	4	4	41	Creative playmaker finds the range.
Joakim Andersson	11	3	5	8	4	5	27	Defensive center finds scoring touch.
Chris Conner	9	2	6	8	8	-2	17	Vet leads team with 110% effort every game.
Jamie Johnson	11	2	5	7	8	1	13	Sneaky sniper has off month.
Frankie Pare	11	2	5	7	0	-1	24	Dynamic scorer must have more impact.
Tomas Tatar	11	3	2	5	9	5	33	Two-way forward not showing up on scoresheet enough.
Willie Coetzee	8	2	3	5	2	1	24	Speedster having a hard time staying in lineup.
Landon Ferraro	8	2	3	5	0	1	14	Talented rookie pivot making the most of his games.
Chris Minard	7	4	0	4	0	2	20	Veteran goal-scorer returns from concussion with a bang.
Brent Raedeke	10	2	1	3	2	0	17	Energy player strong defensively.
Louis-Marc Aubry	7	1	2	3	5	2	10	Defensive gem working hard to earn regular spot.
Mitchell Callahan	7	0	1	1	9	-1	8	Tough month for rookie pugilist.
Trevor Parkes	7	0	1	1	9	1	15	Frequent scratch might be served by trip to Toledo.
Mike Thomas	2	0	0	0	5	-3	0	Newcomer looking for spot in lineup.

DEFENSE - A quarter of the team's offense came from the blueline in January and the return of Travis Ehrhardt has made the group better defensively as well. Ehrhardt's return form a season long shoulder injury along with the emergence of Brian Lashoff have also had some other effects on the Griffins blueline corps, most notably pushing struggling Logan Pyett out of the top four, and pushing Greg Amadio out of the lineup and eventually to Springfield. The pairings for the month saw some flux but seem to have settled down as of late. Doug Janik has been playing with Brendan Smith, while Lashoff and Ehrhardt have teamed together on an effective tandem. Captain Garnet Exelby has played with both Sebastien Piche and Pyett at times.

January Thumbnails:

Player	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-	Shts	Notes
Brian Lashoff	11	4	3	7	4	8	23	Breakout month for physical rearguard.
Garnet Exelby	11	2	5	7	13	-1	9	Veteran defender brings offense and stays out of the box.
Brendan Smith	11	3	3	6	10	3	30	Needs to add consistency and intensity to skill set.
Doug Janik	11	1	2	3	10	4	22	Steady blueliner keeps on rolling.
Travis Ehrhardt	7	0	2	2	4	7	10	Strong showing in return from injury.
Logan Pyett	9	0	1	1	6	-3	16	Offensive defenseman's game has fallen on hard times.
Sebastien Piche	2	0	0	0	5	-2	2	Gritty puck mover looking good in limited duty.

GOALTENDING - With Jordan Pearce on the shelf and Thomas McCollum turning in a pair of shaky outings, Joey MacDonald got the lions share of the work last month. The veteran netminder, fully recovered from a concussion, served notice that he was back by putting up some stellar numbers including a 2.29 GAA and .926 save percentage in 9 appearances. He also posted a 4-3-2 record including a shutout, bringing him to three on the season. Backup Thomas McCollum came into the month on a roll and capped off a career best five game winning streak before reverting to form and giving up 10 goals in about 82 minutes of work over his next two starts. His numbers for January show a 1-1 record with a 4.51GAA and .869 save percentage.

SPECIAL TEAMS - With so many talented players on the roster it remains a mystery why the powerplay is so bad. The home unit scored 3 goals in 20 chances to drop to 25th at 15.5% (15 for 97), while the road unit fell from 14th to 19th after scoring only twice in 19 chances 16.3% (16 for 98). Overall the man advantage unit was ranked 23rd in the AHL at 15.9% (31 for 195). Key contributors were Johnson (5g), Nyquist, Tatar, Andersson and Lashoff (4g each), Conner, Pare, Smith, Janik and Brunnstrom (2g each) and Coetzee, Aubry, Nestrasil and Fournier (1g each).

At home the penalty killers had a rough month, giving up 4 goals in 19 chances to lower their season ranking to 17th at 82.1% (78 for 95). The road unit actually improved a bit climbing from 19th (81.2%) to 16th (81.9%), killing off 21 of 25 chances. They are 16th overall at 82% (155 for 189) and are tied for 5th with 7 shorthanded goals scored vs 10th for allowing 4. Conner and Smith are among the league leaders with 2 shorthanded goals apiece, with Johnson, Andersson and Raedeke each adding one as well.

PLAYER OF THE MONTH - Defense - Brian Lashoff. After a year lost to injury and recover, the lanky defender has turned on the light and found his game. Lashoff scored a team high 4 goals in January to go along with 3 assists in 11 games and a team best +8 defensive rating. The second year pro plays in all situations and has been rewarded for his strong play with more ice time.

Offense - Fabian Brunnstrom. The talented Swedish forward broke out in a big way last month, putting up 2 goals, 8 assists and a team leading 41 shots on goal in the eleven games he played. Brunnstrom worked through an early season scoring slump exacerbated by constantly going back and forth to Detroit, and looks to be finding the range now.

CURRENT INJURIES - Jordan Pearce - Ankle day-to-day...

NOTABLE MOVEMENT - LW Chris Conner assigned by Detroit (NHL)... C Joakim Andersson assigned by Detroit (NHL)... LW Conner recalled by Detroit (NHL)... LW Gustav Nyquist assigned by Detroit (NHL)... LW Conner assigned by Detroit (NHL)... C Adam Estoclet assigned to Toledo (ECHL)... RW Jan Mursak recalled by Detroit (NHL)... LW Chris Minard assigned by Detroit (NHL)... D Travis Ehrhardt returned from long term injury... D Greg Amadio traded to Springfield (AHL)... RW Mike Thomas acquired from Springfield (AHL)...

KEY STATS - Gustav Nyquist is tied for 10th in league scoring with 40 points... Brendan Smith is 16th in the AHL among defenseman with 23 points... Nyquist is 2nd in rookie scoring... Jamie Johnson is tied for 20th in the AHL with 16 goals... Nyquist is 12th in assists with 28... Chris Conner and Brendan Smith are tied for 6th with 2 shorthanded goals apiece... Garnet Exelby is 4th in penalty minutes with 130... Doug Janik is 7th in plus-minus at +16... Tomas Tatar is 10th in shots on goal with 137... Joey MacDonald is tied for 18th in save percentage at 91.3%... MacDonald is also tied for 2nd with 3 shutouts... Jamie Johnson is tied for the 2nd longest goal streak this season at five games... Frankie Pare is tied for the 7th longest assist streak at 6 games... Mitchell Callahan is tied for 3rd among rookies with 9 major penalties... Brendan Smith is tied for first in Defenseman Game Winning Goals with 3...

IN THE PIPELINE - Blueliner Bryan Rufenach picked up his scoring, posting a credible 2-6-8 total in 10 games, but his -6 during that time bringing him to -11 on the season will not help his cause. Fellow rookie rearguard Gleason Fournier, a teammate with the Toledo Walleye, continues to struggle with the adjustment to the pro game. The slick skating defenseman had 4 assists in 13 games and was -3 over that span. Toledo winger Andrej Nestrasil looks to have found his game in the ECHL and turned in a hot month with 2 goals and 10 assts in 13 games for the walleye. Overall he has 15 points in his last 14 games and could make a push for a second half recall to grand Rapids. Center Adam Estoclet rounds out the players under contract playing for the Walleye. Estoclet has fallen off his torrid scoring pace last month, recording only 7 points in 10 games, but registered 34 shots on goal in that span. Look for the first year pro to bounce back on the scoreboard next month as he continues to make the adjustment to the grind of the pro game.

NHL ALUMNI WATCH - Clay Wilson, Brett Lebda, Aaron Gagnon and Jan Mursak joined the ranks of Griffins Alumni to suit up in the NHL this season when they made their season debut's in January. Current stats as of 2/1/12:

Player	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM	+/-
Justin Abdelkader, Detroit	51	5	8	13	28	2
Joakim Andersson, Detroit	4	0	0	0	0	1
Sean Avery, Rangers	15	3	0	3	21	2
Sheldon Brookbank, Anaheim	48	0	5	5	46	6
Fabian Brunnstrom, Detroit	5	0	1	1	4	-2
Chris Conner, Detroit	7	1	2	3	0	2
Mark Cullen, Florida	6	0	1	1	2	2
Mark Eaton, NY Islanders	34	0	2	2	6	-5
Matt Ellis, Buffalo	42	3	3	6	25	-6
Cory Emmerton, Detroit	40	5	3	8	8	2
Jonathan Ericsson, Detroit	51	1	8	9	43	16
Valtteri Filppula, Detroit	50	15	25	40	10	13
Aaron Gagnon, Winnipeg	2	0	0	0	0	-1
Alexandre Giroux, Columbus	9	1	0	1	8	-2
Darren Helm, Detroit	47	5	10	15	4	4
Jiri Hudler, Detroit	50	16	17	33	24	4
Chris Kelly, Boston	48	14	10	24	30	23
Jakub Kindl, Detroit	38	1	8	9	21	4
Tomas Kopecky, Florida	48	6	15	21	24	-11
Niklas Kronwall, Detroit	51	11	11	22	28	-3
Brett Lebda, Columbus	4	1	0	1	2	-1
Ville Leino, Buffalo	40	4	8	12	8	-8
Derek Meech, Winnipeg	2	0	0	0	4	1
Chris Mueller, Nashville	4	0	0	0	0	-1
Jan Mursak, Detroit	3	0	2	2	0	2
Chris Neil, Ottawa	44	9	9	18	99	-7
Kris Newbury, Rangers	7	0	0	0	24	-1
Gustav Nyquist, Detroit	5	0	1	1	2	1
Scott Parse, Los Angeles	9	2	0	2	14	1
Kyle Quincey, Colorado	46	4	18	22	52	-3
Mattias Ritola, Tampa Bay	5	0	0	0	6	-2
Brendan Smith, Detroit	3	0	2	2	4	-1
Jason Spezza, Ottawa	53	20	30	50	24	0
Jason Williams, Pittsburgh	7	1	1	2	4	1
Clay Wilson, Calgary	2	0	0	0	2	0

Player	GP	W-L-T	GAA	SV%
Jimmy Howard, Detroit	43	31-11-1	2.01	.925
Drew MacIntyre, Buffalo	2	0-0-0	1.40	.944

UP NEXT - February is a busy month for Grand Rapids with 10 contests on the calendar including 8 on home ice. The month starts out with a pair of games against the Hamilton Bulldogs and the following weekend the Houston Aeros play a deuce at Van Andel arena. A Sunday tilt with the Rampage gives way to a road game in Chicago against the wolves. Then it's back on the bus for a series of home games against the Peoria Rivermen, Hamilton and Lake Erie Monsters. The Griffins finish the month on the road in Toronto with a match against the division leading Marlies.

Grand Rapids Griffins 2011-12 First Half Report Cards

stripe — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:35:35 -0000

Grand Rapids Griffins 2011-12 First Half Report Cards
Veterans taking the lead...
By Jason Kasiorek
www.griffinscentral.com
January 31, 2012

After a couple of seasons of diminishing returns, the organization finally got it right with the team's veteran leadership leading the way on and off the scoreboard. Chris Conner, Doug Janik, Garnet Exelby, Jamie Johnson and Joey MacDonald have been the team's best players most nights. They have had help from a supporting cast of developing players like Tomas Tatar, Joakim Andersson, Brendan Smith, Willie Coetzee and Bryan Lashoff, as well as a crop of rookies headlined by Gustav Nyquist, Landon Ferraro and Louis-Marc Aubry. And while the team may have underachieved in the first half, there is hope for improvement in the second.

These are the Griffins' first half grades:

The Rating Scale:
A - Excellence
B - Above Average - Exceeds Expectations
C - Average - Meets Expectations
D - Below Average
F - Fail

Chris Conner A
Conner has given everything he has every shift since the beginning of the season and has been rewarded with some NHL time in Detroit. He may be the team’s most consistent offensive player, but brings so much more to the table with his skating and aggressive forechecking. He provides leadership on and off the ice and is a great role model for the younger players in the organization with his work ethic.

Doug Janik A
Janik has become one of the cornerstones of this team with his consistent level of play and professionalism. He is an ace defensively, leading the team at +16, but is a scoring threat as well, one point behind Smith for defense leader. He gives you everything he has every night and keeps the other team honest with his calm demeanor on the ice. Some nights you don’t notice him because he rarely makes a mistake that he can’t recover from. Hopefully the organization is already working on getting his name on a new contract to keep this valuable defender around.

Gustav Nyquist A
Nyquist is one of the most impressive rookies in the AHL this season and is a dazzling offensive player to watch on the ice. He has a stunning array of creativity and on ice vision, and makes everything look so easy. At times it looks to easy as he doesn’t look to be playing with a lot of intensity or competing hard. He has already had a couple of games at the NHL level and needs to get stronger to earn a full time spot in the Detroit lineup.

Joey MacDonald A-
MacDonald had a great start before being bowled over in the crease and sidelined with a concussion. He eventually returned and after a couple of games to get back on track, has been phenomenal. He keeps this team in games they shouldn’t be in with his aggressive play and makes the stops he has to. If he can stay healthy the second half, look for MacDonald to climb back into the spot he was in before the injury, among the league leaders.

Tomas Tatar A-
After a solid year last season, expectations were placed on Tatar that proved to be too much for the 21 yr old winger. The result was a frustrating start as Tomas got down on himself. He eventually rebounded, and has posted numbers at the point per game pace since then. He is a quiet scorer, and so far has not translated his speed and skill to become a game-breaker at this level, a role he may grow into. Tatar needs to work on going to the net more and bringing a consistent effort every game, but is well on his way there.

Jamie Johnson A-
Last season was a nightmare for Johnson who posted one of his worst seasons as a pro. He has rebounded in the first half, already scoring more goals than he did all last season. The talented center has also added a measure of grit to his game which seems to be serving him well as he sets up around the net.

Joakim Andersson B+
Andersson has always had the size and physical maturity, but some questioned his skating and offensive ability. So far this season he has silenced doubters on one score as his offensive game has come on line with 10 goals and 11 assists already meeting or exceeding last season’s totals. He is defensively sound, uses his large frame well, and is not afraid of the rough stuff. The only thing separating him from the NHL is his skating which though improved, still needs some work.

Landon Ferraro B+
Finally recovered form a couple of injury plagued years of junior hockey after being drafted, Ferraro has been a quietly impressive rookie for Grand Rapids this season, overshadowed by Nyquist’s offensive exploits. The speedy center already has a pro-style complete game and does a lot of the little things you need to do to win. One of the Griffins best penalty killers, Ferraro has a lot of intensity and a high compete level to go with rink-wide speed and good on-ice vision. He has shown a scoring touch in spurts and should just continue to improve in the second half.

Garnet Exelby B
The captain has filled the bill this season, providing leadership and a physical defensive presence this team has not seen in a long time. He clears the crease with authority and is not afraid to drop the gloves with anyone to stick up for his teammates. He logs a ton of minutes often paired with the team’s weakest blueliner, and is a staple on the penalty kill. His Achilles heal is his temper, which gets the best of him at times, causing him to boil over and take bad penalties that generally cost his team on the scoreboard.

Fabian Brunnstrom B-
While his scoring (11 points in 15 games) has not quite been at the level expected of such an offensive talent, the rest of Brunnstrom’s game has far exceeded expectations. He is a smooth, fast skater that seems to always be where he supposed to be on the ice, at both ends. He is defensively responsible and can make jaw dropping moves with the puck, spinning around players to go to the net. He has also been the most snakebit forward on the team this season, seemingly unable to get the puck into the back of the net, hopefully that changes in the second half.

Thomas McCollum B-
It was not surprising that after last year’s abysmal performance, that McCollum would start this year in the ECHL. What was surprising however was his strong stretch of play after being recalled to replace first MacDonald and then Jordan Pearce while they were on the injured list. The third year netminder turned in his best stretch as a pro, winning five straight starts before falling back to earth with a pair of stinkers. The second half is crucial for McCollum who is in the last year of his contract and trying to hold off Pearce and talented Jr Mrazek.

Willie Coetzee C+
Coetzee has bounced around the lineup this season, as coach Fraser tries to find the right fit for him. He is a streaky sniper with great wheels and a wicked quick release that surprises goalies, and has scored 9 goals in the first half. Watching Coetzee play, it is obvious that he is very skilled and has some great moves, but like a lot of young players, needs to get stronger and more consistent to be a constant threat.

Brent Raedeke C+
Raedeke does a lot of things well, but not the kind of things that end up on the score sheet very often. He is an incredibly fast and agile skater and sees the ice well, which fuels his defensive game. His intensity could use some work and his lack of offense is a question mark as well, but in that regard, he has already tied last season’s number with half a season to go. He will have to keep improving in the second half to stay ahead of Aubry and Ferraro for ice time.

Brian Lashoff C+
Lashoff lost most of last season to injury, and it took him awhile this season to find his bearings. But when he did, he rocketed up the depth chart with his solid play. A regular on the penalty killing unit, Brian has also been seeing some significant time on the power play, where his booming point shot has started finding the back of the net. The hulking rearguard uses his size and strength well and is a willing shot blocker. Look for him to have a strong second half and lead the blueline in goals.

Sebastien Piche C+
For a guy that was told he was going back to Toledo, Piche took advantage of injuries, suspensions and recalls to carve a place out of the lineup. The former Quebec league scoring star has concentrated on his own end of the ice and is an irritant to other teams in the Kirk Maltby mode. He has also shown his gritty side and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves. It should be interesting to see where he fits with Ehrhardt’s return.

Louis-Marc Aubry C
Aubry has played well in spurts, mostly centering one of the bottom two lines, using his size and speed in a defensive role. He has earned more ice time as the season went on, and even saw some time on a scoring line where he had his first multiple-point game in the AHL. The lanky center seems to be making the adjustment to the pro game, and with a little more muscle mass, should put up some big points in the future.

Mitchell Callahan C-
Callahan started the season trying to fight everybody in the AHL before settling down and showing off some decent skills. He can skate, hit and sees the ice well, and has earned a spot on the penalty kill where he does a good job. He uses his size and speed well, winning battles in the corner and along the boards, and has shown soft enough hands to work the cycle and keep the puck deep in the offensive zone. His game has a ways to go, but he seems to be learning and is not a liability in the lineup.

Brendan Smith C-
Smith may be the organizations top prospect, but you wouldn’t know it to watch him very often this season. He sulked his way through the first part of the schedule, made his NHL debut and then played well for a stretch before drifting off again. It is apparent that he has NHL caliber skills and physical attributes, but consistency and desire might be two things he should work on in the second half.

Trevor Parkes D+
Parkes has been in and out of the lineup this season, and except for a brief stint on a line with fellow rookies Aubry and Callahan, has not done much to stay in the lineup. He played well defensively on a speedy, physical fore-checking line for awhile, but his lack of offense has not been enough to get him regular playing time. His size and work ethic are plusses, but some time in Toledo in the second half may be just what the doctor ordered.

Frankie Pare D+
Pare needed a strong start this season, but the streaky sniper started out ice cold, and has not been as effective this season as in the past. For an offensive player that gets as much ice time as he does, 6 goals are just not enough. He normally catches fire in the second half, and needs to do that, although his time as a Wings prospect may be just about at an end.

Logan Pyett D+
Coming back for his 4th season in the organization, a lot was expected of Pyett. Unfortunately his development has stalled and instead of taking the next step, he has regressed. After scoring 9 goals in each of the last 2 season, his offense has dried up with just 1 goal in the first half. His defensive game is not at the level you would expect, and he may start having a hard time getting top four ice time the second half. Pyett has his work cut out for him to salvage this season and keep the NHL on his radar screen.

Jordan Pearce D
Pearce got off to a bad start this season and stumbled under the weight of high expectations in the first half. In a reversal of last season, he lost ground to McCollum before finally going out of the lineup with an injury. No word yet on when he will return, but he needs a bounce back second half to stay on the radar and out of the ECHL.

Travis Ehrhardt Inc.
Ehrhardt missed most of the first half with a shoulder injury, but has been impressive defensively when he has played.

Chris Minard Inc.
Minard has been very impressive with two goals in two games since returning from concussion issues that have kept him out most of the season.

Mike Thomas Inc.
The newest member of the Griffins has only appeared in one game, so it is too early to give him a grade.